Suggestions for comforting one with a case of shingles?

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A lady in our church is suffering from shingles. I was hoping someone might have some suggestions (holistic/natural) to help her find some relief from the pain? Also, if anyone could explain what shingles is - I remember something about it being neurological (?). Thanks!

-- Judi (ddecaro@snet.net), January 22, 2001

Answers

Believe it or not I had the shingles when I was in the third grade. It is a reaction to an immunity to chicken pox. The virus comes back out some how and forms small to large blisters that are filled with a tea colored liquid. Older people get them more commonly when their immune system is low. They never found out why I got them. They are very painful. There are lots of over the counter lotions that help to dry them up. Ask a pharmacist about what they are called. I don't know about any herbs, but if you get on the post about herbs you might ask one of the people that are knowledgeable in that area. The neurological part that you are referring to is that they are somehow attached or something on your nerve endings. I know that they hurt! There is a web sight with 21 pages of info about shingles. You might do a search. My friend printed it off for me when her kids had the chicken pox.

-- Nan (davidl41 @ipa.net), January 22, 2001.

I know the virus travels nerve-pathways...which is why it often shows up on just one side of the body. My 7 year old son had it on his back, and it was all over the one side, but stopped at the spine as if someone had drawn a line there. Odd!

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), January 22, 2001.

Eat oats! oatmeal, oatmeal tea, even oatstraw tea will help settle the nerve endings. Try meditation; is usally exacerbated by stress. L- lysine 500 mg twice daily; Vit C 2 grams at least twice a day; cayenne caps relieve pain and helps heal. Detoxifying is vital.....email me if you need an excellent product to do this....or take pau d'arco caps thrice daily

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), January 22, 2001.

I forgot to mention that acetamenophen products are said to prolong this illness.

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), January 22, 2001.

My healing herbal remedy book suggests that an external application of calendula salve is a valuable treatment for skin diseases such as shingles. (calendula officinalis) It is safe to apply the salve locally as needed. It is available over the counter as infusions, extracts, salves, and oils. If you find oil only, I guess you could try a warm compress applied locally.

(DON'T use this if your pregant, especially internally in any form as it is a uterine stimulant.)

-- Marty (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), January 22, 2001.



The standard Medical response is Steroids and Zovirax (Accylclovir sp?) If they are on the face (optic nerve) an opthamologist looks to be sure no lesions have formed on the cornea or retina. As far as the "one side of the body" nature of this beast, the virus leaves the spine along a nerve, which goes to one side of the body or the other. My mom and I are right handed, and suffered on the right side of the body.

Does anyone know of any left handed persons who have had shingles, and what part of the body was affected?

-- Rick K (Rick_122@hotmail.com), January 23, 2001.


I just got over a really bad case of shingles. I have a list of about 10 healing scriptures. I just read them every 4 hours or something just like you'd take a pill every 4 hours. It really helped me. My doctor told me that shingles had something to do with having chicken pox when you're younger. He gave me some antibotic pills and some lotion and I got better real fast. I still have scars but no pain. I don't even know the scars are there unless I look. If you'd like a copy of my healing scriptures, let me know and I'll EMail them to you. Eagle

-- eagle (eagle@alpha1.net), January 23, 2001.

I am left handed and I had shingles on the right side of my body. My face, shoulder, ribs, hip ans shin. Shingles seem to be activated by stress, mental, emotional or even simple physical stress.

I used garden nightshade leaf (Solanum Nigra) tea, cooled and applied with a soft cloth and drank a cup before bed. I was able to go from crying from pain to being functional with an annoying problem.

My cousin had a shingle outbreak last fall and her doctor had her on strong painkillers and it was still painful for her.

-- Laura (gsend@hotmail.com), January 23, 2001.


I am a south paw, and had shingles on the left side of my head a few years back. Actually got pretty close to my eye. I remember having the most incredible headaches of my life for about a week before the sores came through. From what I remember. You cannot get shingles if you have never had chicken pox. Other people can contract chicken pox from someone with shingles. The name "shingles" comes from latin or greek or something and it means "belt" I guess this is because the most common place they show up is around the mid section. My doctor prescribed herpes medicine for them. Very embarrassing when I went to the drug store. Also capzasin(sp?) comes from peppers. It is supposed to be good for shingles as well.

I would say that anything to reduce stress will be helpful. I know it was the stress from work that triggered my outbreak. funny, when I am stressed I run my hand across my head in exactly the spot where I broke out. I have done this for years.

-- Wayne (plefor@hotpop.com), January 23, 2001.


Shingles (Herpes zoster) is a viral disorder that affects the cranial and spinal nerve roots. The flair ups occur over a nerve distribution (dermatome) and are usually bilateral (one side of the body). A common site of lesion is the trigeminal nerve (on the face). It is a virus related to chicken pox. What happens is it lies dormant in the nerve roots and will come out when the host has lowered immunity. It is more common in the elderly and the young. The key is to build up the immune system and deal with the symptoms (pain is a big problem). Besides drinking and bathing in Oatstraw, she can drink three cups daily of Lemon Balm (Melissa officinale) tea. Lemon Balm is shown to have antiviral actions. I know there are also Lemon Balm-based salves on the market, but I'm not sure they are available in the USA. Calendula salve is a good suggestion for healing, but it won't help with the pain. But, shingles are so excrutiatingly painful that sometimes it is difficult to tolerate application of anything to the skin. Calendula is actually very safe during pregnancy!

-- Amy (acook@in4web.com), January 23, 2001.


Ya'll answered a question that the doctors couldn't even answer for me. The summer before I got the shingles I was in a terrible bus wreck where my best friend was killed. I was sitting by her and I saw it all happen and had nightmares about it for a long time. That must have been the stress that triggered the shingles. I was a very weird case! They brought in a bunch of specialists and took pictures. I had it on both sides of my back, around both legs and down between my legs, and a tiny spot on one arm. (I'm left-handed) I was only in 3rd grade and still have the scars! Most of the scars are on the left side though.

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), January 23, 2001.

Nan, no doubt your horrible experience triggered the shingles attack. Stress lowers immunity and that makes us vulnerable to illness. You just don't have the resources to fight illness when depleted by stress.

-- Amy (acook@in4web.com), January 23, 2001.

When my granfather got them he used a cool bath of powdered oatmeal and relaxing music. He swore by it.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), January 24, 2001.

We used spray starch on the kids and it was great for chicken pox. I wonder if it would work on shingles. It dries the pox up and keeps them from itching! My friend's kids all have them now and she has been using it. Has anyone ever tried it on shingles?

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), January 24, 2001.

d-linolate by East Park Research - check them out on the web is a great natural antiviral agent. It is a patented extract of olive leaves. The stuff is well researched and really works. I have a friend who cleared up a two year chronic infection in two months with this stuff.

-- Tiffani Cappello (cappello@alltel.net), January 25, 2001.


coconut has anti-viral properties. Some people eat Archway macaroon cookies...or just eat coconut. I have botten both sweetened and unsweetened and eaten out of the package. mg

-- mary garvey (mgarvey@pacifier.com), October 04, 2001.

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