I have extreme itching and just got over shingles. Will gabapentin help?
Question posted by John Garner on 28 Oct 2013
Last updated on 7 August 2014
3 Answers
Go back to your doctor and ask for law ocarina patches. These anesthetize the skin, just like when the dentist freezes your mouth, but no shot. The patch has helped me tremendously. It can be cut easily to fit the area that hurts or itches. I have been using it off and on for months now.
Gabapentine does help. It does have odd side effects for some. I used it during the worse part. Give it a try. There really is nothing else that helps. And stop with the antihistamines. The itch is not allergic, it is nerve excitation. The patch calms it. These are expensive if you don't have medication insurance, but very well worth it. Medicare covers it. Don't overdue as it can be toxic. Use exactly how the doctor tells you.
Sorry, I didn't see the spell checker had changed the medication name. lidocaine patches.
For more than three years I have suffered the itching from Hell! The doctors told me to take antihistamines. No help there. The itching will abate like the tide going out but come back the same way. I was taking Gabapentin for PHN and accidently discovered that 300 MG in the morning and 300 MG at night have reduced the itching to only a few spots. I suggest to anyone who thinks this is not worth seeing a Doctor about go roll around in a patch of poison oak, ivy, or sumac. RRMCL
Antihistamines would help itching.
I'm taking handfuls of antihistamines
Yes, gabapentin is commonly prescribed for shingle pain.
Related topics
pruritus, herpes zoster, gabapentin
Further information
- Gabapentin uses and safety info
- Gabapentin prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Gabapentin (detailed)
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