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Experts Corner

Q & A Archive

Are there any pain relievers I can get without going to a healthcare professional?

Pain pills that you can buy without a prescription probably are available, but the effectiveness of acetaminophen, ibuprofen or naproxen in the treatment of PHN has not been proven significantly effective. Anecdotal information on these drugs has shown they rarely produce significant pain relief in PHN1.

Some patients use capsaicin cream, which is sold without a prescription as a pain reliever for arthritis; however, it is made from hot peppers, so it may cause an additional severe burning sensation, worsening of the pain and may not be effective23.

Talk to Your Doctor

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The PHN Pain Checklist and PHN Pain Management Calendar are tools you can use to help you talk about your pain with your healthcare professional.

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Do you have the facts to identify if you or your loved one suffers from shingles or postherpetic neuralgia (PHN)?

1
Kost RG, Postherpetic neuralgia – pathogenesis, treatment and prevention. New England Journal of Medicine. 1996;335(1):32-42.
2
Watson CP, Tyler KL, Bickers DR, Millikan LE, Smith S, Coleman E. A randomized vehicle-controlled trial of topical capsaicin in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia. Clinical Therapeutics. 1993: 15(3) 510-526.
3
Bernstein JE, Korman NJ, Bickers DR, Dahl MV, Millikan LE. Topical capsaicin treatment of chronic postherpetic neuralgia. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 1989: 21(2) 265-270.