First off, I am so sorry for the hell you are going through and I pray you get more relief.

I dont seem to have those symptoms if my skin is touch. My burning can increase in intensity, I dont feel like a hot poker.


I made an appointment with the PM Doctor who does the Qutenza applications. She told me that she has had great success in using Qutenza on people with allodyina pain. She reference one woman who had Trigeminal Neuralgia and actually put the patch on her face. She is pain free over 4 months. She mentioned of a RSF patient who broke her wrist and was in some much burning pain in that whole area and again Qutenza was applied and she is pain free as well for 3 months so far. She said she has used Qutenza for more off-label applications then shingles. I asked about insurance not covering it. She mentioned she will submit my application today. I have united healthcare. She said usually insurance company will pay even if its not for shingles, and Medicare is usually a problem but I won’t know till they hear back from my insurance company.
She would numb area for an hour first with lidocaine and ELMA cream for 60 mins and then put the qutenza patches for 60 mins. Last 15 mins it will burn like a mother. She uses ice packs.

But again she seems to think its works with the pain, and if it can and I can get off the gabapentin why the hell not.
I asked about what other drugs I could try for the burning. She mentioned Baclofen. I said isn’t that an anti spasmatic drug? Shes said “Yes, but many MS and stroke patients develop allodynia and that seems to be effective”

Not sure if anyone else had tried baclofen.