This thread reminded me of sometime I learned a long time ago when I had an outbreak of shingles. Zantac (the heartburn med) helps with that kind of pain, nerve pain.



I made a big booboo, it's NOT Zantac it was "Tagamet"! I'm so glad I tried to find the info it's the drug Cimetidine (that's what Tagamet is) that helps with shingle pain.

Julie, I'm not disputing that you felt pain relief, but my medically educated brain cannot for the life of me understand how!

Zantac is only an antacid when it's all said and done. Please explain.

Zantac:

"This medicine is a histamine blocker used to treat and prevent ulcers. It is also used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This medicine may also be used to treat other conditions as determined by your doctor.

...

The drug may also be used in some cases to treat recurrent warts, acne, hives, shingles, and hyperthyroid conditions."

http://www.247-pharmacy.com/buy/zantac.php



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H2_antagonist

Cherie

It's actually an antihistamine.

http://www.emedicine.com/MED/topic1007.htm

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2001/...tagamet_1.html

I don't know why Zantac works, it's odd. But I take it when I get a shingles out-break and I can feel the area around the shingles starts to tingle and than the pain (most of it) goes away.

I'll send if I can find the info on the web about it.

OK, I made a mistake (see my edited post above), it is NOT Zantac, so sorry it's Tagamet (climetidine), there's lots of info on the web but here's some info on it.



Cimetidine
Herpes simplex outbreaks have been shown to go into remission in response to the proper dose of cimetidine. In cases of herpes zoster (shingles), which targets the older population, cimetidine has been successfully used to lessen the debilitating pain and intensity of the skin rash and eruptions. Published studies indicate that viruses like herpes simplex and herpes zoster can be put into quick remission, or the breakouts prevented altogether, when T-lymphocyte suppressor cell function is inhibited. The best way of accomplishing this is to take 200 mg of cimetidine (Tagamet), 3 times a day, and then 400 mg at bedtime. Tagamet is available in pharmacies over-the-counter. Suggested use is to initiate Tagamet as soon as symptoms of a herpes-related virus infection appear. Continue to take it for 1-2 weeks after all symptoms of the outbreak have abated.

Various studies support the use of cimetidine in suppressing herpes infections. The first case observation occurred in August 1977, when a patient developed shingles just before commencing a course of cimetidine for a chronic stomach ulcer. The patient experienced dramatic relief of the shingles pain and rapid disappearance of the eruption. On the basis of this observation, cimetidine was prescribed to 21 patients with herpes zoster (shingles). The results were encouraging in 18 of these 21 patients. The trial was then extended to other herpes virus infections. In six of seven patients with herpes labialis (lip), the blisters were aborted, and in one patient with herpes keratitis (cornea), the result was also encouraging, with the attacks being markedly shortened in duration and reduced in frequency. The results of these preliminary trials showed the potential role of cimetidine in the treatment of herpes virus infection ( Van der Spuy et al. 1980 ).

In 1996, a clinical trial was conducted on 221 patients with herpes zoster who were treated daily with cimetidine at 200 mg, 3 times during the day and 400 mg at night. The results showed that cimetidine shortened the period of disease duration. The authors suggested using cimetidine in the treatment of shingles during the earliest stages of the disease ( Kapinska-Mrowiecka et al. 1996 ).

A case reported in Canada resulted in the statement that cimetidine therapy appeared to reduce the expected length of the active phase of herpes zoster from 35 days or more to just 10 days (Hayne et al. 1983). At the Golda Medical Center in Israel, in 1994, a double-blind, placebo-control study of cimetidine treatment versus placebo was conducted for 1 week in 22 patients with herpes zoster. Those who were treated with cimetidine were found to recover much more quickly from skin rash and pain than those who were given the placebo ( Komlos et al. 1994 ).

At the Department of Neurology at Lady Davis Carmel Hospital in Israel, a randomized study evaluated the effect of cimetidine in the treatment of herpes zoster virus. The conclusion was that cimetidine treatment "shortened the median interval until the first decrease in pain, shortened the median interval until the complete resolution of pain, and promoted faster complete healing of skin lesions" ( Miller et al. 1989 ).

A paper presented by a researcher at Michigan State University in the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development (Kumar 1990) stated:

Suppressor T lymphocytes possess histamine 2 (H2) receptors and contribute significantly to the function of the immune system. Cimetidine has been shown to enhance a variety of immunologic functions both in vivo and in vitro because of its inhibitory effects on suppressor-cell function. Successful tumor immunotherapy has been reported in experimental animals. Patients who received cimetidine were shown to exhibit enhanced cell-mediated immunity as evaluated by increased response to skin-test antigens, restoration of sensitivity following development of acquired tolerance, and increased responses of lymphocytes to mitogen stimulation. Patients also demonstrated that patients with herpes zoster and herpes simplex who were given cimetidine may have benefitted therapeutically from the drug.
The consensus from these studies is that when cimetidine is administered to those with herpes simplex or shingles, the result is a dramatic relief of the herpetic pain as well as rapid disappearance of the blisters.

Julie, as per my previous link . . . they are both "H2 antagonist's, a classification of drugs used to block the action of histamine."

"Cimetidine was the prototypical histamine H2-receptor antagonist from which the later members of the class were developed."

"Ranitidine (common brand name Zantac) was developed by Glaxo in an effort to match the success of Smith, Kline & French with cimetidine."

"Some studies suggest that H2-antagonists might be effective in treating herpes viruses, such as shingles and herpes simplex [1]."

So either drug may be rx'd for the purpose you described.

Cherie

My dog had tummy issues due to him being allergic to a lot of proteins. Our vet had us start giving Tiny a couple of Cimetidines with his meals...both to keep the dog from getting a ulcer, and to try to stop the allergic reaction.

It helped him some...at least he wasnt puking in my shoes every time we fed him...it was pretty much just once or twice a month.

I wish I had known Cimetidine helped shingles...I had shingles just before I had mononucleosis. (I wish back then I'd known it was shingles...I thought it was a weird and very long lived allergic reaction to something) I didnt know it was shingles until my dad had shingles and I recognized it then.

I have a scar down the right side of my...ahem...chest...from the shingles. They were so painful, and the sores they left were bad. I had to stick wash cloths and bandages into my bra to protect the skin from irritation from my bra. Never want to go thru that again!