How Do I Treat Shingles?

While modern medicine can treat shingles, natural treatments provide better care and can prevent a painful outbreak when caught in the early stages. 

What is Shingles?

Shingles, also known as Herpes Zoster, are caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same one responsible for chickenpox in children. After initial infection, this virus can lay dormant in the nervous system for many years, even decades, before potentially reactivating.

The shingles virus belongs to the herpes family. It differs from herpes simplex type 1 (causing cold sores) and herpes simplex type 2 (causing genital herpes). It’s more like a cousin of these viruses, categorized as herpes type 3 or herpes zoster.

How Do I Treat Shingles?

Traditional treatments for varicella zoster, including shingles, are antiviral medications like Acyclovir or Valacyclovir and pain medication. Unfortunately, neither of these antivirals cures the virus; they only slow it down. 

Slowing progression is vital for mild outbreaks to prevent more severe symptoms, but these medications aren’t effective unless you catch the virus within 72 hours of the outbreak. 

Furthermore, research shows that both medications potentially cause acute kidney injury, even for healthy kidneys, and altered mental states. These drugs also play a role in neurotoxicity or toxic damage to the nerves, resulting in continued nerve pain long after the shingles treatment. This is a condition called postherpetic neuralgia.

Medical research reveals proven, effective, all-natural treatment approaches to herpes zoster.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D levels play an essential role in treating shingles. As a matter of fact, doctors can test these levels, or walk-in labs such as ‘Any Lab Test Now’ can test your levels. 

While doctors and labs claim 30 ng/ml to 100 ng/ml is the normal range, this isn’t accurate. Optimum vitamin D levels are between 60 and 100 ng/ml. When vitamin D levels drop below 50, you’re already deficient; below 30 means you are severely deficient.

While vitamin D screening assay is readily available, people need higher than the accepted lower limit for disease prevention. Based on epidemiologic studies, approximately 75% of adults worldwide have less than 30 ng/mL of vitamin D. Vitamin D plays a vital role in combating and keeping the virus in remission. 

Increased levels of vitamin D push the shingles virus back into remission. We recommend taking 50,000 IU of vitamin D with 500 mcg of K2 to force the virus into remission. Too much vitamin D3 without K2 causes calcium deposition and buildup in the soft tissues of your body. Always take K2 because it assists in directing the calcium into your bones. 

When taking higher vitamin D levels, we recommend taking magnesium as their levels can deplete. Taking 400 mg of magnesium glycinate daily should prevent depletion. The glycinate version helps prevent loose stools. 

Taking 50,000 IUs of vitamin D is safe. Toxic levels of vitamin D only occur when taking 150,000-200,000 IU daily over a long period, especially without K2. 

L-Lysine

The next thing we recommend taking to treat shingles is L-lysine–an amino acid with strong antiviral properties. It can be used for any of the three herpes viruses.

Research shows that L-lysine has effects that inhibit the growth and replication of varicella herpes zoster virus. We recommend 1000 mg taken three times per day. Take the first dose at the first sign of symptoms.

If you catch it in the early stages, it is easier to prevent a full outbreak. After recovery, research shows taking 1,000 mg daily protects against future outbreaks. 

Olive Leaf Extract

Olive leaf extract comes from the leaves of olive trees. The active compound, Oleuropein, is a highly potent antiviral and antibacterial, capable of eradicating protozoans, a parasite.

Research shows effective antiviral properties at 500 to 1,000 mg. Depending on the severity of the shingles outbreak, we recommend a higher dosage of 1,500 to 3,000 mg daily.

Vitamin C & Zinc

Vitamin C and zinc provide many health benefits. To treat shingles, we recommend 1,000 mg of vitamin C three times per day and 30 mg of zinc twice daily. 

Topical Applications

To treat shingles, we also recommend a couple of topical applications for the blisters. There are two topical applications we recommend.

The first is an essential oil mixture recipe we developed based on research to help with the pain and symptoms. Here’s what you’ll need: 

• 1 tablespoon of castor oil (make sure it’s cold-pressed and organic)
• 21 drops of Vitamin D3 Serum (this is a liquid vitamin D)
• 7 drops of Helichrysum oil
• 6 drops of Geranium oil
• 4 drops of Tea Tree Oil
• 7 drops of peppermint oil

Then, mix the ingredients and apply them to the area of the lesions as often as needed to ease the pain.

The second topical ointment is manuka honey. The raw honey from New Zealand has potent antibacterial and antiviral properties, protecting against a secondary bacterial infection. Regular manuka honey should have a UMF rating of at least 15+. Higher ratings contain a higher potency.

UMF is different than the K-factor rating. Unlike UMF, the manufacturers created the rating, which doesn’t provide information regarding the potency. 

Wound Honey is an excellent choice, as it is made from manuka honey. Either of the honeys may be used for shingles lesions, open sores, wounds, and burns.

What Happens After Treating Shingles?

After treating shingles, many people suffer from postherpetic neuralgia, or PHN. The long-lasting nerve pain in areas where the shingles manifested lasts 2 to 6 weeks. Diagnosis for PHN happens if the pain lasts longer than 30 days.

When nerve fibers in affected areas become damaged by the virus, causing PHN, the effects can last months to years. However, these damaged nerves can be repaired. 

First, start with a good-quality nerve support formula. To learn more about what makes high-quality nerve support, check out our videos:

• Vital Ingredients for Nerve Repair
• The Right Dose
• Nuphoria Gold (nerve formula we use on our patients)

Furthermore, we recommend photobiomodulation, also known as infrared therapy for faster and more complete repair. We cover these in more detail in our videos:

• Healing with Light
• Avoid Buying Infrared Junk
• Click Here to See Infrared Therapy Used on our patients.

It is possible to recover from shingles with the best tools at your disposal. 

Struggling with Neuropathy?

Book a consultation with one of America’s leading experts in peripheral neuropathy. Dr. Coppola and Dr. Monteiro have worked with neuropathy patients for over 20 years and conduct seminars to help patients and doctors improve and reverse neuropathy.

To schedule an appointment, visit nuphoria.com or call our customer service representatives at (844)400-0101. They are available Mondays through Fridays from 9 am to 5 pm EST.