DEAR DR. GOTT:
I am a senior citizen who has had shingles on the back of my neck and on my chest for three years. Is there anything I can use for temporary relief?
DEAR READER:
Shingles is an infection caused by the varicella zoster virus. Known as herpes zoster, it causes a painful rash, most commonly appearing as blisters that wrap from the middle of the back around to the middle of the chest. Other parts of the body can be affected as well, but are less common. Most rashes last a few weeks or up to a month. Those lasting longer are sometimes known as post herpetic neuralgia. The older an individual gets, the greater his or her chances are of suffering from such long-term nerve pain.
Treatment can often be difficult and may require a combination of prescriptions for pain control. While anti-virals decrease pain and promote healing, the body responds best when the drug or drugs are given within 72 hours of outbreak. Unfortunately, you are well past that stage. Following that brief time period, topical skin medications, pain relievers, corticosteroids, anti-convulsants, narcotics, and non-narcotics (or a combination thereof) may be necessary.
You don’t indicate what your primary care physician has put you on for relief of the accompanying pain and discomfort. Therefore, I recommend you return to him or her and discuss your options. You can then work together to formulate a plan to bring this problem under control. If all options have been tried, ask for a referral to a specialist who might be able to offer new ones.
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