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Shingles – Treatments, Possible Complications & Prevention

Antiviral Agents & Analgesics

Antiviral agents [6] are effective in treating shingles in immunocompetent patients, drugs like oral acyclovir or newer drugs like valacyclovir and famciclovir are also used in treating shingles. These drugs are effective as they reduce the duration of infection and severity of pain associated with the infection especially when they are used at the early onset of the infection.

Analgesics [7] are used to manage pain symptomatically; the pain does not respond to Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). Opiod analgesics are best suited for the management of this condition, drugs like gabapentin, pregabalin, and nortriptyline have also been proven to help in the management of pain in shingles.