Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsChickenpox LinkSymptomsPrescriptionsOver-the-Counter TherapiesHome Remedies and LifestyleComplementary Medicine (CAM)Next in Shingles GuideCoping With Shingles
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Chickenpox Link
Symptoms
Prescriptions
Over-the-Counter Therapies
Home Remedies and Lifestyle
Complementary Medicine (CAM)
Next in Shingles Guide
Shinglesrequires a multi-pronged treatment approach. The goals: Healing the rash, minimizing the pain, and reducing the risk ofpost-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), a stabbing or burning pain that can last for months or even years after the rash resolves.
Home remedies such as cool compresses can help ease yoursymptoms. Your healthcare provider may also recommend antivirals, anti-inflammatories, and pain relievers.
Shingles often afflicts the torso and chest area. But if you haveherpes zoster ophthalmicus—shingles that affects the eye area—it’s crucial that you seek treatment as soon as possible to reduce the risk of permanent vision damage.
This article describes the prescriptions and over-the-counter medications that are used to treat shingles. Several home remedies and lifestyle habits can take some of the edge off the pain of shingles, too.
Verywell
Early treatment is key to taming the severity of a shingles outbreak, and antivirals are often the go-to choice. Antiviral medications may speed the healing of skin lesions and reduce the severity and duration of pain. They’re most effective when started within 72 hours of the first appearance of a rash. So if you have signs of shingles, see your healthcare provider right away.
The symptoms are usually obvious and often follow a certain progression. Expect to:
Shingles Healthcare Provider Discussion GuideGet our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.Download PDFEmail AddressSign UpThank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up.There was an error. Please try again.
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Antiviral drugs for treating shingles include:
If you don’t begin treatment with an antiviral drug within 72 hours, it still may be helpful to take one.
Read Instructions CarefullyAcyclovir tends to be the least expensive of the antivirals, but it must be taken more frequently than other options—sometimes multiple times per day.
Read Instructions Carefully
Acyclovir tends to be the least expensive of the antivirals, but it must be taken more frequently than other options—sometimes multiple times per day.
Post Herpetic Neuralgia
The pain of PHN can be so constant that it can easily diminish quality of life. Your doctor may prescribe medication that is used to treat neuropathic pain that you can take every day for several months or longer:
Heed Side EffectsTricyclic antidepressants can cause side effects, such as constipation, dizziness, andxerostomia,more commonly known as dry mouth.
Heed Side Effects
Tricyclic antidepressants can cause side effects, such as constipation, dizziness, andxerostomia,more commonly known as dry mouth.
Over-the-counter pain treatments may be effective at controlling pain. They may be taken alone or in tandem with prescription pain medication:
Take Care With CapsaicinCapsaicin is hot stuff. Wear disposable gloves when applying it, and take care not to touch your eyes or any areas with broken or sensitive skin.
Take Care With Capsaicin
Capsaicin is hot stuff. Wear disposable gloves when applying it, and take care not to touch your eyes or any areas with broken or sensitive skin.
In addition to triggering an uncomfortable rash, shingles can cause symptoms that are similar to those of other viral infections.
While prescription and over-the-counter drugs can help, one of the most important things you can do while dealing with the illness is to take good care of yourself. If you’re caring for someone else who has shingles, “creature comforts” can be enormously soothing.
Verywell / Laura Porter
Integrate these basic tactics into even the busiest daily routine:
The Odds Disfavor ShinglesAbout two out of 10 people who have had chickenpox eventually develop shingles. Most of these people are age 50 and up.
The Odds Disfavor Shingles
About two out of 10 people who have had chickenpox eventually develop shingles. Most of these people are age 50 and up.
Home Remedies for Shingles
Research has found TENS to be effective for relieving shingles pain and preventing PHN.
Supplements derived from papaya (called papain), pineapple (calledbromelain), and from the animal pancreas can be found online, in health food stores, and in some grocery and drugstores. They are often marketed asdigestive enzyme supplements.
In a 1995 German study of 192 people with shingles, half took proteolytic enzymes for 14 days and the other half took acyclovir.Both groups experienced similar pain relief and skin improvement, with the exception of skin redness, which showed greater improvement with the acyclovir treatment. The group taking proteolytic enzymes had significantly fewer side effects.
Considering that there’s so little evidence that proteolytic enzymes can relieve shingles symptoms, and that they can have side effects, it makes sense to be cautious. Check with your healthcare provider before taking them as a treatment for shingles.
Enzymes Can Stir EffectsProteolytic enzymes can have some side effects, including digestive upset and allergic reactions. If you’re allergic to pineapple or papaya, avoid supplements derived from these fruits.
Enzymes Can Stir Effects
Proteolytic enzymes can have some side effects, including digestive upset and allergic reactions. If you’re allergic to pineapple or papaya, avoid supplements derived from these fruits.
Summary
There are multiple ways to extinguish the painful, burning sensation of shingles. Physicians often prescribe Zovirax (acyclovir), famciclovir, Valtrex (valacyclovir), corticosteroids, and opioids. Over-the-counter options include Tylenol (acetaminophen), antihistamines, calaminelotion, Lidocaine, and capsaicin.
As effective as these tactics may be, you may find the greatest relief in home remedies, including dressing comfortably, following a nutritious diet, stretching or walking, getting plenty of rest, taking an oatmeal bath, and applying cool compresses. You may also try transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), a non-invasive and inexpensive way to relieve pain.
24 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Shingles: Overview.Opstelten W, Zaal MJ.Managing ophthalmic herpes zoster in primary care.BMJ. 2005;331(7509):147‐151. doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7509.147.InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Chickenpox: Overview. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279621/.Wu JJ, Brentjens MH, Torres G, Yeung-Yue K, Lee P, Tyring SK.Valacyclovir in the treatment of herpes simplex, herpes zoster, and other viral infections.J Cutan Med Surg. 2003;7(5):372‐381. doi:10.1007/s10227-002-0140-3.Santee JA.Corticosteroids for herpes zoster: what do they accomplish?.Am J Clin Dermatol. 2002;3(8):517‐524. doi:10.2165/00128071-200203080-00001.Pavan-Langston D.Herpes zoster antivirals and pain management.Ophthalmology. 2008;115(2 Suppl):S13‐S20. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2007.10.012.Stankus SJ, Dlugopolski M, Packer D.Management of herpes zoster (shingles) and postherpetic neuralgia.Am Fam Physician. 2000;61(8):2437‐2448.Sansone RA, Sansone LA.Pain, pain, go away: Antidepressants and pain management.Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2008;5(12):16‐19.Moraczewski J, Aedma KK.Tricyclic antidepressants. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557791/.Cohen KR, Salbu RL, Frank J, Israel I.Presentation and management of herpes zoster (shingles) in the geriatric population.P T. 2013;38(4):217‐227.U.S. National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus.Diphenhydramine topical.Ayoade F, Kumar S.Varicella Zoster (Chickenpox)In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448191/.Lin PL, Fan SZ, Huang CH, et al.Analgesic effect of lidocaine patch 5% in the treatment of acute herpes zoster: a double-blind and vehicle-controlled study.Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2008;33(4):320‐325. doi:10.1016/j.rapm.2007.02.015.Derry S, Rice AS, Cole P, Tan T, Moore RA.Topical capsaicin (high concentration) for chronic neuropathic pain in adults.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2017;1:CD007393. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007393.pub4.Sanjay S, Huang P, Lavanya R.Herpes zoster ophthalmicus.Curr Treat Options Neurol. 2011;13(1):79‐91. doi:10.1007/s11940-010-0098-1.Reynertson KA, Garay M, Nebus J, et al.Anti-inflammatory activities of colloidal oatmeal (Avena sativa) contribute to the effectiveness of oats in treatment of itch associated with dry, irritated skin.J Drugs Dermatol. 2015;14(1):43‐48.Hirshkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert SM, et al.National Sleep Foundation’s sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary.Sleep Health. 2015;1(1):40-43.Irwin M, Pike J, Oxman M.Shingles immunity and health functioning in the elderly: Tai Chi Chih as a behavioral treatment.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2004;1(3):223‐232. doi:10.1093/ecam/neh048.Harpaz R, Leung JW, Brown CJ, Zhou FJ.Psychological stress as a trigger for herpes zoster: Might the conventional wisdom be wrong?.Clin Infect Dis. 2015;60(5):781‐785. doi:10.1093/cid/ciu889.Kolšek M.TENS - an alternative to antiviral drugs for acute herpes zoster treatment and postherpetic neuralgia prevention. Swiss Med Wkly. 2012;141:w13229. doi:10.4414/smw.2012.13229Desser L, Holomanova D, Zavadova E, Pavelka K, Mohr T, Herbacek I.Oral therapy with proteolytic enzymes decreases excessive TGF-beta levels in human blood.Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2001;47 Suppl:S10‐S15. doi:10.1007/s002800170003.InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Lasting pain after shingles. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279623/.Billigmann P.Enzyme therapy–an alternative in treatment of herpes zoster. A controlled study of 192 patients. Fortschr Med. 1995 Feb 10;113(4):43-8. German. PMID: 7713467.Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publishing.Shingles: What triggers this painful, burning rash?Additional ReadingDerry, S, Rice, AS, Cole, P, Tan, T, and Moore, RA.Topical Ccpsaicin (high concentration) for chronic neuropathic pain in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Jan 13, 2017; 1:CD007393. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007393.pub4.Kolsek, M.Tens—an alternative to antiviral drugs for acute herpes zoster treatment and postherpetic neuralgia prevention.Swiss Med Wkly. 2012 Jan 17;141:w13229. doi: 10.4414/smw.2011.13229.
24 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Shingles: Overview.Opstelten W, Zaal MJ.Managing ophthalmic herpes zoster in primary care.BMJ. 2005;331(7509):147‐151. doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7509.147.InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Chickenpox: Overview. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279621/.Wu JJ, Brentjens MH, Torres G, Yeung-Yue K, Lee P, Tyring SK.Valacyclovir in the treatment of herpes simplex, herpes zoster, and other viral infections.J Cutan Med Surg. 2003;7(5):372‐381. doi:10.1007/s10227-002-0140-3.Santee JA.Corticosteroids for herpes zoster: what do they accomplish?.Am J Clin Dermatol. 2002;3(8):517‐524. doi:10.2165/00128071-200203080-00001.Pavan-Langston D.Herpes zoster antivirals and pain management.Ophthalmology. 2008;115(2 Suppl):S13‐S20. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2007.10.012.Stankus SJ, Dlugopolski M, Packer D.Management of herpes zoster (shingles) and postherpetic neuralgia.Am Fam Physician. 2000;61(8):2437‐2448.Sansone RA, Sansone LA.Pain, pain, go away: Antidepressants and pain management.Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2008;5(12):16‐19.Moraczewski J, Aedma KK.Tricyclic antidepressants. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557791/.Cohen KR, Salbu RL, Frank J, Israel I.Presentation and management of herpes zoster (shingles) in the geriatric population.P T. 2013;38(4):217‐227.U.S. National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus.Diphenhydramine topical.Ayoade F, Kumar S.Varicella Zoster (Chickenpox)In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448191/.Lin PL, Fan SZ, Huang CH, et al.Analgesic effect of lidocaine patch 5% in the treatment of acute herpes zoster: a double-blind and vehicle-controlled study.Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2008;33(4):320‐325. doi:10.1016/j.rapm.2007.02.015.Derry S, Rice AS, Cole P, Tan T, Moore RA.Topical capsaicin (high concentration) for chronic neuropathic pain in adults.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2017;1:CD007393. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007393.pub4.Sanjay S, Huang P, Lavanya R.Herpes zoster ophthalmicus.Curr Treat Options Neurol. 2011;13(1):79‐91. doi:10.1007/s11940-010-0098-1.Reynertson KA, Garay M, Nebus J, et al.Anti-inflammatory activities of colloidal oatmeal (Avena sativa) contribute to the effectiveness of oats in treatment of itch associated with dry, irritated skin.J Drugs Dermatol. 2015;14(1):43‐48.Hirshkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert SM, et al.National Sleep Foundation’s sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary.Sleep Health. 2015;1(1):40-43.Irwin M, Pike J, Oxman M.Shingles immunity and health functioning in the elderly: Tai Chi Chih as a behavioral treatment.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2004;1(3):223‐232. doi:10.1093/ecam/neh048.Harpaz R, Leung JW, Brown CJ, Zhou FJ.Psychological stress as a trigger for herpes zoster: Might the conventional wisdom be wrong?.Clin Infect Dis. 2015;60(5):781‐785. doi:10.1093/cid/ciu889.Kolšek M.TENS - an alternative to antiviral drugs for acute herpes zoster treatment and postherpetic neuralgia prevention. Swiss Med Wkly. 2012;141:w13229. doi:10.4414/smw.2012.13229Desser L, Holomanova D, Zavadova E, Pavelka K, Mohr T, Herbacek I.Oral therapy with proteolytic enzymes decreases excessive TGF-beta levels in human blood.Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2001;47 Suppl:S10‐S15. doi:10.1007/s002800170003.InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Lasting pain after shingles. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279623/.Billigmann P.Enzyme therapy–an alternative in treatment of herpes zoster. A controlled study of 192 patients. Fortschr Med. 1995 Feb 10;113(4):43-8. German. PMID: 7713467.Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publishing.Shingles: What triggers this painful, burning rash?Additional ReadingDerry, S, Rice, AS, Cole, P, Tan, T, and Moore, RA.Topical Ccpsaicin (high concentration) for chronic neuropathic pain in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Jan 13, 2017; 1:CD007393. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007393.pub4.Kolsek, M.Tens—an alternative to antiviral drugs for acute herpes zoster treatment and postherpetic neuralgia prevention.Swiss Med Wkly. 2012 Jan 17;141:w13229. doi: 10.4414/smw.2011.13229.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Shingles: Overview.Opstelten W, Zaal MJ.Managing ophthalmic herpes zoster in primary care.BMJ. 2005;331(7509):147‐151. doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7509.147.InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Chickenpox: Overview. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279621/.Wu JJ, Brentjens MH, Torres G, Yeung-Yue K, Lee P, Tyring SK.Valacyclovir in the treatment of herpes simplex, herpes zoster, and other viral infections.J Cutan Med Surg. 2003;7(5):372‐381. doi:10.1007/s10227-002-0140-3.Santee JA.Corticosteroids for herpes zoster: what do they accomplish?.Am J Clin Dermatol. 2002;3(8):517‐524. doi:10.2165/00128071-200203080-00001.Pavan-Langston D.Herpes zoster antivirals and pain management.Ophthalmology. 2008;115(2 Suppl):S13‐S20. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2007.10.012.Stankus SJ, Dlugopolski M, Packer D.Management of herpes zoster (shingles) and postherpetic neuralgia.Am Fam Physician. 2000;61(8):2437‐2448.Sansone RA, Sansone LA.Pain, pain, go away: Antidepressants and pain management.Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2008;5(12):16‐19.Moraczewski J, Aedma KK.Tricyclic antidepressants. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557791/.Cohen KR, Salbu RL, Frank J, Israel I.Presentation and management of herpes zoster (shingles) in the geriatric population.P T. 2013;38(4):217‐227.U.S. National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus.Diphenhydramine topical.Ayoade F, Kumar S.Varicella Zoster (Chickenpox)In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448191/.Lin PL, Fan SZ, Huang CH, et al.Analgesic effect of lidocaine patch 5% in the treatment of acute herpes zoster: a double-blind and vehicle-controlled study.Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2008;33(4):320‐325. doi:10.1016/j.rapm.2007.02.015.Derry S, Rice AS, Cole P, Tan T, Moore RA.Topical capsaicin (high concentration) for chronic neuropathic pain in adults.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2017;1:CD007393. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007393.pub4.Sanjay S, Huang P, Lavanya R.Herpes zoster ophthalmicus.Curr Treat Options Neurol. 2011;13(1):79‐91. doi:10.1007/s11940-010-0098-1.Reynertson KA, Garay M, Nebus J, et al.Anti-inflammatory activities of colloidal oatmeal (Avena sativa) contribute to the effectiveness of oats in treatment of itch associated with dry, irritated skin.J Drugs Dermatol. 2015;14(1):43‐48.Hirshkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert SM, et al.National Sleep Foundation’s sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary.Sleep Health. 2015;1(1):40-43.Irwin M, Pike J, Oxman M.Shingles immunity and health functioning in the elderly: Tai Chi Chih as a behavioral treatment.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2004;1(3):223‐232. doi:10.1093/ecam/neh048.Harpaz R, Leung JW, Brown CJ, Zhou FJ.Psychological stress as a trigger for herpes zoster: Might the conventional wisdom be wrong?.Clin Infect Dis. 2015;60(5):781‐785. doi:10.1093/cid/ciu889.Kolšek M.TENS - an alternative to antiviral drugs for acute herpes zoster treatment and postherpetic neuralgia prevention. Swiss Med Wkly. 2012;141:w13229. doi:10.4414/smw.2012.13229Desser L, Holomanova D, Zavadova E, Pavelka K, Mohr T, Herbacek I.Oral therapy with proteolytic enzymes decreases excessive TGF-beta levels in human blood.Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2001;47 Suppl:S10‐S15. doi:10.1007/s002800170003.InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Lasting pain after shingles. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279623/.Billigmann P.Enzyme therapy–an alternative in treatment of herpes zoster. A controlled study of 192 patients. Fortschr Med. 1995 Feb 10;113(4):43-8. German. PMID: 7713467.Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publishing.Shingles: What triggers this painful, burning rash?
InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Shingles: Overview.
Opstelten W, Zaal MJ.Managing ophthalmic herpes zoster in primary care.BMJ. 2005;331(7509):147‐151. doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7509.147.
InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Chickenpox: Overview. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279621/.
Wu JJ, Brentjens MH, Torres G, Yeung-Yue K, Lee P, Tyring SK.Valacyclovir in the treatment of herpes simplex, herpes zoster, and other viral infections.J Cutan Med Surg. 2003;7(5):372‐381. doi:10.1007/s10227-002-0140-3.
Santee JA.Corticosteroids for herpes zoster: what do they accomplish?.Am J Clin Dermatol. 2002;3(8):517‐524. doi:10.2165/00128071-200203080-00001.
Pavan-Langston D.Herpes zoster antivirals and pain management.Ophthalmology. 2008;115(2 Suppl):S13‐S20. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2007.10.012.
Stankus SJ, Dlugopolski M, Packer D.Management of herpes zoster (shingles) and postherpetic neuralgia.Am Fam Physician. 2000;61(8):2437‐2448.
Sansone RA, Sansone LA.Pain, pain, go away: Antidepressants and pain management.Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2008;5(12):16‐19.
Moraczewski J, Aedma KK.Tricyclic antidepressants. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557791/.
Cohen KR, Salbu RL, Frank J, Israel I.Presentation and management of herpes zoster (shingles) in the geriatric population.P T. 2013;38(4):217‐227.
U.S. National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus.Diphenhydramine topical.
Ayoade F, Kumar S.Varicella Zoster (Chickenpox)In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448191/.
Lin PL, Fan SZ, Huang CH, et al.Analgesic effect of lidocaine patch 5% in the treatment of acute herpes zoster: a double-blind and vehicle-controlled study.Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2008;33(4):320‐325. doi:10.1016/j.rapm.2007.02.015.
Derry S, Rice AS, Cole P, Tan T, Moore RA.Topical capsaicin (high concentration) for chronic neuropathic pain in adults.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2017;1:CD007393. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007393.pub4.
Sanjay S, Huang P, Lavanya R.Herpes zoster ophthalmicus.Curr Treat Options Neurol. 2011;13(1):79‐91. doi:10.1007/s11940-010-0098-1.
Reynertson KA, Garay M, Nebus J, et al.Anti-inflammatory activities of colloidal oatmeal (Avena sativa) contribute to the effectiveness of oats in treatment of itch associated with dry, irritated skin.J Drugs Dermatol. 2015;14(1):43‐48.
Hirshkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert SM, et al.National Sleep Foundation’s sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary.Sleep Health. 2015;1(1):40-43.
Irwin M, Pike J, Oxman M.Shingles immunity and health functioning in the elderly: Tai Chi Chih as a behavioral treatment.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2004;1(3):223‐232. doi:10.1093/ecam/neh048.
Harpaz R, Leung JW, Brown CJ, Zhou FJ.Psychological stress as a trigger for herpes zoster: Might the conventional wisdom be wrong?.Clin Infect Dis. 2015;60(5):781‐785. doi:10.1093/cid/ciu889.
Kolšek M.TENS - an alternative to antiviral drugs for acute herpes zoster treatment and postherpetic neuralgia prevention. Swiss Med Wkly. 2012;141:w13229. doi:10.4414/smw.2012.13229
Desser L, Holomanova D, Zavadova E, Pavelka K, Mohr T, Herbacek I.Oral therapy with proteolytic enzymes decreases excessive TGF-beta levels in human blood.Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2001;47 Suppl:S10‐S15. doi:10.1007/s002800170003.
InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Lasting pain after shingles. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279623/.
Billigmann P.Enzyme therapy–an alternative in treatment of herpes zoster. A controlled study of 192 patients. Fortschr Med. 1995 Feb 10;113(4):43-8. German. PMID: 7713467.
Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publishing.Shingles: What triggers this painful, burning rash?
Derry, S, Rice, AS, Cole, P, Tan, T, and Moore, RA.Topical Ccpsaicin (high concentration) for chronic neuropathic pain in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Jan 13, 2017; 1:CD007393. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007393.pub4.Kolsek, M.Tens—an alternative to antiviral drugs for acute herpes zoster treatment and postherpetic neuralgia prevention.Swiss Med Wkly. 2012 Jan 17;141:w13229. doi: 10.4414/smw.2011.13229.
Derry, S, Rice, AS, Cole, P, Tan, T, and Moore, RA.Topical Ccpsaicin (high concentration) for chronic neuropathic pain in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Jan 13, 2017; 1:CD007393. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007393.pub4.
Kolsek, M.Tens—an alternative to antiviral drugs for acute herpes zoster treatment and postherpetic neuralgia prevention.Swiss Med Wkly. 2012 Jan 17;141:w13229. doi: 10.4414/smw.2011.13229.
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