Treatment For Shingles Rash Uk

Over the counter or prescription medication may be recommended to treat shingles.

Treatment for shingles rash uk. Painkilling medication such as paracetamol ibuprofen or codeine. They can also lower your chance of. Several antiviral medicines acyclovir valacyclovir and famciclovir are available to treat shingles and shorten the length and severity of the illness. The rash can appear anywhere on your body or in several places.

The second most common rash site is the face. Take paracetamol to ease pain keep the rash clean and dry to reduce the risk of infection wear loose fitting clothing use a cool compress a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel or a wet cloth a few times a day. The national institute on. John s wort oregano oil echinacea lemon balm green tea essential fatty acids.

Shingles causes a red rash that forms a band on one side of your body or face. Covering the rash with clothing or a non adherent non stick dressing to reduce the risk of other people becoming infected with chickenpox as it s very difficult to pass the virus on to someone else if the rash is covered. So it may limit the severity of symptoms of the shingles episode. Shingles can cause severe pain so your doctor also may prescribe.

Antiviral medications these medicines may slow down the progress of the shingles rash especially if you take them within the first 72 hours of having symptoms. Antiviral medicines used to treat shingles include aciclovir famciclovir and valaciclovir. Capsaicin topical patch qutenza anticonvulsants such as gabapentin neurontin tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline numbing agents such as lidocaine delivered via a cream gel spray or skin patch medications that. To treat the pain of postherpetic neuralgia using an anaesthetic ointment lidocaine 5 before applying a topical analgesic cream capsaicin cream may help.

Taking antiviral drugs as early as possible when shingles starts may reduce the risk of getting postherpetic neuralgia and can shorten its duration if it does occur. These medicines are most effective if you start taking them as soon as possible after the rash appears.