What are the treatments for herpes zoster neuralgia

Herpes is a common skin disease in clinical practice, which is generally related to viral infection. There are many types of herpes, and shingles is one of them. The treatment of shingles may also be accompanied by symptoms of neuralgia, and the treatment of shingles neuralgia can generally be treated with medication.

1. Drug therapy is still the primary method for treating herpes zoster neuralgia. In recent years, some new drugs have emerged for the treatment of herpes zoster neuralgia, among which gabapentin, pregabalin, and capsaicin patch are the most representative. Gabapentin and pregabalin are new antiepileptic drugs. Both are calcium channel α2-δ ligands. They work mainly by blocking the influx of calcium ions and inhibiting the generation and afferentiation of ectopic impulses in damaged primary sensory neurons and their axons.

2. Capsaicin is a natural plant alkali. Its topical application is effective in relieving pain. Its mechanism of action is mainly to activate TRPV1 receptors, deplete the storage of substance P and other neurotransmitters in nerve endings, desensitize the axon endings that sense pain, and reduce or eliminate the transmission of pain stimuli from peripheral nerves to central nerves.

3. Nerve block therapy as one of the treatments for postherpetic neuralgia has been accepted by more and more people. Subarachnoid administration is a new method for treating postherpetic neuralgia that has emerged in recent years. Foreign studies have found that intrathecal injection of glucocorticoids and lidocaine is effective in relieving postherpetic neuralgia. Its mechanism is mainly to reduce the level of interleukin-28 in cerebrospinal fluid through the anti-inflammatory effect of glucocorticoids, thereby reducing cell edema and toxic reactions, promoting the repair of affected nerves, stabilizing nerve cell membranes, and reducing abnormal discharges of C nerve fibers, thereby relieving pain. Although this method can effectively relieve patients' pain, due to concerns about its safety, its effectiveness has not been fully confirmed in clinical practice, and intrathecal drug injection has not been widely used.