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I never planned on writing a post about home remedies for shingles! But after finding out I got shingles a few weeks ago, I thought I would share my experience and what I found to help me. Especially since shingles is so common, I hope you find some of these home remedies for shingles helpful!
What Happened to Me:
A few weeks ago I noticed a rash under my arm that spread to my arm and back. First, I thought it was just hives, except there was one odd thing about it, it didn’t itch at all, it was burning….Just like it was on fire, ouch! It really hurt!
It was extremely painful and the only way I could think of to describe it is… how it feels when you burn your finger on the oven. It seemed so strange because my rash didn’t even look that bad, how could such a small rash be so painful?!
So I went to a “Walkin” medical center and found out that because the rash appeared in the T1 zone of my body and based on my description of the pain and burning feeling, I was told I had shingles and it should go away in 2 weeks.
Having shingles never even crossed my mind! I had chicken pox as a kid. I’ve never had shingles before and no one I know has ever had it either, so it came as quite a surprise.
The only thing I knew about shingles was what I remember from seeing commercials on TV. They always showed older men in their 50’s or 60’s talking about how shingles is an extremely painful rash. So it seemed so odd that me, being in my late 20’s, that I would suddenly get shingles.
But, after much research I found out that people of any age get shingles and that some say it is becoming more common in younger people, like myself. It occurs because the virus lays dormant in everyone that has had chicken pox or the vaccine. Most statistics say that 1 out of 3 people will get shingles at some time in their life and usually you will only get it once in your life and not again. There are many various causes that can trigger the virus to become activated in your body and result in shingles.
I’m so thankful that I found some home remedies for shingles that really helped minimize the pain and length of the virus.
What Causes Shingles:
There are many different reasons that the same virus that causes chicken pox and lays dormant in your nervous system can become reactivated and produce shingles. Here are some of the most common causes:
- Certain medications
- Lowered immune system
- High stress ( I think this is what caused shingles for me)
- Illness
- Recent injury or surgery
Stages of Shingles:
Before the rash, some get a tingling feeling or pain where the rash is going to appear in the next few days.
First Stage: A rash begins to appear on your skin. It can be a band or strip, or a larger area of red splotches that look similar to hives. My rash just started as few red splotches under my arm then over the next 2 days, more appeared going down my arm, and then a day later I saw a few clusters of red splotches on my upper back.
The rash typically only appears on half of your body. For me, it was under my left arm, going down my arm, and my upper back (only on the left side stopping at my spine).
*After the rash appeared, it was very painful for me, it felt like a bad burn.
Second Stage: About 3 to 5 days after you first see red splotches, the red bumps begin to fill with clear looking fluid (Mine were very small, but it’s still pretty gross!).
*The pain remained about the same during this stage.
Third Stage: About 4 to 6 days after the bumps become fluid filled, they begin to scab over.
*As soon as a few of mine no longer looked fluid filled, the pain and burning sensation improved significantly each day.
Fourth Stage: A few days to up to a week after the scabs form they will fall off and may leave your skin slightly pink for a little while.
*At this point, my pain was very minimal.
Fifth Stage: Some may have lingering pain where the rash was, even though the rash is now cleared, this is called postherapetic neuralgia. On average, studies say that the pain goes away for most within 30 days. However, occasionally, it can last longer than this.
The length of each stage can vary depending on the person, but these were the averages I found online and also what happened for me.
Conventional Treatment for Shingles:
Many people receive a prescription for an antiviral medication and this is said to be most effective when it is taken as quickly after the rash appears (within a few days of it appearing). The medication is supposed to prevent the rash from becoming more severe and also to help prevent postherpetic neuralgia, which is when the pain continues even after the rash is gone. Generally, most people also receive a prescription for something to help with the pain.
I was really tempted to take something for the pain but decided not to. The only reason I was able to get through it without taking pain medication was because these home remedies for shingles really helped soothe the rash and ease the pain; especially the calamine lotion!
5 Natural Home Remedies for Shingles:
*Note: The main priority is to help dry out your fluid filled rash topically so that it turns into scabs and heals faster (this is what remedies 2 through 4 do)
1. Apply cool/cold compresses to the rash– This gave me instant relief from the pain and burning sensation.
2. Aloe vera– I used both aloe vera straight from the plant and this prepared kind applying it topically to the rash. It is soothing and also helps to dry out the fluid filled blisters of the rash.
3. Mixture of apple cider vinegar and water– Take about 1/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar. Mix them in a bowl. Dip a cotton ball in the mixture and apply it to your rash. The coolness of the mixture helps give relief and it also helps dry out the rash.
4. Calamine lotion – OK, so it’s not that natural, but without this home remedy for shingles I think I would of ended up taking pain medication because it helped give me so much relief!
I took a cotton ball and applied this calamine lotion to my rash about 3 to 4 times a day. It is extremely soothing as it goes on cool when applied. I felt like applying it every hour because it helped minimize my pain so much. It is also very drying so it will help dry up the fluid filled bumps faster.
5. Boost your immune system– Many get shingles because their immune system is weakened. So taking supplements to increase your immune system, especially while your body is fighting the virus is important so that you can minimize the severity and get over it more quickly. Boosting your immune system is one of the best home remedies for shingles because it gets at the cause and helps your body fight the virus to get rid of it quicker.
Here’s how to do it:
- Take a good real food based multivitamin – I take this one
- Take 500MG to 1,500MG of vitamin C – I take this real food based kind
- Take a multi-strain probiotic
- Make sure to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night, but preferably more, and reduce stress
My Experience with Shingles and How These Home Remedies Worked for Me:
My picture above was taken about 2 weeks after I got shingles, most of rash bumps had turned into scabs at that point.
It’s now been about 3 weeks since I first got the shingles. My rash is almost completely gone. I only have one or two scabs left. I have very minimal pain in my arm and back exactly where the rash was, which seems to be getting better as more time passes. Hopefully, it goes away completely soon. At this point, I’m not applying anything to my skin. I just continue to take the supplements to boost my immune system so that it will help speed up getting better.
I never could imagine that such a mild looking rash could be so painful. Even when I showed my rash to my family members they said it doesn’t look that bad, how could it be that painful?! But, those commercials that portray shingles as being painful are right! At it’s worst, even just the breeze of the wind or my shirt lightly touching the rash would cause terrible pain, like it was on fire. I’m glad I’m just about all better!
These home remedies for shingles really helped give me relief when I was going through the worst part of it and I hope they help you.
If you’ve had shingles and have any other suggestions or home remedies that worked for you, I would love to hear about them in the comments.
UPDATE 10/9/2017 – My dad had shingles last month and I quickly came back to this post I wrote on home remedies for shingles so I could tell him what I did that helped. He started vitamin C supplements right away along with a probiotic. I also told him to make sure he eats good and gets a lot of rest. We’re pretty sure a high amount of stress from his job is what caused shingles for him. He got an anti-viral from his doctor and applied the calamine lotion topically. The calamine lotion home remedy for shingles really helped him too. Luckily, his shingles is just about gone now. I’m so glad I had this post to come back to look at, otherwise I would have forgotten what I used when I had shingles.
Selena
I actually get shingles outbreaks often. It has slowed down a lot, when I had my first outbreak when I was 28, I was having them every few months. In my 30s, I now get them 2-3 times a year. I never had chickenpox, but I was vaccinated twice, so I guess that’s how I got the virus. They usually prescribe Famciclovir, and it goes away faster, but apparently it’s rare to have more than 2 outbreaks ever? Anyone else have this issue? I’ve had 3 different doctors diagnose me with Shingles, no other factors were found to dispute the diagnosis.
Anonymous
It is related to chicken pox, if you have had those it hangs around…get lysine an amono acid and antiviral. Found at Wal-Mart, take 4 in the morninging, 4 at night, cortisone also at Wal-Mart steroid helps and takes it away…all under 15 dollars.
Lori
Interesting! Thank you for sharing what worked for you.
Ann
Wish I’d found this 2 weeks ago. Some great ideas have been shared. I began with a full week of absolute terrible pain in left side and as well as Bowen Therapy ,a physio and prescribed panadine forte and 400 g Ibrprofen nothing was helping. Then a week later I developed a rash from stomach to the left and round to my spine – it is huge I thought it was a reaction to the magnesium I had been using for the pain and didn’t see a Dr for 3 days. He said shingles straight off and prescribed ezovir and Lyrica. That was fun my head became very fuzzy and I spent a lot of time lying down as anything else was too hard !! We’re now another week in so 17 days. I’ve finished the ezovir , still taking lyrica as well as Panadol and ibuprofen but head is much clearer and I have been able to take short 20 min walks twice a day for last 3 days. The rash hasn’t changed much. A few blisters have come up but mostly just red dots and all still there. On the back is worse where pain is – feels like a knife is pressing into lower ribs continually I have been using apple cider vinegar on rash and today have bought Zostrix to try as well to see if I can get some relief Here’s hoping relief will come soon!!
Lori
Hope you feel better soon!!
Kat Machon
Hey Lori! I went to the ER a few nights ago to find out I had shingles, which never crossed anybodies mind because I’m 18. I’m fairly certain mine was induced by stress as well, given I spent my summer being called in on my days off to work as a summer camp with 40+ kids. I have a few patches on my arms, stomach, and legs, I think some might be coming up on my back as well, but none of those hurt. The only section that feels like I keep burning it on one of the oven racks is located in my armpit. Because I can’t shave, the hairs keep scraping away the scabs. Got any ideas on what might help with the pain? I’m not able to cover them with regular bandaids because it’ll rip my hairs out and the spots are so close together that I’ll rip whatever scab appears on those as well. I was thinking about using a gauze pad and taping it on but, given the area, it’ll hold in the moisture of my sweat, especially since the doctor told me not to put on deodorant. The sores are open and I don’t know weather the aloe Vera will sting or not. What should I do?
As well, my entire body is burning up and everything hurts every time I move. I’m moving into residence today and orientation week starts tomorrow. There’s a mandatory 2 hour lecture on consent and my o week leaders are saying, even though I have shingles, I must attend the event. The problem is, I’m too week to sit or stand up for more than 20 minutes. I get nauseous and threaten to vomit. Please share your incredible wisdom with me!!
Lori
Hi Kat, sorry to take long to reply back. I hope you are all healed and having a great semester. Shingles is so tough to go through!
Denise
I a.m. in the process of healing my Shingles and I saw no information on my situation so I’m commenting here in the hopes it will help others.
First I didn’t feel bad until the rash appeared. However, if you feel a shooting pain under the skin, don’t delay treatment. Also, mine was likely caused by injury. I was in a car accident several months ago and have been dealing with Whiplash. I say this because I have had way more stress in my life before and never had Shingles develop. I think my immune system was compromised due to the accident. My nerve pain was in my left shoulder area.
Second, my Shingles rash appeared on lower inside arm, lower palm of hand, trigger and ring fingers. I dismissed Shingles initially because the rash did not appear on my face or torso.
Also, my Shingles blisters never popped. They went straight to crusting and scabbing. I’m not sure why but I think I avoided additional pain and discomfort by skipping the blisters popping phase.
I was given a prescription by my doctor, but it was well after the 72 hour stage. Although I had researched rashes, I had dismissed Shingles until his diagnosis but didn’t know to ask him about the 72 hours. He knew it had been longer than that though and he still prescribed medication. How effective it was, I can not say.
I also did Accupuncture and took Wellness Living Virus Fighter in addition to Chinese herbs that help to “dry out” the system. This may be why my blisters did not pop. I also sporadically used essential oils. My Accupuncturist did not recommend it because he felt it would moisten the skin vs. drying it out. Since I had started with essential oils I was hesitant to abort them completely.
I’m about two weeks in and my shoulder pain is very slight. About half of my rash looks like tiny pin prick scabs. I suspect in another week or so, my skin will be completely healed.
I hope this information helps the next person who is unsure of a Shingles outbreak because of the rash presentation and is also helpful to those who do not have blisters pop.
Lori
Thank you for sharing Denise!
Faye
I’m in the middle of an attack right now, got the blisters but they haven’t dried yet. I had sprained my back moving firewood a fortnight earlier so at first assumed the lower back pain was a hangover from that. The pain worsened over the next few days and I wondered if I had a kidney stone or some kind of infection. About three days later it felt like my lower back on the right side was on fire, and my husband said there was a large red spot there that looked like an insect bite. We have whitetail spiders in NZ that give a painful bite, so that was one of the things we considered. The next morning there were more spots and I thought – although I’d never had it before – that it could be shingles. I googled the symptoms and rang my doctor but couldn’t get through. I got an appointment the following day and was immediately prescribed antiviral medication and painkillers. By now the rash was widespread between my waist and about where my bra strap would go. That night I was in agony and got to a point where I thought I was dying – the pain was so bad! The next day it wasn’t so bad, but then that night I vomited twice, and again the following morning and could not even keep water down. I saw the doctor again and he gave me anti-nausea medication, which helped (although I threw up immediately after taking the first tablet!). The following day I didn’t feel too bad, but during the night my back became extremely painful and I woke several times in agony again. I vomited once in the early hours of the next day but then apart from feeling like bad sunburn, I wasn’t too bad yesterday. Last night (now 10 days after the first back pain) I woke feeling like my back was on fire, and my husband put a cold compress on it, which eased the pain. Today it’s feeling quite raw and the blisters seem no closer to drying up and scabbing – when they do, I hope the pain will ease.
My husband had a very mild case last year – just a few spots around his neck – so I was not expecting the level of pain I’ve experienced. I’ve got a pretty high pain threshold (I have a half-sleeve tattoo and I’d gladly have several of those rather than one bout of shingles!) but I have never, ever felt pain like this. I certainly have a whole new level of sympathy for those who have had shingles.
I think I’ll try some calamine lotion as the cold compresses are certainly helping. The only benefit of shingles I’ve found so far is I’ve lost about 3kgs as I don’t really feel like eating!
Lori
Hope you feel better really soon! It is so tough to go through.
Marjorie Ross.
I am 91 years old and after feeling vaguely unwell for about a month, and then experiencing severe abdominal pain a rash appeared on my left side and “where I can’t sit down”. Walking, sitting and rising from a seat are all very painful. I was given Acyclovir one day after the rash appeared and have now finished the course, but still have the painful burning rash. I hve been using Eurax anti-itch cream, but it has not been very successful. Sitting in a cool bath is soothing, but only during the bath. I now have a few tips on remedies which I will try to follow up. (I can only get around by taxi nowadays, so shopping is difficult). – Marjorie – Bournemouth. England.
Lori
Hope you feel better soon Marjorie!
TJ
I have shingles right now,, don’t have money to see a doctor, I started with Colloidal silver ingest 1 teaspoon 3 times a day, taking L-lysine 500mg twice a day, Vitamin C 1000mg twice a day, Vitamin E 800 UI twice a day, Apple Cider Vinegar Pills twice a day, also Vitamin B12 once a day, I put the Colloidal silver on my sores as often as possible, I also used Apple Cider Vinegar(Braggs with the mother) on my rash 3 or 4 times a day, I also put crushed or minced garlic on my rash all of which helped a lot,, I also in the beginning stages used 2 aspirin crushed up into a tablespoon of Vaseline it helped a lot to keep them from spreading, once they filled with fluid I stopped that and started to dry them out, I got very little rash a small spot on my back but a some what larger rash under my arm pit and a very little spot on my breast, This started on Tuesday and by Friday my rash was starting to scab, When it started to get the blisters I used calamine lotion to dry it up, it never did ooze at all. I also started eating a lot of food that were high in L-ysine and low in Arginine as foods with Arginine feed the virus. I never had a lot of pain from the rash itself, I did however have a horrible pain in the right side of my chest, I mean pain like I never felt before and I have a very high pain threshold, it put me in bed for 3 days,. All I could take was advil and tried putting muscle rub with pain reliever on it but it was debilitating, I live alone and have 50 animals on my ranch I still had to get up and do chores twice a day it was all I could do to get them done, My friend brought me out some gabapentin and that is helping the pain.. Today is day 8 the pain in my chest is better and my rash is scabbed over and the scabs are falling off,, I feel good and will continue to stay on my supplement regimine, I am going back to work tomorrow. I did all my own research when I got this as I could not afford a DR or a prescription, so researched it myself and went with holistic approach, I think it worked awesome and I hope I never get it again but if I do I know there are some things I would try like Olive Leaf Oil. so many natural things you can do for this, just research natural remedies for shingles and you may be surprised how fast you can get rid of them.. I wish everyone the best who has this, do not give up you can pretty much get rid of it in a week like I did if you research it and try the remedies offered.,
Lori
Thank you for sharing TJ! Hope you’re feeling better.
Patricia snyder
I recently got a bad burn on forearm. And about 3 days later I’ve developed this cluster of little red bumps all around butn that look an awful lot like shingles. Just wondering if my burn could trigger that. Mainly very itchy, but that might be my burn healing. Pain mainly from burn.
Lori
Possibly! I would have a doctor look at it. My doctor knew instantly just based on where the rash was on my body (it fell within a specific T zone)
Eric
Well I guess I am the first make to comment. I noticed pain first and then the rash spears. It’s been almost a week now and the pain is pretty bad at times. I think I got it because of my low immune system as I have Addisons disease. I have read a lot on shingles but never expected the pain to be this intense.. I didn’t see a doctor but Google did help with the diagnosis as a child I had a very severe case of the chicken pox. I appreciate all yu have rotten and has made me feel a lot better. Sincerely Eric
Lori
Hope you feel better soon!
sarah
HI, I seem to have shingles. 62 never had before. Pain in my left side around lower rib cage area and back too with flushes like fluish symptoms. Then the rash small I noticed a day later. Si everything I amreadin says shingles. I am keeping the rash clean and baking soda is helping it dry up. The pain is not on the blister patch but the pain is annoying and constant on in my rib cage area and back. Anyone else have these symptoms…is this part of it?
only day four and blisters are hearing…but pain in back and ribs awful.
Lori
Yes, oh my, mine was terribly painful, yet didn’t look bad at all. Glad you’re blisters are healing. Hope the pain gets better soon!
sophia hajibey
Hi to everyone……in absolute sympathy
People who dont suffer from Migraine’s and shingles are blessed!
Thats what I got left torso—back and front– 3days of pain on back/rib cage and then burst of large blisters all over front and back—- took the anti virals 24 hrs after appearance with Lysine, vit C, lotion , Ibrufen, neurobian (vit Bs) and applied capsicum once spots dissipated–almost 4 weeks of sleepless nights/walking around writhing with pain i have manged to at last sleep right through the last 3 nights—-still hurts but obviously not as intense and have resorted to strapping with a wide bandage and seems to contain pain/help—-I think I have turned the final corner and hopefully no long post-shingles pain will decide to stay part of me! I am considering the new vaccine……but concerned that there might be some unknown side-effects? Anyone have feedback on this?
Lori
Sorry to hear all that you went through with shingles. It is so tough! Once you have shingles, are you less likely to get it again? I have read mixed information about how it is unusual to get it twice.
Patricia snyder
Hi Lori,
When I was 65 yo. I had shingles. I am a firm believer in Neem Oil. I applied it on first tingling and burning sensation and continued applying it until it was healed about a week. I never went to the doctor or took meds. I started using neem oil for cold sores which I would get quite frequently. Neem oil seems to prevent cold sores from a full-blown outbreak. I appreciate your articles and look forward to getting them thank you. Pat
Lori
Thank you for sharing about the neem oil. I’ll be sure to pass that remedy on 🙂
Margret
For many years, I have had shingles from my feet all the way to the top of my head. The pain is bad – even the water hurts when I take a shower. This remedy was a ray of light for me
https://youtu.be/V2vZag9i39c
Linda Phillips
I recently got a bad burn on forearm. And about 3 days later I’ve developed this cluster of little red bumps all around butn that look an awful lot like shingles. Just wondering if my burn could trigger that. Mainly very itchy, but that might be my burn healing. Pain mainly from burn.
Lori
It could be either. Did it spread more or start to improve?
Sandy
So glad to read that you had such a mild case. Due to a misdiagnosis I wasn’t given antiviral meds in time. After a trip to the ER my husband’s doctor treated me with the antivirals in spite of being past the 72 hr window and I started getting better immediately. However the postherpatic neuralgia set in and I was completely incapacitated for about six months. There were many trips to the ER when the pain was so bad I couldn’t stand it. The shingles alone was nothing compared to the complication of having the virus attack the entire central nervous system. There was also the problem with ending the long term dependence on painkillers. Even after the six months was past and I was well for years twinges of that pain came back to my right side at my waist.
I’m writing to hopefully let others know this is not something to just smile and get through. It can be very serious. Do not delay getting treatment.
Lori
Thanks for sharing your experience Sandy! Sorry to hear of your tough experience with it. Hope you are doing much better now! I didn’t get to the doctor within the 72 hour period either. At first, I thought what I had was a rash; an allergic reaction to something. Having shingles, never even crossed my mind.
Ray Perkins
I would like to share my effective shingles treatment. I commenced with a widespread hives rash on my chest, but delayed treatment due to weekend. Consequently, too late for anti-viral treatment.
Other symptoms were severe pain and a complete shutdown of the bowels.
I treated the rash with zinc &castor oil cream, plus Invite Vitamin E cream and tiny amounts of borax and phenol, and some Dencorub Heat Gel for the pain.
When the scar healed I discovered a very effective treatment to relieve the intense pain.
250 grams of Invite Vitamin E cream, two five gram tubes of acyclovir, and 65 grams of Dencorub Heat Gel.
Apply sparingly to the scar area and nearby as required. Note, the other areas are neuralgia pain and need not be treated as the pain will go when the scar area is treated. One evening primrose capsule each day also helped with the pain. Try this treatment when all else fails. It works well.
Lori
Thanks for sharing what worked for you! I never thought of applying vitamin E cream or using evening primrose..sounds like great options!
Melissa
Hi Lori, what a great blog! Glad I found it. I got shingles this past March. I was traveling when it started (the itching tingling but no sign of blisters/rash) and on vacation when it became full blown(rash/blisters). Mine started on the top of my head, moved down my face, and behind my left eye. My eye was so swollen and covered with sores. Everyone thought it was bug bites or an allergic reaction. It was so incredibly painful and itchy. It took 12 days before we figured out it was shingles (I’m in my 30s, so it didn’t register even with Drs in the family on vacation with us). I almost lost my eye!! It’s very dangerous when shingles effect the eye. We had to cut our trip short and charter a plane since I had already started to lose my vision in that eye). Thankful for an amazing eye dr who treated me and saved it. It took almost 3 months to get my full sight back!! Recently I got my hair highlighted and broke out in hives. I haven’t itched this bad since I got shingles. I had also gotten my hair highlighted and was itching just before the shingles. I found out my hairstylist used a toner both times. also ran a half marathon after my highlights back in March but before the shingles and my immune system was done. Turns out I’m allergic to a chemical in the toner, PPD. The chemical is usually in darker colors but can be in lighter ones as well. My dermatologist said it’s very common and the allergic reaction will get worse each time. I’m a long-distance runner and eat very healthy so getting shingles was shocking. A few things that will make shingles worse: sun exposure and nuts (found that out the hard way being in the Caribbean.) Also my Dr said after getting shingles on the nerve behind my eye, I can now get shingles behind my eye without getting the visible rash first. Strengthen that immune system!!
Vicki McNally
I had shingles a year ago this October. I researched every possible website and blog I could find. Rhus tox did nothing for me. I tripled up on L-lysine, took a good immune supplement, and a good probiotic. What helped the most was Lemon balm oil. I used the one from Clover Leaf Farm. It dried the blisters in quickly and scabbed quickly. Blisters and scabs were gone in 10 days. Pain lingered for quite a while but it wasn’t too painful.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Lori
Thanks for sharing! How did you apply the lemon balm oil – did you mix it with a carrier oil or apply it straight on?
Yoli
Hi Lori, I have Shingles now. I am on my 4th day i believe. Very painful, on the left side of my back. I can’t lay down on my back or sit back in a chair. At the moment I have a bit of a fever. I am taking Vitamin C powder,(do you know how many mg are in a teaspoon? I am also taking a probiotic and L-Lysine. and my usual Garden of Life Raw over 50. I just ordered some Olive Leaf Extract. I haven’t tried the cold compact. Thanks I will try that. I eat a Paleo Diet and never cheat. I drink my greens, exercise 6 days a week (No Running) So I thought I was healthy. I hope it starts to go away soon I hate being inactive. Oh, I forgot to say the I got HIVES from head to toe at the same time but those are facing now. Miserable!!! Thanks so much for sharing your story. I came on here to see if you had any remedies and on the first page, there it was!! I hope you are doing much better now!!
Lori
Hi Yoli, sorry to hear you have shingles too. Hope you’re feeling better now! The first week was the worst for me and then after that each day kept getting a little bit better. I’m not sure how many mg are in a teaspoon, it can depend on the brand. I take 500 to 1,000mg a day.
Yoli
Hi Lori, I still have it but it’s going away slowly. When I’m hot or sweaty it burns and itches at the same but I can’t scratch it or I will pay for that LOL. I feel great except for this darn Shingles on the left side of my back.
Thanks for replying back to me!!
Lori
That was the worst for me was when I was sweating it would make it burn. It was especially bad because I had the majority of the rash in my arm pit. I tried to keep drying it out constantly by lightly washing with soap, reapplying the calamine lotion, or cornstarch and it definitely helped. Hope you’re feeling better each day!
Joe Thomas
Every day I take a handful of different supplements 2-3 times a day, I also supplement curcumin (turmeric extract)
so I generally don’t get colds or flu and if I do it is pretty mild. When I got chickenpox as a kid I also didn’t get it quite as bad as most people do.
My go-to is to take 500mg-1000mg of Vitamin C every hour or two… sure it is a waste, but you can take as much as you can until you get loose turds…. (they call it bowel tolerance)… so if you get the squirts… back off a bit or extend the duration between vitamin C intervals.
I also take a mouthful of water and drop about 5-10 (depending on potency) drops of oregano oil in my mouth, if you start at first signs of viral infection, it seems to allow me to not get infected fully and get a super mild case, or a mild case but shorter illness duration.
I also will add echinacea and korean red ginseng .
I also take 200-3oo ui of K2 with 4000-5000 UI of Vitamin D and a couple lower dose cod liver oil caps (lower vitamin A since too much A gives me nose bleeds)
I also take 1000mg of an arctic fish oil 4-6 times a day with the vitamin C and the curcumin.
I split about 20-25mg of zinc about 3-4 times a day… normally I split a 50mg 2 times a day but increase it a little when getting sick.
I also keep my probiotics higher, I am also adding unpasteurized sauerkraut and kimchi since oregano oil and echinacea tend to deplete it a little… and I take them at a good rate after using the so as not to waste them.
I also use coconut oil to moisturize twice a day or as needed and the breakout is not too bad yet.
I hear L-Lysine helps too… not sure on the effectiveness of that yet but I am going to try it.
I have some of the symptoms of shingles right now… very mild compared to the horrifying pictures on the internet.
I also have a fairly high pain tolerance so perhaps it isn’t bothering me as much as others.
So far I just got major itching like chickenpox was as a kid and it feels like I got a moderate sunburn no stabbing yet or other flu like symptoms.. and I only really have one patchy spot on my leg, the rest is pretty spread out like chicken pox but smaller blisters…. probably not advised but I’ve also been taking alcohol, swabbing the blisters, and a scalpel/razor and cutting the tops off them, absorbing the liquid with kleenex and re-swabbing with alcohol… they seem to dry up quicker, don’t spread as bad as areas that got popped by clothing before I could so the surgery 🙂
So either I suddenly have an allergy to something I’ve not changed in a week or two, or I have a more minor, atypical version of shingles… I’m also in my early 40’s so maybe that helps lessen the degree
So for now I’ll use my anti-viral process and add l-lysine and continue disinfection and maybe I’ll keep it as mild as possible.
Lori
Hi Joe, sounds like you have done a lot of research and have a great plan! Hope it resolves soon!
Rachel Tatner
My mom was one of the rare people that got shingles twice. It was also before doctors started prescribing pains meds or had an antibiotic for it. You basically just suffered through.
In her desperation for relief, she found the homeopathic remedy “Rhus tox” worked great at relieving the pain. I don’t think it lessened the time span, but it did provide pain relief.
Lori
Glad she found something that helped! I’ll have to look it up. Thanks for sharing!
Anonymous
I just got shingles never thought I would ever get I’m a persona trainer eat right workout vry healthy it was a shock to me I have a client that said in the begaininh stages pat Witch Hazel on with Cotten balls it he said it will dry up the liquid filled bumps faster with min scaring & it worked Thought I would share that with you
Lori
Thank you for sharing!
Anonymous
I got shingles for the second time in 2 years, I’m sure it’s related to stress. I find that Aveeno oatmeal baths help but not as much this time so I will try the calamine lotion, I’m in the 5th week and it’s under my breasts and in the crease under my abdomin and just won’t dry up..