Shingles is an infectious disease caused by the shingles-varicella virus, resulting in an eruption of large flaccid vesicles , with unilateral and root topography. This eruption is accompanied by lymphadenopathy and neuralgic sensory disturbances. It frequently leaves painful sequelae. We tend to think that chickenpox would be the primary viral infection and shingles an exogenous or endogenous reinfection.
The period of onset of shingles
The onset period is indeed short, 3 to 4 days. It is characterized by a moderate fever , a feeling of malaise and pain in the territory where the rash will appear . At this stage, two medications should be taken systematically:
Staphylococcinum :
The good results obtained by antistaphylococcal vaccine therapy in the treatment of shingles therefore led François Lamasson to successfully administer dilutions of Staphylococcinum (biotherapy prepared from a pure, lysed culture of Staphylococcus pyogenes aureus ).
Dosage : The duration of progression of the disease is shortened by taking a dose of Staphylococcinum 15 or 30 CH from the start of the disease, repeated 3 days in a row.
The first dose will be followed approximately 6 hours later by:
Sulphur :
It is a drug of centrifugal action, which thus facilitates all skin eruptions. In doing so, it reduces the risk of postherpetic neuralgia , while determining more frankly the clinical aspect of the eruption.
Dosage : take a single dose tube in 15 CH.
The period of shingles condition
The state period is marked by an erythematous vesicular eruption accompanied by pain with unilateral and radicular topography. The rash develops in 3 stages:
- Erythematous , with pink then red plaques, rounded or ovular in shape.
- Vesicular (around the 24th hour): the vesicles appear on the eruptive patches, they are filled with a clear liquid, first grouped in bouquets, then confluence in bubbles.
- Desiccation stage (around the 5th or 7th day): the vesicles become cloudy and become covered with a yellowish crust.
This eruption is accompanied in particular by a discreet infectious syndrome, satellite lymphadenopathy and above all pain, the intensity of which is not proportional to the extent of the lesions, with sensory disturbances in the territory concerned.
The clinical forms may vary, each root territory may be involved. However, the most frequent forms are thoracic shingles (50% of cases) and cranial nerve shingles (15% of cases), in particular ophthalmic shingles and auricular shingles.
Homeopathy makes it possible to effectively treat this disease by listening to its evolution and avoiding its residual pain. When the rash appears, it is the appearance of the skin lesion and its modalities that will determine the choice of medication.
Erythematous stage:
Medicine for erythematous eruptions with pungent, burning oedemas, improved by cold applications . The patient is usually not thirsty.
Very often indicated in the treatment of shingles, this drug corresponds to erythematous and also vesicular eruptions which burn like hot coals and which are relieved by hot applications .
The pains have nocturnal upsurges between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. The patient is often distressed, agitated, anxious, believing himself to be seriously affected, because he is very weakened by his illness. He craves small, frequently repeated amounts of cold water.
Example of homeopathic treatment in ophthalmic shingles
Consider a patient who presents with an edemato-vesicular eruption in the territory of the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal. The pains are also intense, burning, stinging, improved by cold and radiate into the eyeball giving the impression of bursting. The eyelids are red and oedematous.
Dosage : Take a tube-dose of Staphylococcinum 15 CH to melt in the mouth as soon as possible and 6 hours later a tube-dose of Sulfur 15 CH (a single dose). Then alternate approximately every 2 hours 5 granules of Apis 9 CH (2 tubes granules), and Prunus spinosa 15 CH (2 tubes granules), adding in the morning of the first 2 days a tube-dose of Staphylococcinum 15 CH (3 doses in all). Space out the doses of Apis and Prunus spinosa according to improvement.
Treatment of shingles complications
Superinfection:
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Mezerium :
Medication sometimes indicated during the state period, it will always be appropriate in the event of superinfection of the skin evoking impetiginous lesions: thick crusts covering an irritating yellowish pus. It must almost always be associated with suppuration drugs:
To be taken systematically in 7 or 9 CH on waking and at bedtime with:
Specific drug for acute suppuration. Affected areas are hypersensitive to touch , local pain is improved by heat .
Dosage : We will mainly use high dilutions (15 or 30 CH) which slow down suppuration. For example, 5 granules morning and evening, after taking Pyrogenium.
