Postherpetic neuralgia from Shingles: Low Level Laser Therapy

I ordered the Laser TRX Cold Laser Therapy Device, the same device that @jerid uses.

Wow, that is great. How is it working for you or have you gotten it yet. Please keep me posted. Any questions just ask me.

@jerid, I haven’t gotten it yet, but I do have some questions for you. I have PHN in the same areas that you did, left scalp, forehead and eye. What frequency did you use, how long did you do each treatment and how many times a week did you do a treatment? I appreciate any help you can give me.

Not did, will always have. It's just a matter of learning how to reduce the pain and manage it. When I first got my red light laser I started with frequency level 1 for a week and then I went to level 2 another week and I tried level 3, but it was too strong for me and caused pain. I then backed off to level 2 and that is the level I use most of the time. However since our city swimming has opened and I swim daily I haven't used it. A couple of days of missing swimming the pain returned on a scale of about 4 or 5 so I then used an ice pack over the eye and forehead for several minutes or until the pain subsided. Do you find also that cool water or ice reduces or illuminate's the pain?
When using the red laser light I sometimes do a 1 5 minute session or sometimes 3 5 minute sessions on various spots of my forehead and scalp. Honestly I just play it by ear. Depending on the level of pain I may use level 2 or level 1. I don't like to over due the intensities. At first I did the treatment daily and then gradually weekly or bi weekly and as you can tell now as long as I can swim in cool water it controls the pain. Thank goodness. After getting the Shingles and being on pain meds that made me drousey and wanting to sleep I put on about 30 pounds. Yikes. So my Dr. gave me a prescription of Phentermine 15 mg and to both his surprise and mine it totally takes away the pain 100%. But he can not issue another prescription for me. If you are a swimmer and have a outdoor pool to swim in I highly suggest it. I guess an indoor pool will work also, I just enjoy being outdoors. I swim 1 mile, daily, 64 laps, but that doesn't mean you have to. I just enjoy the exercise. Please let me know if this info has helped in anyway. Prayers for you.

What a great help! I’ll get my unit in a couple of days and you have certainly given me some guidelines to get started with. As for cold treatments, I find that just a paper towel dampened with cold tap water on my face and forehead helps take the edge off. Also, I’ve used over the counter 4% Lidococaine with success. I haven’t tried swimming, but a good friend of mine has an outdoor swimming pool, so that is something for me to consider. A big problem for me right now is that my left eye is extremely sensitive to light, especially sunlight, so I am unable to drive. I have read blogs by people with the same symptoms and that seems to eventually get better with time. Thank you again for all your help and I will keep you updated about my progress. God bless!

So glad I can hopefully help. Yes, I had forgotten to mention how sensitive my Shingles eye is to light. I thought it was just from the cataract surgery I had 6 months later. I still wear my shades in our kitchen in the mornings when I open the blinds. Or, I get totally blinded by the bright sun. It faces the east. You might want to get a eye glass prescription with blue light filtering for when working on a computer. Even if you don't wear glasses. If I don't wear mine I get such a eye and headache from the monitor screen. It is so worth it. I have tried all the over the counter creams for pain, but they never last long in relieving the pain. The laser, cold compacts, swimming and that darn pill work the best for me. I wish I knew how to get a prescription for life for the Phentermine, but I know it is not good for me to take it. Which side effect out weighs the other on that one is still out to jury. LOL I am not a pill taker as a rule, but oh, to get rid of that pain. I wish I knew the magic ingredient in it that is taking away the pain. Good luck and keep me posted. I love to help people. Sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn't. NEVER give up.

I wish I had known all of this about two decades ago when I had the worst case of shingles my medical practitioner had seen. I managed to overcome the initial infection through acupuncture, massage and some Chinese salve. Every once in a while I will have that pain on one side of my back. But it’s now tolerable and doesn’t last too long.

try the swimming in cool water. Not cold, but cool.