How can the symptoms of shingles be relieved?
Charmaine: My mother is in her late fifties and she has been in pain for the past couple of weeks and eventually we discovered that shes got shingles. Two weeks ago she got the whole rash around her abdomen et cetera. Prof Harry: This condition often starts with pain and then only afterwards do the shingles come out. It is very painful. Charmaine: The rash has now disappeared but she is still in so much pain it is unbelievable. Apparently there is nothing really that she can take to help alleviate the pain but I just cant describe it. Prof Harry: It is not true to say that there is nothing you can do. You can try the various painkillers, starting with some simple ones like paracetamol, aspirin, anti-inflamatories. Unfortunately we cant say how long this pain is going to last. It can be weeks, it can be months, it can be years. If the simple painkillers dont work, you can use some stronger painkillers or alternatively you can use an anti-depressant. This is not for depression but common
