Postherpetic Neuralgia (Shingles): Any successful treatment?

@layla123
Thanks Layla. I’ll follow up on your suggestions. It’s hard to motivate myself to exercise when I feel exhausted and discouraged. But I’ll make more of an effort. Best wishes on your own journey back to health. — Ruth

Hi John — Thanks for your reply. I’ll look at the link you sent. It’s hard to know sometimes whether I have a side effect that means I should stay at the previous dose, or that I should push through and see if my body tolerates a higher dose. Will post again as this progresses. Everyone has written how draining this is. I thought it would be over and done by 3 months max, but that was clearly overly optimistic. — Ruth

@ruthec
Ruth, thanks. I hope things get better for you too. It just takes time. keep looking and researching you might come across something that works for you. Pain specialists might be able to help you. Make sure you take B vitamins to help repair nerve damage.
Let me know how things go for you.
Mary

You might consult a pharmacist about what cream they can compound for you and have them contact your Dr office for his prescription. Then you go in to see your Dr office or call your Dr office to tell them the pharmacy is contacting them for approval of a compound cream.

@sjsmall5286 There are pharmacies who do compounds. I have compound ear drops and a compound cream. My post shingle nerve damage is deep within my ear and on my face. I could not find PTC ear drops for pain. Your Doctors office might be aware of a compound pharmacy. Your Dr will have to prescribe the compound. I still have to take pregabalin. I also take baclofen.

@stephenluptak where exactly in the southwest?

Hi, so sorry to hear about your wife’s condition. I have also suffered with Herpatic Neuralgia from my back wrapping around to front midline. I have had pain for two years it is slowly dissipating, but I still take Gabapentin 300mg 3x day. I found Lidocaine patches to be very helpful. I also found exercise and stretching helped immensely. Maybe look into physical therapy and pain management. None of the creams worked for me, but I am going to look into the compounding cream that was posted here. I would like to get of the Gabapentin eventually.
Hang in there. The pain will lessen over time.

@layla123
The Lidocaine patches should be the prescription 5% not the OTC ones.

@layla123 I was look at my compound cream. It has ketamine 10%. Gabapentin 6% nifedipine 2%. The first compound cream did not seem to work so they came up with this one for me. I still take pregabalin 100 3 times a day, baclofen 5 mg 4 times a day. Amitripline 25mg at bedtime. I have tramadol on hand if pain gets really bad. I have had 3 nerve blocks which helped a little. I do not like all the pain I have with post shingle nerve damage. A cyber knife has been recommended but I am not sure I am ready to risk the side effects associated with the cyber knife. My pain is on the right side of my face starting at right side of chin, right side of face, and to my ear. I have deep nerve pain at my ear. I have suffered and treated since Jan 2026

Feels like a constant ear ache which with medicine I can get to ease up some the. Drops back to severe pain.