Shingles

[Jacqb3]

Is there any support group for people with Re-occuring Shingles?

[gymdandee]

The key to successful treatment of any sort is starting early––as soon as pain starts or a rash appears (the most common sites being the trunk, palms, inner arms and legs, soles of the feet, and the face). An impaired immune system can be a major factor in shingles, so the best treatment starts with the immune-boosting vitamins C, E, and zinc.
up your zinc intake to 25 milligrams per day, your vitamin C to 1 to 2 grams per day, and your vitamin E (with mixed tocopherols) to 400 to 800 IU a day while you’re sick and for a month after your symptoms subside. And if you’re not taking fish oil or fish oil capsules already, make sure you get at least 3 grams of the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA per day while you’re sick. Fish oil is a safe and effective anti-inflammatory that can support your body during the illness.
AMP (adenosine monophosphate), a naturally occurring compound in the body used to create energy, has also been found effective for relieving shingles. It is given as an intramuscular injection––usually in 100-mg doses three times a week for up to four weeks. It can cause temporary chest pain that lasts for a few minutes following the injection. This effect isn’t dangerous, but you can usually avoid it by taking two smaller 50-milligram injections half an hour apart. Obviously, AMP injections should be supervised by an experienced practitioner.
In more severe cases of shingles particularly in outbreaks that occur on the face the prescription antiviral medications Zovirax, Famvir, and Valtrex can shorten the disease course and reduce symptoms.  Valtrex can take effect within two or three days. Believe it or not, the over-the-counter heartburn medicine cimetidine (which you probably know as Tagamet) can also help lessen the pain and intensity of the rash. Take 200 mg three times a day with meals, plus 400 mg at bedtime.
None of these drugs are perfect solutions. Antiviral medications are burdened by potential side effects like nausea, headache, vomiting, dizziness, and abdominal pain.
And Tagamet is a powerful drug that can cause confusion in the elderly, so only take it for a week at a time and be sure to work closely with a doctor.
The most dreaded consequence of shingles is chronic pain called post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) that can persist for years after the rash has cleared up. PHN occurs in up to 50 percent of everyone over 50 who comes down with shingles. If you don’t get treatment within three days of the appearance of the rash, your risk of PHN increases drastically, which is why you should start early.
But if you’re already battling PHN, chances are your doctor has suggested that you take one of the tricyclic antidepressants, mainstays of conventional medicine for treating this condition. The reason is that these drugs affect brain chemicals such as serotonin and norepinephrine both of which play a role not only in depression, but also in the way your body receives pain signals.  But while these drugs may lessen pain, they rarely get rid of it entirely. And even though doses for PHN are much lower than they are for depression, the common side effects dry mouth, constipation, and drowsiness can still occur. Other mainstream treatments for PHN include anti-seizure drugs like Neurontin and Tegretol. Neurontin is regarded as relatively safe by most physicians, but it can cause leg swelling, dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, and upset stomach. Tegretol can damage your liver and is known for a rare but potentially fatal blood disorder resulting from bone marrow damage!
And as if this wasn’t enough, the FDA recently approved two new drugs, Lyrica and Cymbalta, for use in PHN. Lyrica can cause dry mouth, dizziness, leg swelling, and memory loss. Cymbalta can cause nausea, constipation, fatigue, and both insomnia and excessive sleepiness.
Drug-free ways to wipe out post-shingles nerve pain in as little as 10 days
Why so many doctors are so quick to prescribe any of these “remedies” is beyond me. Especially when studies have shown good, relatively side-effect-free benefits from all-natural capsaicin cream, made from a natural substance found in chili peppers. It’s available in most health food and vitamin stores. Its main drawbacks appear to be that it can be a bit messy and that it needs to be applied four times a day. But if it relieves your pain without side effects, it’s worth it. Some people do experience discomfort at first, because the cream increases the pain signals before decreasing them, a side effect that generally subsides after several days of continued use.
Another effective treatment for both shingles and PHN is homeo-pathy.
The key to success with homeopathy is finding an experienced practitioner. For help finding a homeopath near you, contact the North American Society of Homeo-paths (NASH) at [phone] or www.homeopathy.org.
There are two amino acids that play an important role in preventing shingles: lysine and arginine. Since lysine inhibits the reproduction of the shingles virus, you should be sure to include plenty of high-lysine foods in your diet. These include meat (such as beef, poultry, and pork), fish (such as cod), and eggs, just to name a few.

The amino acid arginine helps to reduce blood pressure and is good for the heart. Unfortunately, the shingles virus uses this particular amino acid to survive. So, although it’s good to have arginine in your diet, don’t overdo it. High-arginine foods include whole wheat, nuts, and chocolate, so go easy on these.
Of course, one of the best ways to fight off any infection including shingles is to stay away from sugar. Numerous studies have shown that sugar significantly suppresses the immune system, making it harder for your body to fight off an invading virus.
And too much stress interferes with the immune system, making you more vulnerable to illness. So pay attention to your stress levels. Getting enough sleep, exercising, talk therapy, and meditation these go a long way in relieving stress, thereby reducing one of the key factors that promotes a shingles outbreak.

[SassyLassie]

I took vitamin B12 dots by Twin Labs, it took mine away in a few days, it was amazing.

[laura1967]

At the top of your page you will see a tab named "Forums", put your cursor over it and go to Health Forums. Then scroll down the left side until you get to shingles and click on that to go to that community.  :)