What Medicine To Take For Shingles Pain

Your doctor may also take a tissue scraping or culture of the blisters for examination in the laboratory.
What medicine to take for shingles pain. These may be applied to the skin like the capsaicin topical patch qutenza or lidocaine cream gel patch or spray. Below is a list of common medications used to treat or reduce the symptoms of shingles. Learn about treatment options from a pain management specialist. If you have shingles symptoms get treatment now and you may avoid permanent nerve pain.
Roughly 30 to 60 of people over age 60 who get shingles go on to develop a chronic pain syndrome called post herpetic neuralgia. Rice md of imperial college london. It can come in a variety of forms such as creams lotions patches powders and sprays among others. While antiviral medication is an effective treatment for shingles it s not the only option.
Follow the links to read common uses side effects dosage details and read user reviews for the drugs. Oral medications that can help with pain control in people with shingles include tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline and certain antiseizure. Commonly prescribed anticonvulsants for shingles. Shingles is usually diagnosed based on the history of pain on one side of your body along with the telltale rash and blisters.
Shingles a viral infection of the nerve roots affects 1 million people in the u s each year. You might get lidocaine lidoderm xylocaine for pain. Although typically used to treat epilepsy some anticonvulsant drugs may reduce nerve pain. These may also help you stave off postherpetic neuralgia.
Again these can take several weeks to take effect. Pain medications can also be effective in controlling shingles pain. Shingles causes inflammation and pain.