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Suggest Treatment For Persistent Shingles While On Gabapentin
My wife has had shingles for 5 months and the doctor says she has Postherpetic Neuralgia. She has been on Gabapentin for most of that time. She has now developed an infection under the breast caused by heat & moisture and is putting Ketoconazole cream 2% twice a day and getting no relief. My question is what else can we do?
Mon, 28 Jan 2019
Hello,
Unfortunately, Postherpetic Neuralgia can be very painful and difficult to treat. The first thing that will be important to do is to make sure the infection is treated.
If the Ketoconazole does not clear the infection within a week, it may need to be looked at again, and bacterial infection or dermatitis may need to be considered.
Once this is treated, gabapentin is usually a first line medication for postherpetic neurolgia.
After that, a medication like amitriptyline can be considered. Topical medications like capsaicin or lidocaine can also be considered and can help significantly.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Take care
Regards,
Dr Aaron Branch, General & Family Physician
Unfortunately, Postherpetic Neuralgia can be very painful and difficult to treat. The first thing that will be important to do is to make sure the infection is treated.
If the Ketoconazole does not clear the infection within a week, it may need to be looked at again, and bacterial infection or dermatitis may need to be considered.
Once this is treated, gabapentin is usually a first line medication for postherpetic neurolgia.
After that, a medication like amitriptyline can be considered. Topical medications like capsaicin or lidocaine can also be considered and can help significantly.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Take care
Regards,
Dr Aaron Branch, General & Family Physician
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