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I had a case of shingles that went away but I still have pain from it. The doctor tells me I have postherpetic pain. I'm using capsaicin cream right now but it's not much help. Does this eventually go away on its own?
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Shingles is caused by one of the many herpes viruses. It is also known as herpes zoster. It starts as a painful skin rash with blisters -- usually along a nerve pathway on one side of the body. The rash usually heals within two to four weeks.
But some people have continued nerve pain for much longer -- sometimes months or years. This condition is called postherpetic neuralgia. Over time this pain may go away. Sometimes it is replaced with numbness.
There is a live vaccine available now (Zostavax) for adults age 60 and older. It is used as a preventative measure to avoid shingles and especially postherpetic pain. There's some research that shows increased intake of fruits and vegetables acts as a natural preventitive for this painful condition.
But once it's here, treatment depends on how quickly the diagnosis is made. In the acute (early) phase, anti-viral medications may help with the symptoms. They can reduce the severity and duration of herpes zoster with minimal side effects. But for those who develop post-herpetic pain, a different strategy is needed.
That's where products like Capsaicin come into play. Capsaicin is the active component of chili peppers. Capsaicin works well as a counter-irritant. It produces a burning sensation that irritates the skin enough to grab the attention of the nervous system, masking the underlying oost-herpetic pain. With long enough use of Capsaicin, neurons are depleted of neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers that deliver pain messages. The result is a reduced sensation of pain. The neurons do recover when the Capsaisin is no longer used.
Chronic neuropathic pain of this type may require a combination of approaches. There are some medications that can help. Some patients have experienced success with other forms of pain management such as biofeedback, meditation, hypnosis, Reiki, BodyTalk, or acupuncture. If you have been using the cream for many weeks with no success, it's time to head back to your physician for a recheck and reevaluation of the treatment options available to you.
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