|
||
|
||
|
DISORDERS
(Their description, characteristics or symptoms,
causes, and complementary or alternative treatments)
Disorder: SHINGLES (Herpes Zoster)
Description: Shingles is a disease caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Once you have chickenpox, the virus remains in your body in nerves at the base of your spine, and it may reactivate years later as a searing case of shingles, or herpes zoster, its medical name. When the virus flares, it moves out along the pathway of whatever nerve is involved, usually on the trunk, neck or face.
Symptoms: Shingles begins with extreme pain and/or itching, usually on one side of the body at face or trunk level. It usually affects a specific, defined area – the area of skin served by the infected nerves. This entire area is likely to be excruciatingly sensitive to touch. Two or so days after the pain starts, an eruption of small reddish blisters appear. The blisters resemble tiny cold sores. Some people develop one or two; others develop many. The blisters usually last from two to three weeks before they dry, crust over, and heal. An attack of shingles in the pelvic area can affect bladder or bowel function. If the outbreak occurs near the eyes, vision may be affected. Pain, numbing, scarring, and even paralysis can persist for up to a year after the lesions heal, a phenomenon known as postherpetic neuralgia. Attacks in the facial region can give rise to viral encephalitis. This is more likely to occur in elderly or immunocompromised persons. For such individuals, widespread dissemination of the virus can be life-threatening.
Incidence: Shingles strikes some 850,000 Americans each year. It can appear at any age, but is most common in people over the age of fifty, when immune function naturally begins to decline as a result of aging. About 20 percent of persons who get shingles suffer recurrence of the disease.
Causes: The causes that trigger a flare-up of the virus can be something obvious such as cancer, HIV infection, or treatment with immunosuppressant drugs, but often no specific trigger can be identified.
Treatments: There is no known cure for shingles. Treatment focuses on shortening the acute phase of pain and rash, minimizing pain and discomfort, and attempting to prevent or minimize possible complications. Physicians often prescribe an antiviral medication called acyclovir (Zovirax), which is also used for herpes. Acyclovir often helps minimize pain as well as prevent some complications, particularly for people with compromised immune systems. Some doctors give their patients with shingles injections of vitamin B12. This is considered an old-fashioned remedy, but some doctors believe it helps relieve the pain and shorten the course of the illness.
Nutrients:
Supplement Dosage Comments
|
L-Lysine |
500 mg. twice daily on an empty stomach. Take with water or juice, not milk. |
Important for healing and for fighting the virus that causes shingles. |
|
Vitamin C with bioflavonoids |
2,000 mg. 3 times daily |
Aids in fighting the virus and boosting the immune system. |
|
Cayenne (capsicum) |
|
See under Herbs, below |
|
Vitamin B Complex plus extra Vitamin B12 |
100 mg. 3 times daily |
Needed for nerve health and to counteract deficiencies. Injections (under a doctor’s supervision) may be necessary. |
|
Zinc |
50 mg. daily. Do not exceed a total of 100 mg. from all supplements. |
Enhances immunity and protects against infection. |
|
Calcium plus
Magnesium |
1500 mg. daily
750 mg. daily. |
For nerve function and healing, and to combat stress. |
|
Garlic |
2 capsules 3 times daily, with meals. |
Excellent for building the immune system. |
|
Vitamin A |
25,000 IU daily. (If you are pregnant, do not exceed 10,000 IU daily.) |
Boosts the immune system and protects against infection. |
|
Vitamin D |
400 IU daily |
Aids in tissue healing and is needed for calcium absorption |
|
Vitamin E |
400-800 IU daily. Can also open a capsule and apply the oil directly to the affected areas of skin. |
Helps prevent formation of scar tissue |
Herbs:
 | Cayenne (capsicum) contains a substance called
capsaicin, which relieves pain and aids in healing. Cayenne is available in
tablet or capsule form. It is also the active ingredient in Zostrix, a topical
cream which is helpful for postherpetic neuralgia. Capsaicin should not be
applied topically until the lesions caused by shingles have completely healed,
however, or extreme burning pain can result.
| Goldenseal has powerful antibiotic properties and
reduces infection.
| A combination of St. John’s Wort, oat straw, and
skullcap helps to reduce stress and itching. Mix equal amounts of the
tinctures together and take 1 teaspoon four times daily.
| Valerian root calms the nervous system. Taken at
bedtime, it acts as a sleep aid.
| Try using essential oils. Bergamot oil, calophyllum
oil (related to St. John’s Wort), eucalyptus oil, geranium oil, goldenseal
oil, and lemon oil can be used singly or in combination. The best way to use
them is to add a few drops of oil to a tablespoon of a carrier oil such as
peanut or olive oil, and apply the mixture directly to the lesions at the
first sign of an outbreak. In most instances, the lesions dry up and disappear
completely within three to five days after this treatment. This treatment can
also be used for herpes simplex. | |
Recommendations:
| Maintain a nutritious diet of healthy whole foods,
including plenty of vegetables.
| During an outbreak or when one is imminent, eliminate
foods containing the amino acid L-arginine, which can promote the growth of
the virus. Foods containing L-arginine include whole-wheat products, brown
rice, raw cereals (including oatmeal), chocolate, corn (including popcorn),
dairy products, raisins, nuts, and seeds.
| Keep stress to a minimum. Stress can add to the
possibility and severity of an outbreak. Learn and practice relaxation
techniques. Get plenty of rest.
| Avoid drafts. Allow the affected area to be exposed to
sunlight for fifteen minutes each day. Wash the blisters gently when bathing,
and otherwise avoid touching or scratching them.
| See an ophthalmologist if the shingles appear on the
forehead, near the eyes or nose. Untreated ophthalmic herpes zoster can lead
to vision loss. | |
Considerations:
| Pain medication may be necessary to ease discomfort.
Antidepressants, such as amitriptyline (Elavil, endep) may also be prescribed.
These drugs not only ease the emotional impact of unrelenting pain, but they
seem to alleviate the pain itself. They appear to do this by causing an
increase in the production of endorphins, the body’s own natural
painkillers.
| While shingles itself is not contagious, a person with
shingles may infect previously uninfected persons, particularly children, with
chickenpox.
| Capsaicin has been attracting attention for its
ability to relieve pain in persons suffering from postherpetic neuralgia.
Capsaicin is found in plants of the same family as red peppers. Researchers in
Toronto found that 56 percent of people with postherpetic neuralgia who were
treated with capsaicin cream (Zostrix) for four weeks experienced significant
pain relief, and that 78 percent had at least some improvement in pain.
Capsaicin is easy to administer – it is simply applied topically to the
affected area three or four times a day. It does not interact with any other
drugs or medications. Capsaicin cream is sold over the counter in most drug
stores and health food stores. It should not be applied until the blisters
caused by shingles have healed completely, however, or extreme burning may
result.
| Calamine lotion can be applied to the affected area to
help lessen discomfort. | |
Vitamin For Life Recommended Regimen and cost:
|
Product No. 59618- |
Description |
Comments |
Cost |
|
912-15 |
L-Lysine HCl 500 mg. tabs. |
1 tablet twice daily. Take on an empty stomach with water or juice, not with milk. |
$3.95/00 |
|
970-12 |
Vitamin C 1000 mg. with rose hips tabs. |
2 tablets daily |
$5.75/60 |
|
091-15 |
Citrus bioflavonoids |
2 tablets daily, taken with vitamin C |
$5.95/100 |
|
262-15 |
Cayenne pepper 459 mg. caps. |
As directed on label. |
$4.75/100 |
|
890-15 |
B Complex 100 mg. tablets |
1 tablet 3 times daily |
$8.95/100 |
|
895-15 |
Vitamin B12 500 mcg. tabs. |
As directed on label. |
$3.95/100 |
|
923-15 |
Zinc gluconate (chelated) 50 mg. tabs. |
1 tablet daily |
$3.64/100 |
|
958-15 |
Vitamin A natural 10,000 IU softgels |
As directed on label. |
$3.95/100 |
|
112-17 |
Calcium Oyscal 500 mg. with D tabs. |
3 tablets daily in divided doses. |
$5.75/120 |
|
232-15 |
Magnesium 200 mg. caps. |
3 tablets daily in divided doses. |
$4.95/100 |
|
978-15 |
Garlic tabs. 400 mg. |
2 tablets 3 times daily, with meals. |
$5.50/100 |
|
234-15 |
Vitamin E 400 IU (D-alpha tocopheryl) softgels |
1 softgel daily |
$8.95/100 |
Sources:
Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 2nd Edition
By James F. Balch, M.D. & Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C.
Smart Medicine for Healthier Living
By Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreen, M.D., James B. LaValle, R.Ph.
Prevention’s Healing with Vitamins
By the Editors of Prevention Magazine Health Books,
Edited by Alice Feinstein
