The best approach for shingles treatment is one most doctors fail to recommend

About one million Americans per year are treated for shingles, and the vast majority are over the age of 50. And experts estimate that as many as half of people age 80 and older will experience shingles. That’s a lot of people, so it’s best to be prepared in the event that you develop it as an older adult.

Today, you’ll learn about some essential interventions that will help relieve the severe pain shingles brings on, and how you can speed up the healing process.

If you have yet to have a brush with shingles, we’ll also look at the important preventive steps you can take in hopes that you’ll never have to endure the deep pain of this famously cruel condition.

Act quickly for best results

If you’re suffering a bout of shingles, you can blame the chickenpox you had as a child.

Both conditions are caused by the Varicella zoster virus (VZV). After chicken pox clears up, VZV stays with you, hiding dormant for decades in nerve roots. The virus may never bother you again, but as your immune system weakens with age, your defense against a potential VZV attack weakens too.

When VZV flares into full blown shingles, a deep nerve pain (known as post-herpetic neuralgia — PHN) accompanies the rash and blisters.

As you can imagine, this can bring your daily routines to a screeching halt. As Dr. Fred Pescatore points out in his Pain-Free Life Protocol, shingles makes simple everyday tasks like getting dressed nearly insurmountable.

At this point, time is of the essence! Dr. Pescatore says, “The moment my patients come to me with the telltale blisters of shingles, I start them on an antiviral medication such as Zovirax® or Famvir®. These drugs will make your case far less severe.

Of course,  most doctors will send you on your way to the pharmacy to fill your prescription and leave it at that. But not Dr. Pescatore. He recommends another extremely helpful step…

First-line supplemental therapies

Along with antiviral medications, Dr. Pescatore strongly recommends another “first-line therapy” — a course of IV vitamins that includes vitamin C, B6, B12, and B5. These nutrients help control the viral outbreak, while also soothing muscle and nerve pain. (He suggests you set dosage levels with your doctor.)

In addition, he recommends taking these supplements:

• Vitamin B12. 2,000 mg daily. He says, “One of the prime benefits of this wonder vitamin is its outrageously effective anti-inflammatory properties. And shingles is all about inflammation. So this is a critical one to take.”
• L-lysine. 3,000 mg daily during a flare-up, and 1,000 mg per day as a preventive. Dr. Pescatore notes that this amino acid inhibits replication of the herpes virus that causes chicken pox and shingles.
• Oil of oregano. 1,500 mg per day. This botanical supports the immune system and will help the virus quickly exit your body.
• Monolaurin. 900 mg per day. Dr. Pescatore notes that this long-chain fatty acid has strong anti-viral and anti-bacteria properties.

Dr. Pescatore also recommends “a nice warm oatmeal bath, and cold compresses,” which he says are helpful in alleviating some of shingles’ painful symptoms.

Doing what’s best for patients

For a debilitating condition like shingles, Dr. Pescatore has no qualms about prescribing drugs.

He says, “Yes, so many drugs are prescribed needlessly across the U.S. every day. But this is one of those cases where a prescription really is warranted.”

Dr. Pescatore goes on to say, “I always do what’s best for my patients. And with shingles, a vaccine and anti-viral medication is crucial in preventing or controlling an outbreak — and preventing the living nightmare of post-shingles pain.”

The vaccine he refers to is Shingrix®, which he recommends with this caveat: “I don’t believe in many (or even most) other vaccines. But shingles is an exception. Unlike so many other immunizations, the shingles vaccine is very effective, safe, and generally has very few side effects.”

The vaccine doesn’t guarantee that you won’t get shingles, but according to the CDC, the two-dose round of Shingrix® is 90 percent effective. And Dr. Pescatore adds, “If you do get shingles, the vaccine will likely make the symptoms milder and the illness shorter — and you’ll be less likely to experience the dreaded post-herpetic neuralgia.”

Dr. Pescatore recommends the vaccine for most people over age 50, but cautions that it poses a potential danger for anyone with a compromised immune system, such as cancer or HIV. Talk to your doctor about these and any other concerns before getting vaccinated.

Are you coping with other nagging pain issues in your life? If so, Dr. Pescatore’s Pain-Free Life Protocol offers a wide variety of solutions to manage migraine, arthritis, back and neck pain, fibromyalgia, and many other sources of chronic pain. Click here to get an inside look at this comprehensive online learning tool, or to enroll today.

SOURCES

“What Everyone Should Know about Shingles Vaccine (Shingrix)” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1/25/18. (cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/public/shingrix/index.html)