Antidepressants – Certain brain chemicals (norepinephrine and serotonin) play a role in how the brain interprets pain.It is applied to the affected skin several times each day. Topical capsaicin cream – Derived from hot chili peppers, this medication offers relief of pain by interfering with pain signals.These patches are applied over the painful skin to offer relief of discomfort. Topical lidocaine skin patches – Lidoderm patches are small adhesive patches that contain a topical pain reliever (lidocaine).Doctors often use a combination of treatment modalities for postherpetic neuralgia. However, more than 50% of people with this condition have symptoms that persist beyond 3 months. Without treatment, PHN usually eases gradually and goes away. What is the treatment for postherpetic neuralgia? Numbness, tingling, itching, and/or electric-shock sensations.Extreme sensitivity to temperature changes and light touch.Jabbing, sharp, burning, gnawing, and/or aching pain.The pain (neuralgia) is usually limited to the region of skin where the initial shingles outbreak occurred. What are the signs and symptoms of postherpetic neuralgia? Not everyone will have a reactivation of the virus, but the older you are, the greater the chance you will develop postherpetic neuralgia. What triggers an outbreak of shingles?Ĭommon known triggers include illness, stress, advanced age, certain medications, and decreased immune system function. Long after blisters and rash heals, the pain can linger. The virus travels along nerve fibers causing pain, and when the virus reaches the skin it produces rash and blisters.
After shingles, the nerves remain irritated, leading to postherpetic neuralgia. Years later, certain triggers can reactivate the virus, causing a shingles outbreak. After an infection of chicken pox, the virus lies dormant inside the nerve cells. Varicella zoster virus (VSV) is the same virus that causes chicken pox. Overall, PHN affects around 10% of the general population. For patients age 60 years and older, the risk of PHN increases to 3.3%, with most patients having moderate pain.
How common is postherpetic neuralgia?Īmong people age 60 years and younger, the risk of PHN three months after the onset of the zoster rash is 1.8%. PHN causes severe pain of the affected body region. Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a nerve-related pain syndrome that occurs after an outbreak of varicella zoster virus (shingles), which is the same virus that causes chicken pox. Ilioinguinal And Genitofemoral Nerve Block.