The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Olive Leaf Extract
Posted by Maggie (Philadelphia, Pa) on 07/04/2013
★★★★★
I got a nasty case of the shingles right below my rib cage on my right side a few weeks before I left for an overseas trip. It was so painful, I really thought I would have to cancel. The valcyclovir did nothing but upset my stomach, so I only took it for a few days. What really killed the shingles was olive leaf extract and vitamin C. I took 4 capsules of 20 percent standardized olive leaf extract and 500 mg of vitamin C 6 times a day for 10 days, when I reduced it to 3 capsules plus 500 mg vitamin C 4 times per day. After a month, I reduced it to 3 capsules plus 500 mg vitamin C 3 times per day and so on. It significantly reduced the pain and blisters and in 2 weeks both were pretty much gone, save for some zapping pain every once in a while. I continue to take a reduced dose just to make sure it doesn't return. Oh, and I had a great trip!
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 Mama To Many (Tennessee, Usa) on 11/18/2013
Dear Tabitha,
So sorry about the shingles!
I do not know how long the person who wrote the post left the cayenne in place. It sounds as if people apply it and then reapply as needed. I know a man who used cayenne to pack a bleeding wound and left the cayenne in the wound. It did not cause a problem to leave the cayenne in the wound. (And it stopped the bleeding and left the ER wondering how he got the bleeding to stop! )
I once made an apple cider vinegar/cayenne liniment to put on a sore foot and just left it on.
If you haven't tried it yet, the cayenne may burn upon contact, but that usually goes away quickly. If it bothers you beyond that, you could wash it off.
You may want to take the cayenne internally as well. I like 1/2 teaspoon in some grape juice or carrot juice a couple of times a day when I need the cayenne.
Let us know how it goes. I hope you find much relief with the cayenne!
~Mama to Many~
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!
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.
Oregano Oil
Posted by Sara (The Beach, Canada) on 07/04/2012
★★★★★
My husband got a small case of shingles after the passing of his father. He is in good health and low stress otherwise, a traumatic event can bring on shingles as well as stress. Anyone who had chicken pox can get shingles if all the chess pieces fall into place, like stress or trauma or even old injury. He took a couple of drops of oil of oregano in water everyday for a month and the shingles were gone within two weeks of that month. He carried on with the oil after just to make sure.
Shea Butter, Turmeric, Homeopathy
Posted by Quantumchick (Irvine, California) on 04/29/2012
★★★★★
I've received so many great natural remedies from this site that I want to contribute one of my own.
I suffered from a bout of shingles, got the pain to calm down with drinking apple cider vinegar, spraying it on the lesions, and eating raw unrefined coconut oil. The episode lasted maybe a couple weeks.
My mom passed recently, and with the stress of that, it came back and I did not realize it until after the funeral - they were all on the left side of my body, on the front. Talk about painful!
Well, I didn't have anything in the house and I'd bought some salve that had helped previously but it was all gone. I noticed a jar of african shea butter my cousin had left and thought what the heck - it might work.
I put some on, and went out for the day. Almost immediately I noticed that the stabbing pain and itch disappeared and the raised bumps had gone away too!
Needless to say, I scraped that jar then went in search of more on Amazon. com - I ended up buying a pound of it.
Another benefit is that it fades the scarring and marks that shingles leaves.
Even though the skin got 100% better, I had tremendous post-herpetic neuralgia. My skin was so sensitive, it hurt to put anything on it.
For that, what has worked like a charm is Turmeric capsules - 500 mg x 2, 4 times a day, along with homeopathic remedy Hypericum Perforatum (30x 4 times a day). I'm still taking it, but it started working on the post shingles pain after the first few doses.
Because I read about this stuff online, and I was eager to try anything that might work, I just went to my local health food store to get the Hypericum, and went to Walmart and bought the Turmeric.
Hope this is helpful for anyone who is suffering from this terrible, painful condition!
Ice
Posted by Renee (Pensecola, Florida) on 02/21/2012
★★★★★
I have read many of these replies of all treatments you have tried, I have suffered for 3 CONSTANT years now with the shingles on both sides of the body, face, arms and other places. I have found to help stop immediate itch and severe pain till anything you have taken orally can work place ICE on the blisters, red bumps, or just when the itch starts this will calm it and feels great! Ice for 20 minutes at every hour soothes the nerves.
Homeopathy
Posted by Elationrelation (Minneapolis , Mn) on 05/01/2011
★★★★★
Natural cures help but are slow, and overall one needs to look at stress, diet, etc.
The best cure for shingles blisters is "Staphaseptic, " which is a natural ointment available in a tube from your pharmacy over-the-counter shelves. Most stock it and others will order it. (The box is white with rust-orange, yellow-gold with black accents, and is good to have on hand for other things, from simple infections, to boils, staph and even MRSA). You will see a dramatic change or even resolution within 24 hours. Apply 2-3 times per day.
The cure for the disease itself and the nerve pain is homeopathy, and though ideal to see a doctor trained in it, Arsenicum 200c works for many people. Pain level can decrease quite quickly. Continue for 2-3 days after symptoms are gone. Dosage is up to your practitioner, but often 3-5 pellets, 3-5 times a day, works.
These two things will bring dramatic change within 24 hours.
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.
Cayenne Pepper
Posted by Lola (Chicago) on 11/21/2014
★★★★★
CAPSICAIN (from hot peppers) for the best topical relief from shingles. You can get it in creme/lotion in a tube at most pharmacies. No burning whatsoever. REALLY HELPS.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Cayenne
Posted by Gene (Sarasota, FL) on 04/11/2009
★★★★★
This is my second shingles attack, folks! First one lasted 60 days and was the most unbelievably painful thing I had ever experienced. Interestingly enough, 100% of the shingles was sub-surface, with no redness, raised areas or pustules. The deep pain was beyond words.
Now, four years later, in a period of incredible stress, I've got the damned thing again -- this time, with a left leg and the front/back of the left side of my torso covered in mega-patches of fiery pustules. Pain inside (emanating from the locus deep inside the nerve) and out.
Then, a friend of a friend mentioned ACV and I went surfing and found your site.
Last night (day 3), I covered the sores with ACV&Cayenne, and took two half shot glasses of ACV mixed with Cayenne. Within about an hour the pain - inside and out - completely went away. Yes, completely, and I had what seemed like one of the best sleeps I had had in a long time.
This AM thru noon, I felt great, but this early afternoon I'm still a little shakey -- a slight twinge here, a slight twinge there. And the pustules are still there, but not increasing in size (and, as I write this, only a very, very, very occasional itch/pain from my little read friends.
I am going to keep this up, and have absolutely no doubt that this will do the trick. In fact, I'm going to apply your ACV/CP elixer as soon as I press 'send'.
Aloe Vera
Posted by Susan (Sulphur, LA) on 04/28/2008
★★★★★
April 24th, 2008 I came down with shingles again. This is something I have dealt with for the last 13 years. In the past I have tried antibiotics, cortisone, etc. anything that I thought would bring relief. I was at my mothers and she told me to try the gel from an aloe leaf. To my surprise it brought great relief. I have done this 2 or 3 times a day. She also told me that once the blisters burst to apply honey to complete the healing process. I fully intend to try this at that time. It has been wonderful to have relief from this awful disease.
L-Lysine and Vitaminc
Posted by Valeria (Eden Prairie, Minnesota - USA) on 04/04/2008
★★★★★
I developed shingles in October 2007, however, all I had was all the discomforts of the disease and never developed the rash. About 3 days ago (4-2-08) I began experiencing the same symptoms again. It was jsut a fluke that I began taking vitamin C and Lysine tablets. I had some Lysine on hand and determined that if the Lysine was good for preventing or lessening the pain of cold sores - why shouldn't it work to help allieviate the shingles. So I began taking the Lysine and also the Vitamin C. The dosage of the tablets for the Lysine is 1000 mg. and the Vitamin C is also 1000 mg. I have been taking two Vitamin C and 2 Lysine tablets about every four hours and it is definitely helping to relive the pain. I have also had pain meds which my doctor recommended last fall - but they do not seem to do much of anything. I hope that this will help someone else - I am 77 and never had shingles before last October. I have not developed the rash this time either.
L-Lysine and Vitaminc
Posted by Kelly (Us) on 05/18/2014
UPDATE - I ADDED liquid vitamin B12 by Now & it includes B-Complex also- 2x/day. This has made a significant difference.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Carol (Los Angeles, CA) on 07/22/2006
★★★★★
My sister had an attack of shingles with pain so bad she could barely walk. She was misdiagnosed at first and told she would need back surgery. The 3rd doctor diagnosed shingles, and warned her that the terrible pain could possibly be permanent and that the ugly blisters on her back might cause scarring. She told me this on a Sunday morning and I said, "Try coconut oil. Keep it in your system (3 tablespoons a day)." She did, plus rubbed it on her back. The very next day, Monday, she went back to work (she had been out over 2 weeks), and worked ALL day. She told me that her pain had stopped and that the blisters were going away. It has been a week now and she is feeling "better and better." Because of her success, I began using Coconut oil for myself and noticed overnight improvement for my rosacea. May I also say that I think coconut oil tastes delicious!
