Comments on: Shingles Pain: Back to using narcotics? http://www.bloggernews.net/120310 High-quality English language analysis and editorial writing on the news. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:39:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Ellie Emerson http://www.bloggernews.net/120310#comment-1404884 Ellie Emerson Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:38:22 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/120310#comment-1404884 Thanks to Nancy for helping to get the word out that the "grit your teeth and bare it" method of enduring shingles pain greatly increases the risk of post herpetic neuralgia. PHN so often follows shingles because the intense, prolonged pain of shingles overstimulates the pain-processing mechanism at the dorsal nerve root. The nerve's interpretation of pain is affected, so that even minor stimulus to the nerve, such as the touch of clothing or a slight breeze, is interpreted as severe pain. In my work as a shingles pain consultant, I talk daily with people who suffer with shingles and with PHN. Those with PHN would do anything to be able to go back and take dramatic measures to prevent and treat their shingles pain. I urgently recommend getting the vaccine to try to prevent shingles, even though it is only about 50% effective. If you do get shingles, definitely take oral anti-viral meds if your doctor will prescribe them. Definitely use a topical shingles treatment (there is one that reduces pain and speeds healing for 79% of users), and definitely take pain medicine if needed in addition to all these. Thanks to Nancy for helping to get the word out that the “grit your teeth and bare it” method of enduring shingles pain greatly increases the risk of post herpetic neuralgia. PHN so often follows shingles because the intense, prolonged pain of shingles overstimulates the pain-processing mechanism at the dorsal nerve root. The nerve’s interpretation of pain is affected, so that even minor stimulus to the nerve, such as the touch of clothing or a slight breeze, is interpreted as severe pain. In my work as a shingles pain consultant, I talk daily with people who suffer with shingles and with PHN. Those with PHN would do anything to be able to go back and take dramatic measures to prevent and treat their shingles pain. I urgently recommend getting the vaccine to try to prevent shingles, even though it is only about 50% effective. If you do get shingles, definitely take oral anti-viral meds if your doctor will prescribe them. Definitely use a topical shingles treatment (there is one that reduces pain and speeds healing for 79% of users), and definitely take pain medicine if needed in addition to all these.

]]> By: Kristin Souther http://www.bloggernews.net/120310#comment-1341976 Kristin Souther Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:24:35 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/120310#comment-1341976 Hello, do you have personal experience with this?. This article was extremely interesting, especially since I was searching for thoughts on this subject last Thursday. Hello, do you have personal experience with this?. This article was extremely interesting, especially since I was searching for thoughts on this subject last Thursday.

]]> By: Nancy Reyes http://www.bloggernews.net/120310#comment-1110354 Nancy Reyes Tue, 07 Apr 2009 08:12:45 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/120310#comment-1110354 the chicken pox vaccine does lower the rate of shingles, and those who do get shingles get a milder case with a lot less post herpetic neuralgia. Lidocaine patches work for some people, but a lot of people become allergic, and they are very expensive. Tramadol is an excellent alternative to narcotics and I've prescribed it many times. It is similar to narcotics, but less addictive. the chicken pox vaccine does lower the rate of shingles, and those who do get shingles get a milder case with a lot less post herpetic neuralgia.

Lidocaine patches work for some people, but a lot of people become allergic, and they are very expensive.

Tramadol is an excellent alternative to narcotics and I’ve prescribed it many times. It is similar to narcotics, but less addictive.

]]> By: Dr. Jekyl http://www.bloggernews.net/120310#comment-1099056 Dr. Jekyl Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:07:41 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/120310#comment-1099056 To be effective usage of the Rx oral med, Valtrex (Rx oral med) must begin during the initial 48 hours of onset. Tramadol proved to be helpful in controlling the neuralgia but I was fortunate to have located information on using the Lidocaine patch in controlling surface pain. I found the information on Lidocaine through surfing the web. To those who have not experienced the pain of shingles, it is quite different from any other type pain I had ever felt. It is an extremely deep pain, i.e. not entirely an external pain amenable to topical solutions. As in my particular case, relatively mild, the PHN lasted for several months after visible signs had disappeared. *Dr. Reyes - Does the shingles vaccine protect one from ever getting shingles? If it does, then anyone susceptible to contracting shingles should certainly receive the shot. To be effective usage of the Rx oral med, Valtrex (Rx oral med) must begin during the initial 48 hours of onset. Tramadol proved to be helpful in controlling the neuralgia but I was fortunate to have located information on using the Lidocaine patch in controlling surface pain. I found the information on Lidocaine through surfing the web. To those who have not experienced the pain of shingles, it is quite different from any other type pain I had ever felt. It is an extremely deep pain, i.e. not entirely an external pain amenable to topical solutions. As in my particular case, relatively mild, the PHN lasted for several months after visible signs had disappeared. *Dr. Reyes - Does the shingles vaccine protect one from ever getting shingles? If it does, then anyone susceptible to contracting shingles should certainly receive the shot.

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