Exploring Natural Remedies and Supportive Care for Shingles

Vitamin B12

Posted by Aurora (Mason City, LA) on 04/10/2021
★★★★★

Hi, I recently had shingles, with a lot of pain in one leg. I talked to a doctor friend in Mexico and he told me that they use vitamin B12 to heal and help regenerate nerves. Also, I found out that Acetyl-L Carnitine is good for neuropathy pain relief, and possibly regenerating the nerve.

L-Lysine

Posted by Julie (SWFL) on 03/21/2020
★★★★★

Lysine + maximum strength (MGO) raw Manuka Honey raw

My husband had chicken pox twice (as a child and in high school) and recently had his first episode of shingles, on one arm.

I gave him 1000 mg Lysine (by mouth) twice a day, coated the rash with the highest MGO rated Manuka honey and covered it with gauze + a tube bandage overnight for 5 days. It's gone.

Geranium Oil

Posted by Sue (South) on 11/20/2018
★★★★★

I think the ACV may work to some degree, but is overrated. The best is geranium essential oil on the spots, and L-Lysine with C taken heavily internally.

Calamine Lotion

Posted by Anon (Usa) on 04/28/2018

Try oil of wild oregano super strength in the diluted drops orally at first sign you are having an outbreak. Take three drops under the tongue at least three times a day and see if this helps to knock it out. Good luck!

Apple Cider Vinegar, Lysine

Posted by Lori (South Florida) on 09/03/2015
★★★★★

Just realized I'm having a shingles outbreak on my inner thigh. Haven't had one in 10 yrs. Immediately took 1000mg of L-lysine and Vitamin C. Put apple cider vinegar on a cotton ball and put it on the rash for a few moments. Will come back to update.

9/7/15 UPDATE: Since 9/3 I've been taking 500mg L-lysine twice a day and using Apple Cider Vinegar on the rash twice a day on a cotton ball for a few seconds. Can say the rash is drying up! A few minutes after using ACV the pain and itch goes away for most of the day. It's working!

Tea Bag Treatment

Posted by Dennise (British Columbia) on 08/12/2023
★★★★★

Works like a charm on shingles rash. Once it dried up, I broke open coenzyme q10 capsules added it to zinc ointment and applied thickly. In 48 hours the rash is almost gone.

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Prioris (Fl) on 09/29/2014

Most of the immune system is in the Gut Flora. It is my theory that gut flora may play a major role in these things. Maybe even chronic meningitis. I notice when I took amoxicillin too long, the shingles would show itself. I have low level chronic infection. Maybe a sign of gut flora abnormality. Just something to ponder.

Coconut Oil

Posted by Debbie (Ny) on 05/28/2013
★★★★★

My boyfriend was diagnosed with Shingles. It was the left side of his face, from his eyelid up to his hairline. It was very painful. He was prescribed steroids and an anti viral medication. I immediately went to your site to see what else he could use to help the affected area. He uses coconut oil. It soothed the area, and it is helping the area heal faster. Thank you for all the great info you provide, it was extremely helpful. Sincerely, Debbie

Coconut Oil

Posted by Tara (Cambridge, Boston) on 06/18/2013

Meghan, the coconut oil caused you to vomit. You should never take such a high amount to start of anything, and especially not when you are feeling so desperate. Many people start with 1/8th teaspoon and work their way up. Don't give up on the other remedies, I have tried them all and they are awesome!!

Cayenne Pepper

Posted by Violet (Cerrillos, Nm) on 12/27/2012
★★★★★

I had a mild outbreak of shingles earlier this year. I tried ACV at first and it helped slightly. After a few days of pain I decided to try cayenne even though I was worried it might be even more painful. To my surprise it dried out the blisters and I immediately began to feel better. I simply mixed cayenne powder with water, applied the paste to my skin, and allowed it to flake off as it dried. The nervy pain persisted as the blisters dried. I used undiluted geranium essential oil directly on the skin and the residual nerve pain dissapeared over the next few days.

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Doug (Milton, Georgia) on 12/09/2012
★★★★★

I'm 63 years old and in pretty good health. My shingles hit me on a trip to Idaho for a meeting. Started as a small pimple near my scalp. Odd. Then I had severe pain under my right eye. I suspected a severe sinus infection. On the plane flight home the rash broke out. I could feel something crawling from my scalp toward the tip of my nose. I thought it was hair, went to brush it and it was liquid under my skin. Pain got worse but no fever. High anxiety - what is this??? Trip to an urgent care after plane landed and the PA said "you've got shingles. " They gave me a prescription for Valtrex, Predisone and Lorban. When I got home we hit the web for knowledge. Came to this site and already into natural health - started self- treating. Hit L-Lysine, Cayenne, Bee Propolus, coconut oil, Echinatia, Colloidal Silver, Vit. C and Vit. B supplements.

On the blisters on my face I had five areas of rash and blisters including three big red blisters on the tip of my nose and three patches near and into my scalp. I used aloe Vera, Vitimin E oil, tea tree oil (product called Miracle Oil) and Listene balm. Immediate improvement to the rash and blisters. Applied several times a day. My work briefcase looked like a medicine cabinet.

The urgent care PA told me to go to an eye doctor ASAP. The next day I got into an eye doctor and she indicated it had not entered my eye ball. She prescribed some Bacitracin for my eyelid. Things stabilized but my right eye started to get blurry. This was during a weeks vacation in Florida during which I avoided any water activities for fear of infecting my eye. On a follow-up visit I was referred to a corneal eye doctor. I had clouding of my cornea. He put me on Valcyclovil pills and Predisolone drops and Zirgan drops (though the Zirgan is like a glop and challenging to apply a drop at a time).

During this whole time I have continued the natural supplements and natural topical items. Excellent results. Within three weeks all the scabs have gone away, the rash is all but gone. My face looks normal except a little redness in the original areas. Note: I did forgo having my hair colored and cut while the rash was active in my scalp - didn't think the hair chemicals would be good. I looked like crap but stuck it out.

I also followed the other blog suggestions on this site and avoided chocolate and nuts and using many of the supplements suggested.

I still have some residual pain in my head but am slowly getting back to normal. I give high praise and thanks to this website for helping me to get through the hell of shingles. Good luck!

Cayenne Pepper

Posted by Mom (Arizona ) on 02/16/2025

I would be careful using tahini paste with herpes zoster outbreak as the arginine content could exacerbate the shingles rather than heal it.

Bleach

Posted by Bob (Somewhere, Az) on 11/16/2012
★★★★★

The best way to get rid of shingles is to wipe them with a little clorox on a cotton ball. Early on this will work really well and dry up the lesions in 1-2 days. I have not tried in on PHN and don't know if it works. I know it dries up the lesions. It really works. If the lesions are on your face be so careful not to get clorox into you eyes as it will burn!!! DO NOT DRINK IT!

Cayenne Pepper

Posted by Gus (Agnes Water, Qld Australia) on 10/27/2012
★★★★★

Hi heres my adapted paste for Shingles, adapted from thi site of course!

1tsp coconut oil.
1tsp cayenne pepper.
2tsp apple cider vinegar.
1tsp neem oil.
2tsp kaolin clay
2 cloves cut up garlic .

Combined all ingredients and applied, results in 24 hours are amazing. Applied quite frequently. regards

Licorice Extract

Posted by John P. (Cape Cod, Massachusetts) on 07/05/2012
★★★★★

Get a bottle of licorice extract and apply it to the lesions. Do this for 3 days and they will be gone at the end of the third day. Of course keep the bottle in case it re-surfaces. $8.95 here in the states... Cheap fix.. Don't get a vaccine for shingles.

Essential Oils

Posted by Tony (St Paul, Ab, Canada) on 05/29/2012
★★★★★

Hi, this is about treating SHINGLES.... Put pure oil of cinnamon on the soles of the feet, and the palms, twice a day. Also I would put oil of sage on the affected areas. I have found this to be a reliable treatment for anything viral.

Apple Cider Vinegar, Lysine

Posted by Monica J (Western Suburbs Of Chicago, Illinois ) on 05/15/2011
★★★★★

Hi all. Just finished a recent bout with shingles and thought I would share here in repayment for the great advice I have read here over the years.

I have had shingles a few times before and found the apple cider vinegar treatment (swabbing lesions with cotton soaked ACV) has worked for me. In fact, even treated my son when he had chicken pox that same way and lessened his time spent with that awful childhood illness.

This last time was different for me however. Instead of having shingles in a 'convenient' location, grouped together on my back or leg where I could treat with ACV, dry and then coat with an OTC anti itch cream and then cover with a bandage... No, this time they appeared on my foot. And like many here didn't recognize it as shingles - thought I had some nasty spider bites. After a day or two as they were spreading, realized well into the problem that this was a new location for shingles.

Maybe waiting a day or two to treat with ACV made it less effective than it was in the past. I was able to soak my foot a few times a day in a small foot bath of ACV and that helped with current lesions. However, having it on my toes made it difficult to keep the lesions from spreading and multiplying. One area would sprout a lesion and then go thru its stages and break as it was rubbing against another toe and then that toe would have a lesion (or two) the next day.

Then I remembered this site and read thru the comments here again for another clue as to what to do. The clue was the amino acid Lysine. The lack of the amino acid in one's diet is considered to make one liable to viruses such as shingles.

I had an older bottle of bee pollen in my cabinet. Bee pollen is a 'complete food' and contains all aminos. I took three tabs immediately and then 3 every 12 hours. (Why that time? Made it up - thought it would take that long to get thru my system.)

So, will keep up with the Lysine intake and of course, keep a supply of ACV on hand in case of future outbreaks.

Apple Cider Vinegar, Lysine

Posted by Lisa (Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa) on 10/11/2012

Hi Schuyler, I have sent two friends who had shingles to my friend who is a Chinese herbalist. He doesn't do acupuncture but specializes in Chinese herbalism.

One of my friend's husband was hit with a terrible case of shingles along the same area where yours is. His work sent him home saying he could not return until it was resolved. Of course, he was in pain and upset about not being able to work. He's also a scientist and when his wife told him about my recommendation for this he said he would not go there and have his tongue "read". She said fine, went by herself and told him her husband had shingles and where it was located. He sent her home with herbs and instructions and within 2 days the shingles were gone and he could return to work.

Again, I don't think I can emphasize how powerful Chinese medicine is. I hope this helps. Lisa

P.S. Forgot to mention, my herbalist friend treated his own dad successfully for shingles as well!

Turmeric

Posted by Mitch (Gatineau, Quebec, Canada) on 10/16/2010
★★★★★

My 85 year old mom has been suffering excruciating pain due to shingles (along the nerve on the back of her leg to her waist) for the past 3 weeks. The pain was unbearable and she could not sleep at all because of the pain. I could no longer bear to watch her suffer so much so I looked up this site and found turmeric and apple cider vinegar. I made 00 capsules filled with tumeric and gave her 2 capsules before going to bed last night and mixed ACV with 1 tbsp honey and made her drink it. When I came to see her this morning, she said that it was the first night she had not felt any pain in the last 3 weeks. She has become a believer in natural remedies and so have I. Thanks to everyone for your testimonies.

Black Tea

Posted by Suanne (Geelong, Australia) on 08/10/2010
★★★★★

I had shingles and the medication the dr gave me was not effective so I used tepid black tea to dab on the blisters and it cleared it up in a couple of days. I use the cut side of a slice of lemon to cure corns. Use it every time you think of it over the day. Soon gone forever.

Dietary Changes

Posted by Ann (Deer Park, Wa) on 10/11/2009
★★★★★

After months of reoccurring shingles, I discovered that reoccurring shingles is a sign of a serious underlying health problem. In my case it was a digestive problem and when I was able to get that under control the shingles quit coming back. I have since read that many other common ailments, such as arthritis, have been traced back by naturepaths to digestive problems. My advice: take especially good care of your digestive system.