Putting shingles pain in the past Q: My wife has been suffering mercilessly as a results of shingles outbreak on her head, right ear and surrounding area, continuing down under her chin. I have searched everywhere I can on the Internet and talked with several doctors and pharmacists but can find no solution or even a way to ease her pain. Help please. JVW: Since your wife's pain has been present for so long, it is possible that she could be suffering from post-herpetic neuralgia (see the "What is..." section below for a definition of this condition). A study published in 2003 in the American Journal of Medicine suggests that topical geranium oil might be a good option for immediate relief. The more highly concentrated, the better, with study participants reporting pain relief in direct proportion to the percentage of geranium oil present in their topical mixture. Capsaicin cream has also been shown to provide some relief. Even if the infection from the herpes virus that causes shingles has subsided, taking general "infection-prevention" steps would still be a good way to support your wife's system overall. I discussed these at some length in the April 2001 issue of Nutrition & Healing, but just to briefly recap, general recommendations include eliminating sugar, refined carbohydrates, and allergies (if any). Also, incorporating at least 25,000 IU of vitamin A, 25 milligrams of zinc, and 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C, twice daily can boost the protection even more. | 
