Vitamin B12 – Shingles

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Importance of vitamin B12

Patients suffering from shingles may show an improvement in symptoms after receiving injections of vitamin B12. Some studies show that after three days of treatment using a 1 mg injection of vitamin B12 per day, the pain is relieved and the blisters disappear. These studies recommend using 1mg injections of vitamin B12 daily for six days and once weekly for six weeks to treat the pain connected with shingles. It is said that injections of vitamin B12 can shorten the duration of herpes outbreaks and reduce the pain as well.

Diagnosis Of Shingles

A diagnosis of shingles is not something to be taken lightly. This stubborn virus can cause illness for several weeks to months. The herpes virus can cause blindness if it affects the eyes. The herpes virus that causes shingles is called Varicella Zoster. It is the same virus that causes chicken pox. It is normally seen in people who are immune compromised, under too much stress or who have been exposed to the chickenpox virus.

This infection begins with fatigue and fever, and the affected skin may be very sensitive to the touch. Blisters on the skin begin to form around the fourth or fifth day of infection. The blisters occur on the upper body and chest. It is an extremely painful condition. The pain can be chronic and last from months to years. Patients diagnosed with shingles are prescribed a narcotic for pain relief and the antiviral drug acyclovir and sent home to endure the virus for six weeks. There are suggestions that alternative treatments for shingles can allow complete recovery in less than one week, with the blisters and pain disappearing in three days