Treatment for postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is aimed at alleviating the pain. The nerve damage caused by shingles cannot be reversed, and treatment cannot improve nerve healing. There is no standard treatment for PHN, and different therapies work for different people. For example, some therapies may cause bad side effects in some people, while others may not experience any side effects. Because of this, your doctor may decide to try a variety of medications until a drug or a combination of drugs provides adequate pain relief.

Antiviral Therapy

Antiviral prescription medications such as FAMVIR^® (famciclovir) can help shingles blisters heal faster. However, the medication should be started within 72 hours (3 days) after the rash of shingles appears, so it is important to see your doctor right away.

For many people age 50 or older, prescription oral FAMVIR (available in easy-to-swallow tablets) may significantly shorten the duration of PHN, reducing the number of days you have pain. The people who took FAMVIR started taking the medication within 72 hours (3 days) after the shingles rash appeared.