How to Prepare for Shingles

I don't know what planet I've been on for the past several years, but holy cow, I had no idea shingles was such a common disease.  The only mention I heard of it growing up was when my dad was roofing to bring in extra money.  Shingles were wood used to cover houses.  When my father-in-law and then grandfather-in-law got them, it was in my mind pretty rare illness I didn't need to worry about.  No one in my family ever had it.

However, according to the Centers for Disease Control, it might be time for a little wake-up.  Their data show that one in three Americans will get shingles at least once.  Those at risk of developing shingles are those who have had chickenpox.  That's about 99 percent of people born before 1980.  While children as young as nine have been afflicted with shingles, it generally affects only those over the age of fifty, and the risk increases with age.  And it more commonly occurs in individuals with lowered immune function, especially due to stress, and chronic diseases.  TEOTWAWKI might qualify as stressful, so it would be a good idea to learn a bit more about shingles now so that we can prepare for it. 

Shingles (Herpes zoster) is an infection caused by the chickenpox virus, generally only affecting individuals who have previously had chickenpox.  The virus is not contagious in that it cannot cause shingles in another person; however, it is contagious to those who have not had chickenpox or been vaccinated against the disease.  Like with chickenpox, the patient is contagious until the blisters scab over.  But in contrast to chickenpox, covering the blisters generally prevents spreading the disease to others at risk.

Risk factors.  Those at greatest risk for developing shingles include:

• Being over 60 years
• Female
• Caucasian
• History of immune disease
• Family history
• Injury
• Poor gut health
• Stress
• Taking drugs that affect the immune system

The risk for shingles increases with age, with half of individuals over the age of 80 experiencing it at some point.  Family history plays a significant role, as does emotional stress and physical injury.  Women are more likely than men to develop shingles, especially with age.  Caucasians are twice as likely as individuals from other races to be afflicted. 


Prevention.  The first preventative measure would involve never getting chickenpox in the first place.  It's a little late for most of us.  There are two shingles vaccines.  The first, Zostavax, only decreased the risk of developing shingles by half and the risk of the subsequent neuropathy by two-thirds.  The new vaccine, Shingrix, which came out in 2019, appears to be 97% effective.  Beyond this, the best bets for preventing shingles are maintaining good health and avoiding stress. 


Symptoms.  Before the shingles rash appears, many patients report feeling an itchiness or tingling sensation and can even feel it moving through the body.  The first sign is a line or patch of painful blisters that suddenly appears, most often on the face, neck, chest, or back, and usually only on one side of the body.  The pain of these blisters may be excruciating.  Other possible symptoms include fever, enlarged lymph nodes, stomach upset, loss of appetite, and chills.  Ear and lower back pain may also occur.  The blisters last two to three weeks then disappear, but the pain may last much longer.  Rare complications include encephalitis, pneumonia, hearing problems, and death.

The greatest complication and fear concerns the onset of what's called post-herpetic neuralgia.  About ten percent of people will develop this extremely debilitating burning or stabbing pain at the site of the blisters as the nerves are damaged.  Healing may take up to a year, and the older the individual, the longer it takes.

Conventional treatment.  Antivirals such as acyclovir, valacyclovir, or famciclovir may be effective, but must be started within two to three days from the first appearance of the blisters to be effective.  That's going to require a trip to urgent care or the emergency room for most people, and that's in good times.  These antivirals are available by prescription only in the US.  However, they can be pretty easily obtained through overseas pharmacies.

While the pain of shingles can be extremely debilitating, it is not life-threatening.  Some off-grid physicians would recommend saving any antivirals you have stashed for more serious cases of shingles or other serious illnesses.  It should be noted that if the eye or the area around it is affected, that patient should be treated with an antiviral to prevent permanent damage to the cornea and resulting blindness.

To reduce irritating the blisters and shedding the virus, place bandages over the rash to prevent clothes from rubbing against them.  Aspirin, Tylenol, Advil, and Aleve may all be taken for pain relief.  Creams with lidocaine or capsaicin (but this latter may also exacerbate the pain) may be used for topical relief.  Some have used cold packs, oatmeal baths, and calamine lotion.  A physician may prescribe a low-dose antidepressant like amitriptyline or if the patient is really in pain, and really lucky, an opioid. 


Alternative treatments.  There are a few herbs that have been reported effective in the treatment of shingles.  St. John's wort is quite effective, internally and externally, especially when combined with a creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) tincture or infusion.  Lemon balm tea, three to five cups per day, may be taken while symptoms persist.  Lemon balm tincture may also be used in a dosage of 1/4 teaspoon three to six times per day.  This is also good for preventing recurrences.  The tincture and the infusion may also be applied topically for relief from the pain.

The following supplements have been shown to be helpful in healing and preventing future outbreaks:  vitamin B12, L-lysine, L-carnitine, alpha-lipoic acid, and inositol.   Consuming fruit as a regular part of the diet is also important.  Nuts, dark chocolate, and L-arginine supplements should be avoided. 

Links to related posts:
The Medicinal Uses of Lemon Balm


For further reading:
Cynthia Koelker, Armageddon Medicine,  pp 214-216.
David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, p 204.
Sam Coffman, The Herbal Medic, p 109
Charles Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western Mountain States, p 284.
Stephen Buhner, Herbal Antivirals, pp 95, 116-119.
https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/index.html
https://draxe.com/health/shingles-symptoms/
https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/shingles/news/20191113/new-shingles-vaccine_what-you-need-to-know 

15 april 2020