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Apple Cider Vinegar for Shingles

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61 User Reviews

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Posted by Denise (Tampa, FL) on 08/29/2007
 ★★★★★

Shingles stopped with apple cider vinegar -- I suddenly had severe stabbing pains in my back on the left side. A few hours of this and some red blisters were starting to appear. I read about the Apple Cider Vinegar and took 1 1/2 Tablespoons in a glass of distilled water with some honey for taste. I had only 2 more stabbing pains and went to bed. In the AM the rash was gone. I am continuing to take the ACV twice a day and so far I feel like it is trying to break out again on my upper thigh, but then disappears due to the ACV. Time will tell, but I have no doubt that it is the ACV that is keeping it at bay.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Dani (Melbourne, Australia) on 08/06/2007
 ★★★★★

My Bf got shingles almost 1 and a half weeks ago now. he went to the doctors and got anti viral tablets, and i spent almost a full day in between answering phone calls at work reading up on natural remedies,as i fuss over him, and wanted him to get better quick! im a quick fix type of person. i went out and brought him everything i had read about, ACV, tea tree oil, broccoli, fish, which i cooked with lemon grass, parsley, a killer amount of garlic and rosmary,to ensure he got a good does of all the good stuff, along with all these other things. he didnt want to drink the vinegar or have it on his body! "it stinked" according to him, and he didnt see how it'd help, so i maintained feeding him heaps of broccoli..with all of his meals and applied tea tree oil twice a day after his showers. this helped it maintained the rash and kept blistering to a minimal, but it was not a quick fix. last night i talked him into trying the vinegar as while the sores were slowly clearing he was starting to get sharp pains, and i told him it was either try everything natural to help otherwise acupunture, so the chicken decided we'll try the vinegar. i soaked cotton wool, i brough in strips from the supermarket in ACV placed it on his sores and wrapped him in cling wrap for a good 2 hours or so! he still had a few sharp stbbing pains for the first half an hour, but then the pain stopped and when we took the plastic and cotton off, the infected area had completely cleared up with the exception of a few little blisters. he woke up this morning, the affected area still looks great and the pain is minimal. a few more days of the ACV treatment and he should be 100% and would have dodged acupuncture completely.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Sue (Charleston, SC) on 09/28/2006
 ★★★★★

I cut strips, sufficent to cover areas affected with Shingles, from a brown paper bag and soaked them in ACV. I placed them onto those areas and covered the entire area with cling wrap which kept the paper from drying. I was amazed at the results--immediate comfort, drying of small blisters, and my first night of painless sleep since they first appeared.

Note: I do not leave the treatment on overnight. I do use it at least twice a day for short periods. Thanks for the help your website provides.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Phoebe (Zebulon, NC) on 03/22/2006
 ★★★★★

I read about the ACV on this website. About 2 weeks ago I began adding 2Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar in a quart of good water and sipping on it throughout the day. I immediately noticed more energy, excellent bowel function,better kidney function and about a 1/2 pound a day weight loss. I noticed an outbreak of shingles starting, but after only a day, the process reversed and disappeared. This has never happened before. I have no other explanation other than the ACV.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Peter (Oakland Park, FL) on 01/23/2006
 ★☆☆☆☆

apple cider vinegar did nothing for me. i tried aluminum acetate diluted in water applied via a compress, which dried the area and had a soothing effect. however, i must say that acyclovir, and zovarax cream seemed to do the best. for pain good luck,tylenol helps, as some rx's the docs can supply you with. i am 16 days into this and can not wait for it to be over. PAINFUL.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Virgil (Houston, Texas) on 06/05/2005
 ★★★★☆

Can't say I am cured but applying the vinegar sure gave me pain relief. I apply when the posthepetic neuralgia pain kicks up and befroe bedtime. Started using the ACV last Tuesday, just 6 days ago. This is the best treatment so far. I had acupunture initially and it reduced the most severe pain by a lot however 6 treatments could not erase the remaining pain.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Brenda (Bear, DE)
★★★★★

I have lost 23 lbs. in 2 months. Apple Cider Vinegar Also helped me through a bout of shingles in a very short time. I use 2 Tablespoons. of vinegar in 6 oz. water twice a day. I find it helps me more to take it right after lunch and supper. I don't feel so bloated after my vinegar drinks and swear this has took the weight off and makes me feel better overall.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Anonymous (USA)
★★★★★

Yes, I tried vinegar, not orally, but rubbed it on the spot in my back that has given me horrific pain for 6 years, I have used Zonalon ($85 per tube, Empi ($45 per oz) and Capsascin, even athletes foot medicine, Aspercream, and this is so far, the most relief I have had. My shingles never blistered, but I was left with Posthepetic neuralgia which has been terrible. Worth a try, and you have it in your kitchen. I wonder how does it work, is it the acid?

Replied by Katherine
(Asheville, Nc)
05/10/2011
★★★★★

Apple Cider Vinegar for Shingles.

Thanks to this site, used Apple Cider Vinegar very successfully. Cold compresses for 1/2 hour at a time, 1 part ACV to 2-3 parts water. Leave the ACV on for about an hour after, then rinse and then used an oil from my Chinese acupuncture clinic (not as effective as ACV, but good for soothing and healing). Do this as 4-5 times a day. Also used acupuncture and homeopathic remedies included arnica, belladonna and rhus tox. I worked with a homeopath who helped me figure out what I needed when. I also took the antiviral Acly (whatever it's called... Finished it and threw out the bottle... normally hate meds and only go natural but worked with everything I could to alleviate this condition).

Also took Lysine, vitamins and herbs... everything I could to strengthen my immune system.

Also, muscle tightness in my back (outbreak was on my chest and back) was intense. Did lots of breathing and stretching exercises to keep the energy moving, even when it was painful. Carefully worked thru the pain.

Got thru what my acupuncturist said was a pretty severe reaction pretty quickly... Again, thanks primarily to ACV and this site. Really grateful.

Replied by Ja8877
(Burlington, Vt)
12/23/2011

I am nearly positive this is shingles now but the symptoms etc are confusing. I've had very little pain, the little pain I get is usually in the evening and I have the urge to scratch. On a pain or discomfort level it is a 2 out of 10. It's on both of my forearms which is strange. I've called a few Dr's and they are all too busy and tell me to go to the Hospital Emergency. That shingles are very serious and I need immediate medical attention. Really no help there.

I have 2 full days of ACV now and the jury is not in yet. I use it diluted, but strong as a half hour compress which does help and feels much better. After the half hour compress I daub with cotton ball full strength. I do this 2 or 3 times per day and I drink about 4 oz per day diluted with water. I've also used calamine lotion on some areas as a test to see if it does help. And yes calamine lotion does help.

I can definitely say the ACV does help, to what extent I am not sure, but I think fairly significant. I'm sure I'd be in worse shape without it. I've also increased my vitamins, like C and B Complex and take an oral anti-histamine daily.

Since it's a virus I'm just going to let it run it's course and manage it. If I feel pain or if it spreads to my face I'll find a Dr who is not too busy. I did have shingles about 18 years ago--but I knew what it was as soon as I saw it and it was extremely painful--this is mild--so far.

Replied by Ja
(Burlington, Vt)
12/26/2011
★★★★★

Follow-up. YEA! ACV is a big help. I can definitely say that over the last 5 days ACV has drastically helped alleviate my shingles. The first few days the skin on both arms were a flaming scarlet red with little dots appearing like crazy. For the first few days I diluted the ACV with about 2-3 parts water and would use a compress for about 40 minutes, 2-3X per day and then daub with full strength. The first day I used a full strength compress and my skin was really irritated from that.

I then would daub any new little red dots with calamine lotion and that over the course of a couple days dried them up. I was really impressed with the results of the combo of ACV and calamine lotion. Finally yesterday my arms began to return to normal, but it took a few days to get there. The last 2 days my arms are looking so good I only do 1 compress and ACV daub/calamine lotion per day.

My flaming red arms are now retuning to their normal color. I have a few other small areas to deal with--but my arms were the worst. At one point they were flaming red 12"x 4" and I never saw anything so virulent and rapid. I'll list some things I've learned to help you.

1. Dilute the ACV with 2-3 parts water for a long compress. Then daub with full strength.

2. Let dry and apply calamine lotion to any small red dots and let it dry. Wear loose cotton clothing. And drink at least 2 oz per day of ACV per day--dilute with 6 parts or more of water.

3. I would take a Benadryl capsule with antihistamine if there was any itching. Sometimes the itch urge can drive you crazy.

4. I beefed up my vitamins and took a good multi, 2000mg of C, and a B Complex.

5. Wash with cool or tepid water and minimal mild soap. Warm or hot water only aggravates the skin. When you wash you are throwing trauma at your skin.

6. Try to rest and don't eat any junk food. Also no sugar, coffee, choclate, nuts, strawberries and spinach--they will aggravate your skin.

7. Any rash on your face--get to a Dr.

8. Shingles is a virus and will run its course. Once you have it all you can really do is to alleviate the pain and itchiness and keep the shingles from being infected and to reduce the dots as fast as you can. ACV with calamine worked for me.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Ursula (Barrington, IL)
★★★★★

ACV has helped me with a recent bout of shingles. Instead of drinking the vinegar, I applied a solution of 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar with 1/4 cup of water with some cotton balls. I also made a foot-bath with 1/4 cup of ACV and 1 gallon of warm water, twice a day for three days. The sores were healed within a few days and gone was the pain.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Stan (Glendale, AZ)
★★★★★

I read the ACV cure 3 days into a breakout of shingles and started taking a teaspoon twice a day in water. My shingles were gone in another 4 days. A month later, I got an itch and the small beginning bumps on both my right wrist and side, I started the ACV immeadiatly and the breakout never happened! Seems to work as a preventative too.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Linda (Holt, MO)
★★★★★

I had shingles around my waist a few years ago and the RX creme burned terribly. I put a little ACV on a cotton ball and applied it to the spots and the relief was immediate. The doctor was amazed (duh!).

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Donna (Aspen, CO)
★☆☆☆☆

My sister has shingles, she has tried ACV per your listed suggestions to no avail. After 5 days she is giving up and she is on the drug.


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