Treatment Options

Helping Yourself

For people who are having a shingles episode, the following tips can be helpful:

• Follow your doctor's advice for taking medications to treat your symptoms.

• See your doctor regularly during a shingles attack so that your progress can be closely monitored.

• Avoid people who have not had chickenpox (or who have not received the chickenpox vaccine). Although shingles is not contagious, someone who has never had chickenpox or received the vaccine could get chickenpox from you, because the two diseases are caused by the same virus.

• Use cool compresses to relieve discomfort and pain.

• Eat a healthy diet even though your appetite may be reduced by the pain and discomfort associated with your condition.

• Talk to your doctor if a pain medication is not working, so he or she can prescribe a different kind of drug that may manage your pain more effectively.

• Talk to your doctor about appropriate medicine if depression becomes a problem.

• Wear looser garments if your clothes rub your rash or are otherwise uncomfortable.

• Don't scratch, pick, or rub the affected skin, because you may worsen your rash and blisters or promote new lesions.

• Be patient. Most cases of shingles run their course within a month.

• Avoid alcoholic beverages during a shingles outbreak to keep your immune system working at its highest level to fight your condition.

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Note: The above information is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It is not intended to diagnose a health condition, but it can be used as a guide to help you decide if you should seek professional treatment or to help you learn more about your condition once it has been diagnosed.