Pain Relief for Internal Shingles

If you're experiencing internal pain associated with shingles, you may be looking for relief. Though shingles is often associated with rash or blisters, internal symptoms can occur before and even lurk after blisters have healed. A reactivation of the chicken pox, shingles can develop during times of stress or illness, but it's not contagious. Knowing how to effectively treat the internal symptoms of your shingles can help you manage pain and also prevent scarring.

Remedies for Pain

Before shingles develops into a rash or blisters externally, you could experience a burning or painful sensation internally. Blisters and/or a rash generally follow this pain or burning. According to the Mayo Clinic, ibuprofen or naproxen can help alleviate this pain. For severe pain, the Mayo Clinic says that you may need more powerful drugs, such as narcotics, tricyclic antidepressants, anticonvulsants or even numbing agents.

In addition to pain relief with drugs, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral drug that could reduce pain and speed healing.

Even before your blisters develop, if your pain is bad enough or if you feel excessively tired, make sure to listen to your body and stay in bed, if possible. Also, relaxation techniques could help to lessen pain. According to "The Doctors' Book of Home Remedies for Women," exercise and motion increases inflammation of the nerve route, which could result in an excessive rash or even scarring.

If your internal shingles symptoms do develop into a rash, you have several options for pain relief. If you have blisters, make sure to keep them wet, because as the liquid evaporates from your skin, it dries the blisters, as well as your skin. Calamine lotion can help dry out blisters, too.

You can also soak a washcloth in cold milk and hold it to your blistery rash(es), as milk has a soothing effect on rashes.

To dry blisters, make a paste of water mixed with baking powder to spread over the affected area.

After your blisters have healed, you may still have internal pain, as the nerve endings are still being affected. Consider using a cream that contains capsaicin, an ingredient found in red chili peppers. This cream causes your nerve endings to fire until no pain-causing chemical is left.

When to See a Doctor

If you see a doctor within 48 hours of the onset of your shingles, you should be able to get the virus under control and prevent scarring. In addition, quickly taking antiviral medications could help you prevent the lingering nerve pain associated with shingles.