Recent research is still relatively inconclusive about what medications really offer the best relief.  Some research into natural and organic medications are looking promising because of the lack of reactions to the medications.

One of the problems that is commonly found with some medications is the side effects that can occur with some shingles medications.  Sometimes the side effects can be worse than the pain of shingles.  Notice I said sometimes, as the different side effects can vary depending on each individual.

One of the natural medications that is being researched is an organic cream that is made of all natural materials, specifically herbs and other topical medicines.  This will offer a numbing affect to the affected area where your shingles outbreak is happening.  While there are several different creams on the market now, mostly in organic health stores, you can also find them online.

If you are looking for a good shingles medication, you should check with your doctor and see if they can offer any advice.  Sometimes other medications that you are taking can cause side effects with natural medications.  Finding the right shingles medication can be just a short phone call or online search away from shingles pain relief.

The pain that is caused after a shingles attack is hard to get rid of.  There is no easy answer to how you can get rid of shingles pain, however knowing what is causing the pain and how shingles works can afford you an opportunity to better prepare yourself for the aftermath of a shingles attack.

Shingles is a disease that is often times dormant in your system if you have had chicken pox.  It is caused by the herpes zoster virus and often times people can carry this virus for their entire life and not have any problems from it.  When the herpes zoster virus becomes active in the nerves, this is when it becomes shingles.

While there is no “cure” for shingles, you can often find yourself trying to find ways to deal with the shingles pain, both during a shingles outbreak and afterwards.   The pain from shingles can be excruciating and difficult to deal with.   When the pain begins, it is usually localized to a certain part of the body.  Sometimes the pain will begin before your shingles rash even appears.

Shingles pain can sometimes be helped by taking an anti-inflammatory medicine such as ibuprofen.  Sometimes dealing with shingles pain requires a heavier dose of medication such as a narcotic pain reliever in extreme circumstances.  Since shingles affects the nerves, certain anti-depressants or anti-seizure medications have shown some help with the shingles pain relief.

One of the best ways to deal with shingles pain is if you feel like you are beginning another outbreak of shingles, get to your doctor as soon as you can and they can often times prescribe certain medications that can help lessen the affects of the shingles outbreak.

So, what are shingles? Shingles are a painful skin disorder that can occur from a reactivation of the chicken pox virus. The chicken pox virus, also known as herpes zoster, lives in your body even if you have no symptoms of shingles.

The shingles vacine can reduce the chances of you getting shingles by more than half. The shingles vaccine was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2007.

There are more than a million new cases of shingles in the United States every year. There are two risk factors for shingles, which are increased age and lowered immunity. However, not everyone over 60 is automatically a candidate for the shingles vaccine.

The shingles vacine Zostavax is a stronger version of the chicken pox vaccine. It is usually given as a single injection under the skin, mostly in the arm.

The three-year clinical trial of Zostavax was performed with 38,000 people in the U.S. that were age 60 and older. This study showed that the shingles vaccine Zostavax prevented shingles in approximately half of those randomized to receive the vaccine. Especially good from the study was that in the group aged 60-69, it reduced shingles by 64 percent.

Another good piece of news from this study was among those who developed shingles despite being vaccinated, the duration of pain from the attack was slightly reduced. The most common side effects of the shingles vaccine Zostavax were redness, pain and tenderness, swelling at the site of injection, itching, and headache.

While the shingles vaccine is really good news, there’s no guarantee the vaccine will totally protect anyone from shingles. One doctor from the shingles vaccine study, Dr. Felderman said “I would not be inclined to give the vaccine to a patient who has already had shingles. It’s not that common to have a repeat attack, but when it occurs, it can always be treated with antiviral medication.”

So, is the shingles vaccine right for you? While the vaccine was found to be safe with minimal side effects in people over age 60 in the three-year clinical trial, there will be post-marketing studies to further monitor its safety.

“The vaccine is approved only for people aged 60 and above. It remains to be seen whether there will be general immunization recommendations for all people over age 60. Until there is, insurance carriers may not pay for the vaccine. So there is a cost consideration,” says Dr. Felderman. (The injection is projected to cost $145.) “People also need to understand the vaccine was not 100 percent effective; it will not absolutely guarantee that you won’t get shingles.”

Pain Before the Rashes

Contrary to popular belief, shingles is not signaled by just the outbreak of rashes. The first real sign of shingles is shingles pain. The reason why shingles pain occurs first before the rashes is that damage to the nerves happens first.

The virus which causes chicken pox usually gets stored in a nerve near the spinal cord once an individual recuperates from chicken pox. When the virus is reactivated, it can cause the nerve to become inflamed which is the initial cause of shingles pain. As the virus travels to the skin and becomes obvious as rashes, the pain may begin to worsen. The degree and constancy of the pain however varies from one individual to another.

Post Herpetic Neuralgia (PHN)

In a handful of people who have shingles, the shingles pain may persist even after the shingles rashes disappear. This is a condition known as post herpetic neuralgia. It is believed that the initial swelling of the nerve may result in the nerve defensively releasing substance P which is the known signal for pain. People with severe shingles may have severely damaged nerves, thus resulting in chronic shingles pain known as post herpetic neuralgia.

Age and PHN

It is an accepted fact that older people have higher chances of suffering from shingles than younger people. This is because older individuals have weaker immune systems due to the natural aging of their bodies’ systems. There is also a possibility that older people with shingles as well as those who have low stress tolerance have a greater chance of suffering from postherpetic neuralgia. The reasons for this are unclear but it is possible that PHN is also still linked with the body’s level of immunity and capacity for self healing.

Treatment of PHN

Just like shingles, there is no clear cure for shingles pain that has progressed to PHN. It is possible though to ease this chronic shingles pain and possibly even prevent it. Some suggest that early shingles treatment can reduce the possibility of developing PHN.

Shingles treatment may include anti viral medications and pain relievers. For those who already have PHN, doctors may prescribe a number of medications which include antidepressants, lidocaine patches, anticonvulsants and opioids. Further studies are needed to determine how exactly antidepressants work to prevent or ease shingles pain.

Radiation Therapy

There is a possibility that radiation may be able to relieve PHN. A study conducted for more than two decades showed that people who were given small doses of radiation on the affected nerves experienced relief from PHN. Some participants even experienced more relief from radiation doses than from the usual shingles medications. It is believed that radiation can prevent both inflammation and the increase of the virus. The use of radiation however almost always carries some risks.