Natural Shingles Remedies: A Guide to Relief

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.

Vitamin C

Posted by Garry (Mtn Home, Ar) on 08/15/2017
★★★★★

I can attest to the use of vitamin C for shingles. I had shingles in my 20s and was told I needed vit C IV for 4 days running. The first shot, all pain gone, 2nd shot blisters all but gone, no pain, 3rd-4th shot-all signs gone, no nerve pain, not even any redness. 15 years later diagnosed with herpes. Contracted it when I was 18. It was evident at infection site(lesion) and also throughout my nervous system. Used Acyclovir, had to quit because of side effects...besides the fact it really did not help much, shortening episodes by maybe 1 week(3 week episodes).

My symptoms, other than the occasional lesion, was nerve pain at areas of previous wounds and extreme skin sensitivity. Several years ago I came across an article about vitamin c mega dosing. I remembered my treatment for shingles, so thought what the heck. When I had my next episode, which included a lesion on my right ear lobe, I took 1,000mg caps every hour I was awake for two days(15,000mg/day), then when my bowels started to get 'loose', I dropped to 1 every other hour. The results were nothing less than spectacular for me.

After the first day, no more pain, itching or fever. After the 2nd day I experienced something I had never seen...the lesion actually started to recede, no blisters popped and still no pain. After 5 days, I couldn't even tell it ever occurred. I now take 1,000mg/day and have never had a occurrence. I used to be able to rub my ear lobe and create a 'fever' at any time, this is gone as well. By the way, weather patterns exacerbated my episodes and actually instigated them. My doctor said he never heard of such a thing, but I could tell friends and family when there was a weather change coming...I usually got a very painful 48 hour warning. These too are gone...the only 'down' side. It's probably also useful to note that I've never had a cold or flu since either. I see now that the FDA has decided IV vitamin C usage is no longer a recommended treatment. Probably because it's cheap and effective. I use Ester C if anyone is interested (horse pills! ).

Cayenne Pepper

Posted by Desertpoc (El Cajon, California, United States) on 05/03/2012
★★★★★

I came down with shingles, searched the internet and luckily listed was this post. First, I used what Gloria suggested - which I could see some improvement but not enough. Then I combined some of the suggestions from Gloria and David T. Used the ratio of ingredients:

1 T. Coconut Oil

1 t. Alo Vera oil from capsules which is approx. 4-5 capsules

1/2 T. Vitamin E oil

1 T. Cayenne pepper

Plus added corn meal to thicken the mixture. Applied the mix to the shingles, as it was spreading; let the application dry then removed as suggested by David. I followed this treatment for 2 to 3 times a day. Depending on the severity and process of healing. After 2 days, the shingles were starting to heal, then I made another batch of the mix without the corn meal and applied the mix to the shingles area. Thank you to all that contributed to this subject of shingles.

Dave Thomas Shingles Protocol

Posted by Dave (Fountain Inn, Sc) on 09/28/2011
★★★★★

I have found the cayenne is a key to killing the virus. We know the virus runs along the nerve. My favorite transport is DMSO. I believe the cayenne acts to "cauterize" the virus. However cayenne works, it kills the virus. Because you have to get it down to the nerve, DMSO is a great solvent as well as an anti-oxident and carrier. (Thus, make sure your hands are clean and the area of application is clean when you use DMSO. ) By the way, the younger shingles sufferer will be able to overcome shingles better than the older because the immune system can fight off the virus better.

To keep the cayenne from burning the skin I also add natural vitamin E. This must be the natural d-alpha tocopherol and not the synthetic E. Then I add any other herbal to "thicken" the mixture to make into a paste if needed. The paste should be very moist but not drippy.

I also add a dozen drops of colloidal silver to make sure the virus is killed.

So my anti shingles paste formula sufficent for two applications, one on day one, then skipping a day use a second time is as follows:

10 capsules of cayenne

10 capsules of natural vitamin E

20 drops of colloidal silver

20 drops of DMSO

any herbal/ corn meal etc to make the liquid more paste like as needed. Put into a bowl and mix until paste like.

Apply on top of affected areas. Let dry until the paste has hardened and is flaking off the skin. I even suggest if applied at night, after drying, put on a tea shirt and just let the paste fully incorporate overnight. Shower off in the morning. You will see the blisters have changed color from a bright red to a rust color... Part of the healing process. Even if the "blisters"are healed over, apply over sensitive spots. This will work to kill the virus even after months where the skin is healed back but pain remains. The pain is there because the virus still lives. This has worked so well... I would say 40 times... I am not a doctor of course, but when the regular medical community fails sometimes logical remedies work.

I also recommend that if one really wants to help the whole system fight the virus, take the cayenne orally, with food to avoid too much stomach burn, along with the natural vitamin E. Do this for a month. (I take these two as part of my own nutrient formula every day... 800 iu of the E and one capsule of cayenne.)

And so much of what is on this wonderful website is good science and good logic. Oh, of course be very careful if applying this formula to the face if the shingles are there; keep out of eyes.

Dave Thomas Shingles Protocol

Posted by Raeanne (Anchorage, Alaska) on 02/19/2018
★★★★★

Dave's Shingle Protocol:

This mixture worked so well for me. I had shingles on my face, neck, head and behind my ears. My Dr. gave me a herpes medication, then I decided to google remedies. I found this site. This was 4 years ago. I looked thru all the remedies and went with this one. My Dr. told me NOT to put the cayenne on my shingles. I decided it couldn't possible hurt worse, so I followed all the instructions Dave lists. I had my husband apply it. Almost immediately, the cayenne made the pain go away. I slept with the paste on and a scarf over my head. I awoke, and to my surprise all the blisters had burst and were starting to heal. Every time the paste dried, I washed it with warm water and reapplied it.

By the 2nd day of treatment, all I had were some bumps that had smoothed over. I continued the treatment for another day.

On the 3rd day, there was no pain, no redness and the bumps did last for another 2 weeks, but they were gone from my face, mostly behind my ears. In 3 days I felt normal again. I can't thank Dave enough for sharing this treatment. I have shared it several times since I had shingles to entire towns even. I always recommend people come to this site for that ailment and look at other remedies too, but I had complete success with Dave's protocol.

Thank you so much Dave, you saved me so much agony.

Corn Starch

Posted by Kenneth (Great Falls, Montana) on 09/25/2008
★★★★★

My mother is 90 years old and has been suffering horrible pain from shingles. After using everything the doctors had to offer including morphine pills and other suggestions, I came up with the following:

Took corn starch and very cold water and wash cloths. I applied them to the area that was in pain. Within about 10 minutes I could feel the cold cloth becoming as warm as her skin. I kept changing the cloth about every 15 minutes. In addition, took a hot water bottle and put it in the freezer. It is now day two and she is coming out of it without itching and the unbearable pain. Don't know why, but it works.

L-Lysine and Vitaminc

Posted by Kelly (Us) on 05/14/2014
★★★★☆

I am 62 and I believe my shingles are from stress. I immediately stated the L-lysine and vit c - 1000 mg each 3x/day. after 2 weeks of very little sleep, I added vicks vapor rub to the area of pain and then wrapped it snugly with a wide ace bandage. Also I added homeopathic remedy phosphorus 30c. finally in the middle of the 3rd wk I have actually had less pain and 6.5 hrs of undisturbed sleep! I think due to intense prayer and the above remedies I am on the upside of this nightmare. I hope my post is helpful to someone. Blessings.

Folic Acid, Lysine, Vitamin C

Posted by Kristin (Oklahoma City, OK) on 07/23/2007
★★★★★

I get shingles a few times a year. My wonderful pharmacist told me of a 'cocktail' that works even better than prescriptions. If I feel an outbreak coming I take 800mg of Folic Acid, 1500mg of Lysine and 2000mg (minimum) of Vitamin C. Over the past three years I haven't had any bouts that ended with blisters. The important thing to remember is to take it the second you feel it coming, but even if you don't it doesn't last as long.

Cayenne Pepper

Posted by Henry (New Jersey) on 03/02/2006
★★★★★

mix small amt. of cayenne pepper and mostly aloe vera gel. I applied several times daily on infected area relieved the pain and never blistered- found in Herbal Drugstore book.

Neem Oil

Posted by Rodney (Qld ) on 03/08/2022
★★★★★

I have had a shingle on my forehead for about 4 years. I have tried most of the remedies mentioned to no good result, I did get a little improvement using Probiotics. I tried to get Lacto Bacilus but couldn't get any.

One post mentioned Neem Cream so I got a jar from India but it took a couple of months to arrive. Well, I've been applying it with my index finger three to four times a day for the past week. Just a slight amount on my finger. Well. it has worked miraculously! It seems that it will be gone within another week. It seems oily but no more than a good quality facial skin care which the skin absorbs enhancing the effect.

In my infection I had quite a large scab. Neem reduced the scab and broke it up into several small scabs and clear healthy skin arrived between the scabs. It was somewhat tender at first but that has reduced significantly.

It's been several years since the horrific fire I was caught in that caused the shingle.

DMSO and Magnesium Oil

Posted by JJ (Australia) on 11/10/2020
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I got one of the worst cases of shingles my doctors had ever seen - head, neck, throat, tongue. Nearly killed me.

As a medical scientist, I researched and tried everything. By far the best thing was dmso (topically and orally), better still combined with MgCl (Magnesium Chloride) oil. You just need to know how to use the dmso ie with clean hands, and it needs to be good quality/pure, glass bottle etc. See on youtube 'dmso 60 minutes Dr Jacobs'. It's natural and good for you anyways. If pain is bad can apply the combo several times per day. The mgcl is also calming/ good for sleep. Cheers.

Colostrum, Lysine

Posted by Para (Tennessee) on 01/08/2019
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Because of another underlying disease, I have Shingles every day of my life for 5 years.. The way I keep it from flaring up and causing me pain in my head is Colostrum LD Powder. I worked up gradually to 2 or 3 Tablespoons a day. This will take the pain away within an hour or two after taking it. I also take 500 to 1000 mg Lysine daily. Prevention for me is taking the Colostrum and Lysine without fail daily. If I have made mistakes (forgetting to take the above or eating arginine foods) and ended up with a severe bout of Shingles, I add in Manuka Honey from New Zealand 15+ officially graded it seems to give an extra punch when coupled with the other things.. How I get severe bouts - eating anything chocolate, eating Vanilla Bean not Vanilla flavored but the bean itself .. got to stay away from Arginine foods very important because if the Arginine fills up the pathways and is overpowering the Lysine in the pathways, you will get an outbreak of Shingles.

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Santafeumber (Maine) on 09/02/2015
★★★★★

I just experienced a pretty good outbreak of shingles (torso/back) . after reading earthclinic and some others, I decided to give the ACV a try.

Twice a day, I showered the area of shingles gently and patted dry with a clean towel each time. spray bottle of ACV and gently sprayed the area entirely. I then allowed it to dry naturally.

After the area dried, I sprayed colloidal silver on the same way and while the silver was beginning to dry, I gently rubbed Colloidal silver gel on the entire area. I did the silver treatment several times a day, when I thought of it. the other applications were after the shower. I thought it would be helpful to keep the infected area clean.

Along with this, I began immediately taking L-lysine (2000MG) a day and began to watch my diet that leaned towards the L-argenine end (nuts, tomatoes, blueberries and more - there is a list online of what to avoid). also I began taking moderate doses of Vit C once a day, as well as 3 sublingual doses of colloidal silver -kept under the tongue several minutes -then spit out.

I was also told that soaking 1/4 organic flax seed in 1 cup of water overnight and straining off the seeds and drinking the water once a day is very helpful for the skin and hair. it actually tastes real good as well.

I did a brief 4 day turpentine cleanse(1 tspn dribbled over 3 dot sugar cubes once a day in the evening before bedtime) as explained by Dr. Jennifer Daniels. her instructions can be found online. I am not sure if this weighed in on my rapid healing, it very well may have. but please read her precautions carefully before trying. I use it for candida prevention and it just happened to be that time of the month while the shingle outbreak and cure was taking place.

In less than a week, the rash has subsided by over 60% and is fading, the swollen, puss filled bumps have slowly dried and are fading out of sight. I have been so amazed! I wanted to share it and I hope anyone that suffers from these outbreaks can benefit the way I have recently. just stick to the doses, and it all takes time, but worth it!

Once in awhile, I get those strange and hard to describe, nerve tingles and pains that are short lived. I have been able to sleep normally at nights too and without the pain (that was intense only for the first two nights before this treatment).

I have had shingles about 15 years ago, and knew nothing about natural cures and suffered the entire process, all sorts of medications that didn't help and ended up with some scarring.

I can tell that these are not going to scar at all after this treatment!

Apple Cider Vinegar, Lysine

Posted by Earthgurl (Northern Virginia) on 06/02/2015
★★★★★

I had to tell you my experience curing shingles. Organic apple cider vinegar on a cloth compressed onto the area. I also took L-Lysine. My doctor was blown away! No thanks Big Pharma. Thanks to this community! Keep in mind that is what worked for me. Everyone is different.

Castor Oil

Posted by Junglegirl (Haiku, Hawaii) on 08/11/2009
★★★★★

Shingles treatment: My mother used a high quality pure castor oil slathered on the worst spots. She applied it most heavily at night and wore old pajamas because it's messy, but it worked immediately for her. We found the remedy somewhere online, years ago, so I can't reference it. But it worked.

Aloe Vera

Posted by Mafri (Zurich, Switzerland) on 10/04/2007
★★★★★

Another wonder of the world to be added-YOUR SITE! For 20 years my Fiance has been suffering with horrific Shingles, he has been to every skin Specialist there is, tried every cream, every oil and every natural product on the market. His feet are so bad, and so painful, causing more pain with certain foods- We have noticed that the worst are garlic, onions and spicy foods. 3 days ago, I was looking on the internet for a certain cream, very expensive especially after you have bought and tried almost everything. I came to your site and read all the posts, while doing so I looked what ingredients I had in the house, Aloe vera Gel - YES! Cayenne pepper- YES! Corn flour -YES! I went to the kitchen mixed it all up in bowl , got my fiance's feet and pasted it with the above, Now what? How does he go to sleep with all this on his feet? I took plastic wrap and wrapped his feet up, looking like a Astronaut he went to sleep with the paste and plastic.......... In the morning............. there was such a huge difference,are those really his feet. WOW! We are now on the 3rd day of nightly pasting and wrapping, the blisters are gone, the hard scaling skin is almost away, the only thing left is the redness. This is amazing!!! My only concern is with the plastic wrapping----- the feet don't get fresh air during this time, Thank you so much, I will keep you posted of the complete results in the future.