Shingles

Shingles

There are many possible remedies to help a person with shingles. But remember, if you’re treating yourself at home and your symptoms do not get better, please seek advice from a professional homeopath. Here are a few of the more common remedies for shingles:

Rhus Toxicodendron: Skin is red, hot, swollen, with intense itching and blister-like vesicles. Better from hot water and worse from cold drafts or cold applications. Burning and neuralgic pains after shingles that are worse from rest and beginning to move, but better with continued motion; they are also better from heat or a hot bath (compare to Arsenicum because both have the symptom of being better from a hot bath). Worse from exposure to cold wet weather, and better from warm dry weather.

Ranunculus Bulbosus: Eruption or post-herpetic neuralgia pain is often on the torso, chest, and in the intercostal spaces between the ribs. Stitching pains in the chest and between the shoulder blades. Skin eruptions are often bluish or dark blue. Burning with intense itching; worse from touch, wet weather, motion, taking a deep breath, and turning the body. Shooting pains with thickening of the skin and formation of hard scabs. Worse from cold and changes of temperature; better from rest, warm applications, and warm weather.

Arsenicum Album: Burning, itching red blisters; the burning is better from hot applications or a hot bath. Painful, shooting or burning neuralgia. Symptoms are worse after or around midnight, in open air, and in cold air. In general, people needing this remedy are chilly, anxious, and restless.

Mezereum: Eruptions itch violently and burn like fire; when dry scabs form, they cause great pain if torn off. Neuralgic burning pains after shingles. The­person is very chilly and very sensitive to cold air (even a fan), yet they have internal burning pains and are worse at night, worse from warmth and warm applications, and better from cold applications to the skin. Herpes zoster on the right side of the body. Fine eruption, showing black points after scratching, with great itching at night. Vesicular­eruption, becoming pustular, on arms, abdomen, back, buttocks, and left knee; much itching in evening.

Mercurius: Skin eruptions are vesicular, moist, burning when touched, and­surrounded by dry scales that easily bleed. They itch more when the person is warm and in bed (compare to Sulphur, which has similar indications). Itching is worse from perspiration; the person perspires easily; the sweat may be oily, have a foul odor, and stain clothing yellow.

Sulphur: Skin eruptions with violent itching and burning that are worse from scratching and from washing/bathing. Worse from becoming warm, from the warmth of the bed, and from warm applications/bathing.

Medicines for Shingles