Shingles Symptoms – Rate of Occurrence

Shingles symptoms increase in occurrence, with post-herpetic neuralgia, with each decade of life. Symptoms from the herpes zoster virus derive from outbreaks in the two primary tissues for herpes viruses -  nerve tissue and skin tissue. When a latent virus has the opportunity to bloom, even decades after the initial chickenpox outbreak, the primary symptoms show up in the ends of nerves just under the skin, then the skin itself.

Phase 1: The Prodromal Stage

First timers with are often surprised with the diagnosis of shingles. They may start out feeling as though they have the flu – fever, chills, headache, and nausea. These are merely the symptoms that appear before the rash breaks out. Medical people call this pre-rash phase the prodromal stage.

Although these viruses are out of reach from your immune system when they are latent and also when they are traveling through nerve fibers, this is a good time to boost your immunity in preparation for the outbreak that is coming. Herbs that have antiviral and immune-boosting activity would be most helpful at this time (e.g., creosote bush). Antiviral drugs suppress the immune system, which makes them seem like a bad idea right when you want to get your body ready for the battle.

A rash may not appear for another 2 to 5 days after the prodromal stage begins. As the appearance of the rash approaches, several additional symptoms appear. These include numbness, a tingling or burning sensation, burning pain, or itching.

Phase 2: The Eruptive Stage

This is when the blisters and pain that normally characterize a shingles outbreak become apparent. Blisters filled with clear fluid may continue to appear for up to 5 days. They look a lot like chickenpox. Although blisters typically occur on just one side of the torso, they occasionally  encircle the body. They may also appear in other places, including buttocks, arms, legs, and face.

Shingles blisters can be intensely painful or merely mildly itchy or irritating. Many sufferers feel the need to wear loose clothing so as to keep anything from touching the skin. The eruptive stage can continue for two weeks, during which time the blisters become filled with pus and then begin to  scab over. By the time scabs begin to form, the outbreak no longer contains any virus particles. Ideally, the rash disappears within 3-5 weeks.

It is best to apply creams or lotions that contain antiviral herbs as soon as an outbreak begins, or even just before the first blister appears. Creosote bush, soapbark tree, and lemon balm are generally available for such topical applications. Prescription drug creams also work at this stage. You may have to experiment to find which kind of product helps you the most. My choice is for natural products.

Long-Term Pain: Post-Herpetic Neuralgia (PHN)

Some people experience continued severe pain (i.e., PHN) that may last months or even years. PHN can be extremely painful and very difficult to handle. Antiviral drugs are ineffective for PHN because the virus is already gone by the time it sets in. Symptomatic treatment of the pain and inflammation offers the most effective help for PHN.

Anti-inflammatory creams and oils that DO NOT contain warming ingredients (such as capsaicin) will help keep down the pain-causing inflammation. General products that offer help for inflammatory skin disorders can be helpful. A short list of these would include emu oil (YES – not an herb!), vitamin E oil, creosote bush lotion, and lemon balm cream.

What Else Can You Do?

Diet, nutrition, vitamins, amino acids, herbs, and even tai chi have effects on the symptoms of shingles. Sometimes they are positive and sometimes they are not. A few of the best general strategies are outlined in my short report, “Controlling Shingles Naturally.” You can a copy at no charge when you subscribe to my newsletter, Shingles Research Updates, via the form at the top of this page.

All the best in natural health,

Dr. D

Mainstream medicine generally offers vaccines to boost immunity to specific microbes, but only when such vaccines are available and approved for clinical use. In regard to viral vaccines, annual flu vaccination seems to be very popular, according to the flu season scares that appear in the media every year. Vaccines against polio and other viral diseases have also become important tools in the battle against certain diseases

At the moment, however, there are two vaccines that have been approved in the U.S. against Herpes zoster, the chickenpox and shingles virus. One is Varivax, a vaccine for chickenpox, and the other ix Zostavax, a vaccine for shingles. Zostavax was officially recommended in the U.S. for healthy adults aged 60 and over. This recommendation is based in part on a 2005 study of 38,000 adults over 60 years old, where the vaccine prevented half of the cases of shingles.

Who Can Benefit from Zostavax, the New Shingles Vaccine?

At this time, the vaccine is approved for use in people 60 and older who have had chickenpox. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that it be given to people who have had shingles. The manufacturer’s price for the vaccine is about $150. The patients’ cost in the United States is often $300.

The approval of Zostavax in the U.S. is limited to an older age group because experiments did not include younger people. Nobody knows how effective it might be for younger adults or what the long-term effects or side-effects might be in any age group. Indeed, because of so many unknowns, population-wide use of Zostavax is not practiced in the UK or other parts of Europe, even though it is licensed for use in the UK.

What About Long-Term Expectations

Dozens of research articles are published each year on the scientific search for additional vaccines against herpes viruses. At any one time several trials may be underway using cell cultures or laboratory animals, but very few ever reach the stage of clinical experimentation on humans. At the moment, the predictions for more herpes vaccines are optimistic, which is the nature of such predictions. (Does anyone remember the widely publicized prediction in 1985 by top government officials that we would have an AIDS vaccine in a few short years?) But very little is available right now, even on Zostavax, and predictions are hard to evaluate until we see more research progress.

In current practice, because people in their 50s account for one in every seven cases of shingles, some physicians administer the vaccine “off label” to those younger than 60, even though its safety and effectiveness in younger people are not known. Also unknown is whether the vaccine is safe to administer to people whose immune systems are already weakened.

More Unknowns of Zostavax

Follow-up studies are under way to determine how long the vaccine remains effective. If immunity wanes, a booster shot may be necessary. Until the unknowns are resolved, the vaccine is not recommended for those with immune systems weakened by disease or drug treatment, women who are pregnant or might be pregnant and people with active untreated tuberculosis. Nor should the vaccine be given to anyone who has had a life-threatening allergic reaction to gelatin or the antibiotic neomycin.

Dr. D