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Any novel ideas for additional treatment of shingles beyond Valtrex. My son has this. I did see a mention of Lauricidin
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Brussels
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Take a look either at Dr Rawls - he speaks about herpes viruses treatments in a wider sense.
the book I'm reading now speaks too about EBV and other herpes family viruses and speaks in an unconventional way though... I mean, the treatments he proposes are rather unconventional.
This is the book: Liver Rescue, Anthony William
He says that herpes viruses feed on heavy metals, gluten, eggs, hormones such as adrenaline. His suggestions to kill herpes are stuff like garlic, licorice, even lettuce in great amounts, radish, etc.
Posts: 6199 | From Brussels | Registered: Oct 2007
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steve1906
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Shingles isn't any fun, I've gotten them a number of times throughout the years----
Make SURE he doesn't scratch!!!!
Check these out> It has to run it's course.
Acetaminophen Ibuprofen Naproxen terrasil
Steve
-------------------- Everything I say is just my opinion! Posts: 3529 | From Massachusetts Boston Area | Registered: Jul 2008
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Rumigirl
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Ack!! Shingles are awful. In addition to Valtrex, or similar, lysine in high doses 3 times/day on an empty stomach, and eating foods high in lysine and low in arginine.
I wouldn't try going without an antirviral, as it can be atrocious if not caught in time.
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-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96237 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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kidsgotlyme
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I'm sorry that your son is dealing with this. I have had to go on Valtrex daily at 1g per day just to try and head off another bout of shingles. I have a friend who is a doctor and she told me that she read an article that it's been proven that daily Gabapentin 100mg three times per day for six months to try and keep from developing post herpetic neuralgia.
-------------------- symptoms since 1993 that I can remember. 9/2018 diagnosed with Borellia, Babesia Duncani, and Bartonella Hensalae thru DNA Connections. Posts: 1470 | From Tennessee | Registered: Dec 2009
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Brussels
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Post herpetic neuralgia is like post lyme disease: it means ACTIVE herpes viruses in your nerves, the same way that post lyme disease is active Borrelia in your body.
Everything you hear 'post', with active inflammation, is not 'post' but very active chronic infections.
I'm doing the celery juice, daily, on empty stomach, and feel something like a deep energy coming back.
I'm also fighting skin infections that doctors call chilblains or pernio, and they do not think this is infectious. It's such a misunderstanding, because it flares after certain foods, it has cycles, it only comes when the immune system is weak...
you herx from killing it, you get skin fevers, the skin after opens and the color gets nasty. If this is not infectious, well... I wonder WHAT then is infectious.
I suspect these are also herpetic family infections of the small joints in fingers. The fatigue is immense, when it's flaring.
I get 100% into the fight and flight mode, until the flare is gone, then they colonize one more part of your skin at every single flare (that is how they doom the immune system + get food through cytokine reactions + colonize further tissues).
I think I understand now what is this feeling fight and flight mode: pure emergency adrenaline flooding my whole body. Anthony explains how this type of adrenaline is like acid: it scorches the nerves, the organs, the tissues.
After that, all I can do is sleep. My nerves become super achy, all over the body, and extreme tension, even in the organs.
Only the violet ray calms those nerves again. But the fatigue is intense: I was having a hard time fighting that until the celery juice taken daily (I'm also on a very low meat, very low fat, full of fruits, leafy greens and salads diet).
I found that lemon juice on empty stomach then followed by celery juice gives me immense energy support.
since I started that, I haven't flared like hell. Only minor flares come.
But I also eliminated viruses and Strep food (according to him): I cut all eggs, most fats (they also feed all sorts of pathogens in the gut), most meats, corn, soja (both due to GMO contamination). Gluten and milk products (I'm free of them for quite some time).
So I'm eating loads of sweet fruits, honey, veggies, leafy greens, basically.
I think celery is like a full super electrolyte solution, that supports every cell of the body. Maybe that's where this kind of deep energy comes from.
And it is antibacterial, antiviral too, and it will support your colon until the end (as it is still active in the small and large intestine).
Posts: 6199 | From Brussels | Registered: Oct 2007
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Brussels
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Once my skin flares, my gut flares too, I get immediate symptoms in the gut, loose stools, gas, diarrhea. I know the same critter living in my joints and skin is living also in the gut because of that reaction. It never fails.
According to Anthony William, these herpes family viruses live with us for a very very long time, hidden from the immune system, specially in the liver, but also practically anywhere:
thyroid specially, but also all sexual organs (uterus and ovaries, and prostata), the whole gut, they love joints and skin, they come down from the liver to the sciatic nerves (come and go as they please), and their neurotoxins travel through the spinal fluid to the brain causing brain fog.
So to say, they are like Bb, they love conjunctive tissue, hide well, become inactive apparently (but they never truly are fully inactive).
they can infect any part of your body.
I'm taking again cats claw in low amounts (as an antiviral), and so is my daughter. It does make us feel a bit herxy, but we are taking zinc too, and that alone makes us herx.
Liposomal Vit C also deals with viruses rather well, but with such chronic infections, you need a multi-targeted approach, as with lyme.
I'm adding lysin to my liposomal Vit C, taking more of lemon balm, more star anise or licorice teas.
The most important part (according to Anthony) is to fight EBV or any of these herpes infections (cytomegaly, HHV6, Herpes zoster etc) IN THE LIVER.
It is spreading from there everywhere else.
Why? Because the liver is the organ responsible for cleaning the whole body. So that is where most toxins abound.
Pathogens (not only viruses, but also Strep and other bacteria) love to live in the liver, who is too busy trying to get away with so many man-made toxins, abx, drugs, pesticides, radioactive particles, mercury, aluminum, bad copper, excessive fats, alcohol, excessive meats, hormones from meats, neurotoxins from meats etc
These pathogens thrive on dirty environments (like Borrelia), so the liver is their favorite living place.
When your body is in good shape, well nourished, etc they will partially retreat from peripheral parts of the body, but they rarely get expelled from the liver, unless you actively treat your liver.
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LisaK
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Interesting info here Brussels, thanks!
I have shingles right now for the 3rd time (that I know of) 2nd time within 12 months. I had it last July when I had covid. It was on both sides of my body all over, but got on Valtrex right away and it wasn't critical, although did inch up neck and jaw.
Right now it started on R ankle. this happened while gardening fiercly for about a month and aobut a week after I tried oil pulling with a caster oil pack on thyroid since I got some nodules. I pulled the pack off as it suddenly , after about 10 min. , caused an intense sudden pain in my throat similar to strep.
I have used a pack several times on neck in the past with nothing like this before. I have read since that liver packs should be done before trying to do on thyroid??? but that is for another topic I guess....
Another coincidence?: I was gardening at time of shingles onset.
Adrenaline, like Brussels says???
I now realize when I thought I had another tick bite about 20 years ago was SHINGLES! now that i have had it on same exact spot on arm to start. At that time the rash confused the emergicenter nurse/pa who thought it was a spider bite, I thought the arm rash was a tick bite becasue I just didn't know.
I did have classic rash on torso over left ribs with that attack as well as the last one but now this time v different.
started on ankle and then I felt the same intense lightening bolt stab on face next to nose (left side) and started with some v tiny blisters on the corner of my mouth along with intense nerve pain in nose/on side of nose, in upper teeth.
I think its in my trigeminal nerve . I have been DX with trigeminal Neuralgia for aobut 10 years as I do have some slight compression on both sides in the back of neck or whereever it is. Most of my issues are L sided with that unless I get very ill, like I did with covid-19.
When this episode came on I called my pcp because I didn't realize it was shingles yet, as I htought I had a tick bite with terrible symptoms so I wanted him to RX a test but he was overbooked and sent me to ER which they said it was shingles.
I kept my PCP apt and went to him yesterday.
He told me I keep getting shingles because : 1) Not good sleep - I typically sleep poorly for my entire life 2) Too much stress.
I am in constant stress for-ever , so that just doesnt' seem like it can be the only reason. and lack of sleep yes, espcially now since both parents gone, sibling unrest, brother suddenlty died in Dec. on my mom's burthday and husband driving me nuts, dog dying, and everything else inbetween- how can I get rid of all that?!?!
The hormone/adrenaline thihng makes some sense as heavy bodily exercise in garden I had two attacks, right??? im talking about ripping out 50 year old bushes work here.
On one hand I was feeling so good enough to do that kind of work with my body, but now I am afraid to keep getting shingles!
PCP said to take a 2 week vacation to set it all right and that once a year repeat to keep shingles away.
that and good sleep of 8+ hours a night.
Is it really that easy?????????
I am starting lysine again righ tnow as I have put that on my 'can do without' list, which now I nkow was a mistake for more that just shingles, but what else?? I have such a limited diet since my MCAS prohibits most foods and I live on pecans and macadamias and dried cherries and mango.
I know this is long and TY for taking time to read it this far if you have. I would also like to mention that when I got shingles 20 yrs ago and thought was lyme I had v similar SX now but much lessor degree- confusion, GI issues of all kinds, writhing pain all over but mostly in wrists and ankle, heart palps, tons of head aches/pains, photophobia, confusion, etc , etc.....
I am looking for thoughts on all this and some advice on how to prevent or deal withl once they do come.
-------------------- Be thankful in all things- even difficult times and sickness and trials - because there is something GOOD to be seen Posts: 3577 | From Eastern USA | Registered: Jul 2013
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Rumigirl
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Wow, Lisa, that's an awful lot at once to deal with!! Here are my thoughts from the stand point of having dealt with it myself, and having been a practitioner for decades (in terms of nutrition, etc.).
I would strongly suggest speaking to your doctor and getting on an antidepressant to help with all the stress that you've been dealing with, both recently and long term.
It would also be reasonable to ask your doctor to put you on a preventative dose of Valtrex, given that you have gotten it so much.
You could also take lysine 2-3 times a day, 1,000 mg.
Another biggie, you mention living on pecans and macadamia nuts; but the problem with nuts are they are very high in arginine, which can lead to shingles or herpes!!
Not that nuts are bad, but it sounds so unbalanced, and given you're getting shingles a lot . . . time to see if you can't eat more animal protein, which helps to keep from getting it again.
And for sleep: are you taking melatonin? You can work up to higher doses. And inositol also helps a lot (1,000 mg). On top of that you may need to get an rx for sleep, like Zolpidem. You could see a sleep doctor, if your PCP doesn't want to rx it.
You need all the help you can get, and trying to only go natural just isn't sufficient sometimes.
I hope that you've been able to let yourself cry, and maybe yell into a pillow. You can only take so much without bursting!
This is not medical information, just a voice of experience and sympathy.
PS Anything new you try, go low and slow. I'm sure you know that.
[ 06-02-2024, 03:12 AM: Message edited by: Rumigirl ]
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kgg
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I second the suggestion of l Lysine, 1000mg 2-3 times a day. And do not supplement with Arginine. It feeds it.
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LisaK
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Hi Rumigirl and kgg, thanks
Here are some comments to your suggestions: I tried antidepressants in the past and I reacted to them. it's a genetic anomaly my family seems to have, plus I have MCAS which has me react to almost every pharm.
I asked both my PCP and neurologist if I can stay on a dose of Valtrex and both said no, "you will be fine". neurologist said the half life will help me until it runs its course. Not sure I agree, but what can I do?
I am on free form lysine (started last week) by Source Naturals. the dose is 1.26g, so I think that is around 1200mg, so how much can I take? I read somewehre 3,000mg is stopping point. ??
I have been RX lysine for decades but stop sometimes taking it becasue I get so tired of pills, etc, but I had no idea all the good things it does! So now I will remain faithful in taking it! especially since I have connective tissue disorder/ehlers danlos.
I try to eat enough animal protein per week, but I eat a lot of nuts because of my mcas and they are one of the few safe foods for me. hmmmmm.....what will I do? IDK. I was trying to cut back on beef as my cholesterol is high (inc. lipoprotien-a) and I kind of lost most of my cravings for fish and poultry for some reason.
yes, my whole diet is a bit unvbalanced becasue of the mcas. I have come a long way with that though and I am trying to reintroduce many foods. some of them seem to be ok in limited ammounts, but when I want a quick snack it is so hard! so I grab nuts.
I have not tried melatonin. my entire family that tried it says nothing works, but I am willing to give it my own go at this point. I did have RX pot I used for sleeping but stopped it after it was making me not feel so great.
I had a sleep study done and the dr. said there wasn't much he could do. I don't know aobut inositol- I wil check into that.
Aw, yes I have cried. a lot. I think a big issue of mine has been for the last 20 years or so I have been captive in the lyme saga which led to the EDS, MCAS and whatever else and although I've been working on getting better it's been a long process because other life keeps getting in the way and I really only have myself to count on for support and information
also having a TBI has not helped, and now a dying dog and self defeating, alcoholic husband.....
What if I just get up and walk away??????? its starting to sound better and better as the years tick by.
I am finallly at some stage where I can see more of who I truly am, and that feels super great. I am remembering and resurrecting.
Yes, I did read arginine is not good with shingles
-------------------- Be thankful in all things- even difficult times and sickness and trials - because there is something GOOD to be seen Posts: 3577 | From Eastern USA | Registered: Jul 2013
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kgg
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LisaK, as far as the l Lysine goes, during a flare I would take about 3000mg. For maintenance, I take 1000mg daily. I found a long time ago, if I get angry as in rage hissy fit time, then I will get a flare. I have tried to obviously change my behavior. But for those times that I lose it, I will up my dose for a few days. Seems to work.
I am glad to read that you are finding yourself again after such a long haul. Long may it continue!
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LisaK
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thanks kgg!!!
I too get hissy rage "breakout" once in a while. oh my. yes, stress. I will heed your advice and double on during flair ot if I think one could come, and do the single dose for maintaining. Sounds like great advice.
-------------------- Be thankful in all things- even difficult times and sickness and trials - because there is something GOOD to be seen Posts: 3577 | From Eastern USA | Registered: Jul 2013
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Phoiph
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Lisa K,
This might sound simplistic, but since you were doing heavy yard work both times just prior to the rash, is it possible you could have contracted Poison ivy?
The rash can resemble shingles, and the neuro-immune reaction can be intense and systemic, not only localized.
Just a thought.
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