What is this itchy, sometimes painful, rash?
Shingles (herpes zoster) is a nerve infection caused by the chicken-pox virus. Shingles results from reactivation of the chicken-pox virus that remained in your body since you had chicken pox - perhaps many years ago.

How did I get it?
Herpes zoster (shingles) is caused by the chicken-pox virus. The rash of shingles begins as red patches that soon develop blisters, often on one side of the body. The blisters may remain small or can become large. They heal in two to four weeks. They may leave scars. Many patients mistakenly believe that "nervousness" causes shingles. This is wrong; shingles is a viral infection of a nerve and has nothing to do with being "nervous." Shingles is often painful, this is because the virus travels along the nerve to get to the skin, resulting in inflammation and damage to the nerve.

How do I treat it?
Acyclovir, Famvir, and Valtrex help to control the skin eruption. It is not a cure, but helps to heal the rash, provided treatment is started early. These medications are taken by mouth. Even taking these medications, may not eliminate discomfort, burning sensations, or pain. If the discomfort is mild, take Tylenol or a similar mild painkiller. If you have too much pain, we can order a prescription painkiller to take until the pain subsides. The pain is caused by inflammation of a nerve.

Cortisone, taken by mouth, is sometimes used in treating the nerve inflammation. The blistering rash usually clears in a few weeks. The discomfort may persist longer. Treat your rash gently. Don't open your blisters. As long as there is blistering or crusting, compresses with dilute vinegar will make you more comfortable. Compress the blisters or crusts for 10 minutes twice daily with a mixture of one-quarter cup of white vinegar and two quarts of lukewarm water. Stop the compresses when the blisters have dried up. Later, when the crusts and scabs are separating, your skin may become dry, tense, and cracked. If that happens, rub on a small amount of white petrolatum (plain Vaseline) three or four times a day.

Postherpetic Neuralgia (Pain After the Rash is Gone)
Patients over 50 years old may develop post-herpetic neuralgia. Shingles is often painful because the virus travels along the nerve to get to the skin resulting in inflammation and damage to the nerve. The pain can last up to six months because nerves heal very slowly. The best treatment for the pain after the rash is gone is a cream called Zostrix. This cream can be purchased from your pharmacy without a prescription. To use Zostrix cream, one must apply it five-six times a day. It will take two to three weeks of use before the cream will start to work. This takes tremendous patience. If you persist, though, the benefit of reduced pain will pay off. ELA-MAX is another excellent cream to apply for painful skin. It can be applied twice per day for two weeks. It is an over-the-counter medication. Some patients state that even the sheets from their bed hurt their skin.