What Is The Best Topical Treatment For Shingles

These patches can be cut to fit only the affected area.

What is the best topical treatment for shingles.

If itching doesn t improve after a healing bath a cool compress or a baking soda or cornstarch mixture use soothing lotions. Your doctor may also take a tissue scraping or culture of the blisters for examination in the laboratory. National institute of neurologic disorders and stroke. New england journal of medicine 2005.

Basically hydrocortisone is a topical corticosteroid that displays anti inflammatory properties hence usage of these creams works to decrease the skin inflammation. Shingles is usually diagnosed based on the history of pain on one side of your body along with the telltale rash and blisters. There are a variety of topic treatments including topical acyclovir 5 cream lidocaine and capsaicin. Pain medicine either over the counter or a prescription from your doctor may help relieve the pain caused by shingles.

You apply the patches available by prescription or over the counter at a slightly lower dosage directly to painful skin to deliver temporary relief. Application of antiseptic agents like benzoin can also contribute to reduce irritation and discomfort associated with shingles. 83 84 the latter applied at least 5 times a day depletes neurotransmitters at involved. Wet compresses calamine lotion and colloidal oatmeal baths a lukewarm bath mixed with ground up oatmeal may help relieve itching.

Scratching a shingles rash can cause scarring and prolong blisters. The fda have approved colloidal oatmeal as a safe and effective treatment. Topical anesthetics with lidocaine are also helpful but these are available only through a doctor s prescription according to webmd. Those shown effective for postherpetic neuralgia include nortriptyline pamelor desipramine norpramin and amitriptyline elavil endep.

For those who need pain relief from shingles topical anesthetics with benzocaine can be applied on the skin and these are available over the counter. Lidocaine skin patches these are small bandage like patches that contain the topical pain relieving medication lidocaine. Benzoin gum offers amazing relief from shingles.