OVERVIEW

Postherpetic neuralgia is a complication of herpes zoster (shingles) that causes pain affecting nerves and skin.

The chickenpox virus causes shingles (a painful skin rash with blisters), and after someone has shingles, the condition usually clears up. If the rash and blisters go away and the pain still remains, this condition is known as postherpetic neuralgia. The nerves become damaged from the shingles outbreak and result in a severe, chronic pain lasting for weeks, months, or years. This condition is usually considered postherpetic neuralgia 90 days after the rash starts or 30 days after the rash is gone.

Treatment options

Treatment options may include:

Creams
Numbing patches
Over-the-counter medications
Painkillers
Prescription drugs
Steroid injections
Tricyclic antidepressants

Symptoms

Symptoms include:

Achiness
Appetite loss
Burning sensation
Deep pain
Depression
Difficulty concentrating
Difficulty sleeping
Fatigue
Itching
Jabbing pain
Numbness
Sensitivity to pressure, touch (allodynia), or temperature
Severe pain in the same spot where shingles occurred that lasts for more than 30 days
Sharp pain

Diagnostic Tests

Diagnostic tests include: Usually, tests for postherpetic neuralgia are not necessary because the doctor will recognize the condition based on the duration and location of the patient’s pain symptoms after having shingles.

Causes

Causes & contributing factors may include:

Chickenpox virus
Viral damage to the nerve cells due to shingles
Triggers that can cause the shingles virus to reoccur are age, illness, and stress.

Facts

It occurs in 10 – 15% of shingles patients.
It can last anywhere from a few weeks to several years.

Doctors don’t know exactly why some people develop postherpetic neuralgia.
It is more common in people more than 50 years old.

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Contact our office to schedule an appointment and let us help you get back on your way to an active life without the limitations of chronic pain. From our Phoenix office, The Pain Experts of Arizona, serves pain management patients in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Queen Creek, and the entire Phoenix area.

Post-Herpetic Neuralgia (PHN) in Gilbert, AZ