Exploring Natural Remedies and Supportive Care for Shingles

Echinacea

Posted by ron (pocatello, idaho) on 09/23/2021
★★★★★

Shingles is a terrible condition for many people and a cure is available and cheap; (echinacea one or two ounce bottle take the whole thing through the day); it has worked for three people that I know of, including myself. God bless and good tidings.

Acupuncture

Posted by Chrissy (Adelaide, Australia) on 08/28/2011
★★★★★

I recently had a serious bout of shingles; huge blisters from my clevage under my left arm through to my spine, After taking all the meds the doctor prescribed which did little to help the pain or help me to sleep, I decided to give acupuncture a try. The relief was instant, I have slept like a baby since beginning the treatment and the pain is very much under control. I'm only sorry I didn't get the treatment right from the onset as the acupuncturist says she could have stopped the shingles in it's tracks.

Apple Cider Vinegar, Cayenne

Posted by Gene (Sarasota, FL USA) on 04/21/2009
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I have a previous posting on Apr. 11, 2009 (day 3 of my attack), which is currently logged under ACV+Cayenne. It would be helpful if you started there. This is an update, ten days later, and should be tremendously useful if you are debating whether to try a natural remeby for Shingles, specifically Apple Cide Vinegar.

Ten days ago, with a bad shingles rash and moderate deep pain, I turned to Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and Cayenne. I had already been on western meds, specifically valtrex & prednisone, and I had no sense that they were doing any good.

Almost immediately, the pain (but NOT the rash) went away. I continued swigging about half a shot glass of ACV sprinkled with Cayenne, three times a day, and used the same mixture topically a few times daily as well.

After a week, I felt I was completely cured, with the exception of the rash, and dutifully forgot about everything. After all, the smell and taste of ACV don't set the world on fire and aren't powerful motivators to hang in there once cured!

I realized yesterday that, during the past three days, the pain was back and had been for a couple of days now. Particularly, at night, I'd say the pain (in my case deep nerve pain) was perhaps a 7-8 out of 10 (the first time I had shingles it was a 10 out of 10, many times, so I know the scale!).

I had been lazy and listened to all my friends, including several doctors, saying 'It's the Western meds, dummy', and I figured I was in good hands once it stopped. Also, since the rash was taking forever to disappear, receding glacially, but no longer hurting, I felt that I didn't the ACV/C and it was probably an old wives tale anyway.

Boy was I wrong.

This is what I've learned:

1. A virus isn't over when you say it is. It's over when it decides it's run the course.

2. In going back on ACV, the topical pain (which had come back a bit in the past couple of days), stopped on the spot. Taking it yesterday AM, the topical cleared up immediately and the pain stopped throughout the day. Night was a different matter.

3. Two nights ago, the pain was terrible through the night. Last night - the first night since I had been back on ACV - the pain was gone until 5:58am (I went to sleep at 10pm, so I had 7 solid hours).

4. I finally got out of bed around 7:30, with a deep pain in the left side of my lower back. Within 10 minutes of taking ACV internally and topically, the slight itching was gone and the internal pain had gone from a 7/8 to a 2/3.

Everyone's disease and progress is different, and anecdotal evidence for me does not mean a hell of a lot in your case. But I wanted to give as much detail as possible so that you could see exactly how ACV has impacted what I'm going through.

I am dissapointed that the rash is only abating slowly, but - if I had to choose between reallybad, debilitating pain and the side effects pain and sleeplessness produces, and a rash, which in my case is under the shirt/pants and not visible, I'll take the rash anyday!

Count me as an ACV believer. Not once - but twice - in the same illness! Good luck with your shingles!!

Gene

Echinacea

Posted by Ron (Idaho) on 09/14/2022
★★★★★

Echinacea for shingles- get a 1 or 2 oz extract tincture and take the whole thing throughout 1 day, you can't overdose on it. This worked for me and three others, I noticed changes before the day was over, and by the next day, all that had to happen was to heal the damage done by the shingles.

Homeopathy

Posted by Zach (Rockport, Ma) on 01/09/2016
★★★★★

Remedy for Shingles: ranunculus bulbosus 30x. Took it two times two hours apart. Then every 6 hrs. At least 15 min before or after eating. I avoid any of the mints (including in toothpaste), garlic and coffee to not neutralize the remedy.

Relief end of first day.
Gone next day.

When starting to get some mild tingling a week later repeated remedy with good effect.

Shingles can re-occur so I make sure I have remedy in house. Will have to get remedy special order-not one that is regularly stocked at health food store. I used a 30x. Perhaps a 30c will also work. Other homeopathic remedies that are noted on the web as being helpful include; rhus tox, mezereum and arsenicum among others. I,

Of course, try to limit stress-its not worth it.

Good luck.

Aspirin in Water Based Cream

Posted by Art (California) on 04/19/2023 2443 posts
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

So it takes 6 very finely ground aspirin for every ounce of lotion to make the shingles lotion

Art

Herpetic Neuralgia Remedies

Posted by Tessa (Nyc) on 03/05/2015
★★★★★

I contracted herpes in my 30s about 18 years ago and have suffered from postherpetic neuralgia ever since. I found that meds - such a Lyrica or gabapentin - are a nightmare (the horrific side effects outweigh any benefits). I have reduced my pain (arms and legs), which was once severely acute and constant, to either nonexistent or occasional and mild simply by doing the following:

(1) I avoid foods that are high in arginine (nuts, seeds, chocolate, especially), which can lead to excruciating bouts for me. Dairy is helpful (high in lysine). I remain aware of lysine versus arginine ratios in my diet, tipping the scale toward more lysine. I eat lots of vegetables, leafy greens, and some meat (lamb is high in lysine) -I keep it organic/free range.

(2) The real miracle cure for me: I take spirulina every morning (1000 mg).

(3) I do as much yoga as I can (yin yoga is especially great during bouts - something about stretching and breathing). I get acupuncture (but never during a bout because that will make it more acute).

(4) Try not to get too stressed out. Avoid an abundance of sun. Avoid getting overtired or overexerted (e.g., pushing myself beyond an athletic limit - as in running too long).

It's taken me a long time to figure it all out, so I wanted to pass it along. :)

L-Lysine and Vitaminc

Posted by Kathy (Mitchell, NE) on 03/31/2007
★★★★★

Dear sufferers of shingles, Don't. Lysine and Vitamine C seem to be the best get rid of them forever cure. I have had about 3 or 5 breakouts in 20 years since I discovered Lysine and Vitamin C. Always take the Lysine the minute you notice a breakout. Before this my breakout would occure regularly. My life is high stress. stress causes outbreaks. If the lysine and c dont quite do it, add liquid b vitamins also to your diet. So far, I'm going on 8 years since my last breakout!

L-Lysine

Posted by Pat (Ann Arbor, Mich) on 06/23/2006
★★★★★

For me, it's the only thing I've tried, and it works every time. I used to get shingles regularly, and have used l-lysine each time, except for the time the MD didnt recognise the condition, and gave me............ antibiotics! Wow. I also use the dietary guidlines, and eat foods rich in lysine, and low in arginine. Stress will up the arginine, and bring on the outward manifestation of the virus

L-Lysine

Posted by Morninglaurie (Commerce, MI) on 11/22/2024
★★★★★

I came across this cure for shingles on Reddit….when I had my second bout of shingles-first one was before getting the Shingrix (2 dose) vaccine, second and third times were after.

The second time was close to a holiday weekend…and I didn't have time to go to my doctor….so started searching the internet. The writer said to take 3000 mg of Lysine a day and in three days the itching would be gone, (she had several people's stories so I ran to the grocery and got L-lysine, started taking immediately, but thought I would start slow…and take 2000 mg a day to start (spaced out). In two days the itching stopped (it was on the back of my neck -originally thought it was an infected mosquito bite-but started moving into my hairline-made it hard to sleep). I took 3000 mg (1000mg 3x day) for the next week, and the redness went away.

The third time (again, after a high stress event) I felt a pimple on the back of my neck (husband confirmed redness moving into hairline) so started taking 3000mg a day, within a couple days was resolving. I think I took it for about a week.

Telling everyone I know about this…husband's cousin said she has always used it for cold sores…takes it the minute she feels the tingling, and it goes away without breaking out.

Magnesium, Zinc

Posted by Taylor (Auchendale) on 03/02/2022
★★★★★

Liquid Magnesium, followed by Liquid Zinc Cured Shingles

Hello Everyone,

In the first year of my marriage, 18 years ago, my husband developed shingles in his shoulders/upper back area. It was excruciatingly painful for him. For the next twelve months, he did everything the doctors told him to do. Z Packs mostly. Nothing worked. Then we went to my herbalist, a deep Christian, who told him she believed she had a Word of Knowledge from The Lord for him. My husband was to take 1-3 tablespoons of liquid magnesium, wait 3-5 minutes and then take 1-3 tablespoons of liquid zinc. I forget if it was 1 or 3 tablespoons. As I recall she said 1 and I would often up it to 3. Do that every 3-4 hours. He did that for a week and then he was well. She explained the magnesium chased the virus out of his cells and the zinc killed the virus. The mineral products are made by a company in Florida that sells very high-quality liquid minerals which are highly absorbable but gentle on the stomach. Of course, the FDA has been leaning on them heavily because they published "cures" so they have changed names and their business model several times to avoid more regulation. The results were astounding.

Licorice Extract

Posted by Pam (Columbia Falls, Montana ) on 02/25/2022
★★★★★

My husband had shingles on the back of his head in his hair. He had them for two or three weeks before he showed them to me. Too late for an antiviral from the doctor. I got licorice root extract and applied 2-3 times a day and my husband rubbed it in. His shingles dried up and went away within 2-3 weeks. Completely gone. My son's father-in-law got the this fall and they got some right away. It took his pain away and healed his shingles also. We swear by it!

Eucalyptus Oil

Posted by Maria (Canberra, Australia) on 02/11/2022
★★★★★

Thirty years ago, a Homoeopath treated me for shingles, just one pill and it was gone and I thought it was gone forever. However; I broke out in shingles again recently. Same place, on the right buttock. I applied Dr Bach's Rescue Remedy which gave a relief from itching and stinging but it was still there. Then I applied Narrow Leaf Eucalyptus Oil which I bought on the net and straight away all sensation stopped. Applied it again next day and it started to dry up, and within two days it was a dry hard scab which eventually fell off.

Chlorine Dioxide

Posted by ORH (TEN MILE, TN) on 12/07/2021
★★★★★

HI U OLE PATOOTS, ORH here and just checking in to let you know that making CDS is a no-brainer if you have the right glassware. I did not and had to make do with what was in the kitchen. The Chlorine dioxide is made and now I have to properly dilute to suit what program we opt for. Everything must be glass with no plastic. I have the graduated cylinders and liter jars ordered from Amazon. Researched and found that CDS cures Genital Herpes so it should handle Shingles because that is Herpes Zoster. Herpes is supposedly not curable but one person said she had breakouts every few weeks for the last 20 years and had none for 6 months since taking the CDS. Now that will give the medical folks indigestion for certain. Life is just a bowel of cherries. ====ORH====

Eucalyptus Oil

Posted by Pam N. (Kent, WA) on 03/03/2021
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I'm 67 yr old, got shingles on my face and in my ear and on my eardrum. Did the Dr thing, anti-viral, steroids, sleeping pill, pain pill, lidocaine gel. My search led me to eucalyptus oil, several drops in a tablespoon of hemp oil, which worked like a charm and took the pain away immediately, applied as needed. I was basically bedridden for a month feeling sick and vertigo from shingles on my eardrum. It has been 5 months of residual pain around my ear, across my cheek, on my lower lip, and my tongue. It continues to fade but my tongue always feels weird.

Antifungal Cream for Ringworm

Posted by Christine (Malaga, Spain) on 11/24/2020
★★★★★

Antifungal Cream for Shingles

Well, here we are on vacation and in lockdown and my partner is laid low with his first case of shingles. Travelling as we are and without our usual pharmacopoeia of natural remedies, we had to try what we have on hand and it happened to be clotrimazole antifungal cream. Within a couple of hours, the pain and sensitivity subsided and the sores were more localized. Thank you everyone for salvaging an already strange vacation.

Coconut Oil

Posted by Mama To Many (Tn) on 09/19/2020
★★★★★

My husband had an outbreak of shingles. It started with an odd pain in his arm then he had a few blisters on his wrist. They were pretty painful but he was still able to work. (He works with his hands.) He experienced the most pain at night - I think that is often the case... daily activities are a pain distraction.

At night he took ibuprofen a couple of times and used our homemade menthol salve (a homemade Vicks) topically.

I suspect he had such a mild case of it because he has been on coconut oil for months. Coconut oil is an amazing antiviral, in our experience. He takes a tablespoon in his coffee every morning.

Anyway, if you have shingles, I would suggest adding coconut oil to your daily routine and whatever else you end up doing for it. For viruses we use cold pressed- the kind that smells like coconut oil.