Treatments for Shingles

by Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD

While there are no treatments to cure shingles, there are treatment goals, such as:

Shortening the length of the illness
Preventing complications, such as postherpetic neuralgia
Relieving pain and discomfort
Preventing the rash from becoming infected

Treatment involves:

At this time, there are no surgical procedures for the treatment of shingles.

References:

Herpes zoster. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T113997/Herpes-zoster . Updated September 19, 2016. Accessed October 6, 2016.

NINDS shingles information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Updated January 10, 2013. Accessed May 30, 2013.

Shingles. The American Academy of Dermatology website. Available at: https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/contagious-skin-diseases/shingles. Accessed May 30, 2013.

Shingles (herpes zoster). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Updated January 10, 2011. Accessed May 30, 2013.

Stankus SJ, Dlugopolski M, et al. Management of herpes zoster (shingles) and postherpetic neuralgia. Am Fam Physician. 2000;61(8). Available at:
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Accessed May 30, 2013.

Last reviewed May 2018 by James Cornell, MD
Last Updated: 5/20/2015

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