Postherpetic neuralgia

Shingles (herpes zoster), a painful virus that lasts a few weeks in most people, can leave behind a life-time of pain and discomfort in some people. The estimated number is 20% of people who have shingles will develop this problem, called postherpetic neuralgia.

What is postherpetic neuralgia

Shingles is caused by the same virus that gave you the chicken pox. If you haven’t had the chicken pox, you can’t develop shingles. After the chicken pox goes away, the virus that caused it remains in your body and – for most people – never causes another problem.

However, in some people, the virus is triggered – researchers think by stress – and the result is shingles. The stress could be any type of stress, from psychological to an illness.

While shingles, as uncomfortable as they can be, lasts about 3 or 4 weeks, after they go away, it can be replaced with a neuropathic pain, described as a severe burning, itching, stabbing pain, or like electric shocks along the same pathway where the shingles lesions were.

What are the symptoms?

You must have had shingles to develop postherpetic neuralgia, so after the shingles lesions go away, you may feel:

·         Itching and numbness to the area where the lesions were

·         Sensitivity to touch and temperature

·         Sharp and jabbing, burning, or deep and aching pain

·         Headaches

Why does it cause pain?

The nerve endings have be damaged and this is why the pain is occurring.

What can be done?

There is no cure for postherpetic neuralgia. Currently, treatment focuses on trying to relieve the pain. This could mean using a topical (on the skin) anesthetic, and analgesics, or pain killers. Some people find relief with different types of antidepressants or anticonvulsants, as well.

For more in-depth information, here are some sites that have reliable and up-to-date information:

After Shingles.com

U.S. Pharmacist

MayoClinic.com