What Is The Best Pain Medication For Shingles

Shingles causes inflammation and pain.

What is the best pain medication for shingles.

Shingles causes a painful rash that can be accompanied by fever fatigue and sensitivity to light. Asked 24 apr 2010 by jtomrai1 updated 14 february 2012 topics herpes zoster. When the rash goes away the pain usually goes. Below is a list of common medications used to treat or reduce the symptoms of shingles.

While antiviral medication is an effective treatment for shingles it s not the only option. What is the best medication for pain relief of shingles. Learn about treatment options from a pain management specialist. Shingles itself comes from reactivation of a chickenpox virus varicella zoster.

Let your doctor know first if you want to try these. Roughly 30 to 60 of people over age 60 who get shingles go on to develop a chronic pain syndrome called post herpetic neuralgia. It is recommended that antiviral drugs be given within 72 hours of the onset of symptoms for the best outcome. These may also help you stave off postherpetic neuralgia.

Pain medications can also be effective in controlling shingles pain. Some people find that acupuncture and other complementary treatments help with the pain that can linger after shingles. Let your doctor know. The virus travels down nerve fibers to cause a painful skin rash.

Shingles a viral infection of the nerve roots affects 1 million people in the u s each year. The pain is relentless and nothing seems to be helping. The doctor has prescribed gabapentin 600mg 3xdaily and acyclovir 800mg 5xdaily. Your doctor may also take a tissue scraping or culture of the blisters for examination in the laboratory.

Follow the links to read common uses side effects dosage details and read user reviews for the drugs. Your doctor can suggest over the counter medicines to relieve milder discomfort. Shingles is usually diagnosed based on the history of pain on one side of your body along with the telltale rash and blisters.