Replied By Oscar (Syracuse, New York) on 05/03/2013
Dear Horace, How long have you been taking 250mg of BHT per day ? Has this shingles gotten worse using BHT ? Do you have any other health issues ? 250mg of BHT per day may be too much for you. If you are experiencing symptoms you did NOT have prior to the time you began using BHT and these symptoms persist then you should lower the dosage of BHT used....OscarReplied By Zark (Emerald City, The Land Of Oz) on 11/13/2013
I believe this would be a Herx reaction. In which case the immune system is busy cleaning up all the viral particles that have been wiped out.Replied By Ken (Nambour Qld, Australia) on 01/30/2018
HI THERE....
Twelve month back I had shingles on my left chest and left shoulder blade.... The lesions went away in their time but I was left with horrendous PHN which has gone on for last twelve months...
Nothing has any affect on the level of pain which now ranges from 3/10 to 6/10 .. Fortunately it now spends most of its time around the 3/10...
I believe the pain is now finding its way through my lower back and legs.... I also have type two insulin dependant diabetes and thought this may also be neuralgia associated with diabetes rather than the shingles..
Can BHT be of any affect for this pain as in eradicating it or just as a preventative measure should I suffer another attack of the virus...
Replied By Swfowkes (Cupertino, California) on 02/15/2018
Neuropathies of all kinds can have common underlying mechanisms. Lack of neurotrophic factors like pregnenolone and progesterone are common. But viruses and oxidative stress are also common. BHT is an antioxidant and an antiviral agent, so it is worth trying. It is also extremely inexpensive, so the down side is mainly your time and trouble. Since your neuropathic pain is close to the surface, I suggest that transdermal delivery will be the most effective way to test your response to BHT. Dissolve BHT crystals or powder in refined coconut oil (NOT raw coconut oil) at roughly 10% by weight. You can go as high as 15% by weight if you live in a warm climate. If you do use more and see BHT crystals growing in your BHT-oil solution, it is in no way dangerous. As you apply it, you will feel a bit of abrasion from the BHT crystals, but they will quickly dissolve as the oil warms up on your skin. The only other down side is that you may end up with BHT residue on your skin that cannot absorb as thoroughly as the oil. To test, I suggest that you start on only one side. If the pain reduces more on the BHT-treated side, you will have some evidence that it is not a random change or a placebo response. As an antioxidant, BHT "preserves" the vitamin A and E levels in neurons, which can seriously stabilize the neural membranes, through which the pain signals travel. Good luck, and please post your results here.