Post-Herpetic Neuralgia

Post-Herpetic Neuralgia

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Treatment

Unfortunately, there is no cure for post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), although there are a variety of effective pain relief medications. Also, the pain of PHN tends to resolve with time.

Currently, there are multiple treatment options that provide pain relief. These include:

• Skin patches
• Anti-seizure medication
• Narcotic analgesics
• Antidepressants

The effectiveness of treatment for PHN varies widely among patients. The FDA has approved the lidocaine skin patch for PHN pain and the anti-seizure drug, called gabapentin. Narcotic analgesics and antidepressant medications also have been proven to be effective.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated May 8, 2007