Many of you have had chicken pox, also called herpes zoster. I had it (unfortunately) in the sixth grade, two days before our Christmas choir concert. I had a solo of one entire verse of Good King Wenceslas! I had a new dress, and shoes . . . and then this awful, itchy rash. It follows that the show went on without me. I was very self-conscious, and though I was cleared to go back to school after a few days, I stayed home until all the blisters and lesions completely healed. My mother lectured me constantly not to pick and scratch. That is what I remember most—embarrassment for how I looked and the awful itching. The virus that causes chicken pox, varicella-zoster, never goes away. This is frightening. But the good news is for most of us, this hidden virus stays asleep and never gives us any more trouble. The bad news is that if it wakes up, it causes a disease called shingles, which can be incredibly uncomfortable and even debilitating.

It is estimated that one out of three people who have had chicken pox will one day have a bout (or two) with shingles. The most common reasons this virus wakes up and starts to cause trouble is an impairment in your immune system. People who are undergoing medical treatments that depress the immune system, like chemotherapy and radiation treatments, have an increased risk. The use of steroids can play a factor. Chronic stress depletes the immune system and can indirectly trigger an outbreak. Physical trauma, for example, being injured in a car accident, can awaken the virus. And sometimes it comes back without any explanation.

These outbreaks last (on average) three to five weeks and are usually much more complicated and painful than chicken pox. In fact, in extreme cases, shingles pain can linger for months, or even years. They call this syndrome postherpetic neuralgia, and it can result in permanent nerve damage.

The best way to prevent shingles is to keep your immune system healthy and strong, and find healthy ways to cope with the stress in your life.

However, should you have a flare up of this virus and develop shingles, there are some dietary supplements that can be very effective. Natural compounds that have potent anti-viral activity are especially useful.

Propolis

Propolis is not a well-known supplement, but as the research expands, it has the potential to become a superstar. Propolis is collected by bees from shrubs and trees and carried back to the hive where it is transformed into a valuable compound that protects the hive from contamination and even purification. In fact, propolis means “defender of the city.” Propolis helps make the immune system more able to kill viruses, as well as having direct antiviral benefits.

A clinically studied propolis extract called GH2002 is purified in a patented process to remove beeswax and other impurities to better concentrate its beneficial compounds. Propolis GH2002 can be used as a cream, lotion or an oral supplement.

GH2002 has shown measurable results in studies.

A recent clinical trial on cold sores (herpes simplex—a relative of herpes zoster) showed that a topical cream made with GH2002 propolis was more effective than medicated creams, with measurable improvements in 89 percent of the propolis group in just five days, compared to only 57 percent in the group using an acyclovir cream. In fact, within only four days, the propolis group had more than twice as many people with significant improvement than the acyclovir topical group (55 percent vs 25 percent). The propolis group suffered from fewer accompanying cold sore issues, like skin eruptions and fluid-filled blisters that later crust or scab over.

There have also been studies on topical applications of GH2002 propolis in a lotion for people with active shingles. A Czech clinical study in 2017 looked at people taking medication for active shingles. One group was given the topical lotion and one group was not. The researchers found that the propolis lotion made a critical difference in pain relief and promoting the healing shingles lesions. That means it wasn’t just the prescription drug that was doing the work.

By the fourth day of the study, pain was reduced 54 percent for the propolis group compare to only 20 percent for the group using a placebo form of the lotion with the medication. That is almost three times the pain relief for a sometimes intensively painful condition. The longer people used the lotion, the better the results. After two weeks, the difference was 80 percent pain reduction in the propolis group compared to only 42 percent pain reduction for the group taking alone. Also within two weeks, more than half the people in the propolis group were healed of all their shingles lesions. It took four weeks for 50 percent of the folks using medication alone to be healed of their lesions. The overall assessment by the researchers of the efficacy of the propolis lotion was already 75 percent (versus 33 percent) by days three and four, and just over 90 percent in seven days.

Some of these same researchers in Germany found that GH2002 propolis also suppresses the herpes simplex virus 2, (HSV-2) by 99 percent. This is the virus that is responsible for cold sores, and it, too, lives in the body forever awaiting reactivation. The researchers discovered that pretreatment prior to an infection was significantly effective at stopping the herpes virus. They concluded that the propolis extract could stop recurring infections—a common concern for people struggling with any form of herpes virus.

Elderberry

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is perhaps better known for colds and flu, but it is also useful for settling down other viral infections. In a review article of medicinal plants with antiviral activity, the authors noted that it holds promising specific antiviral activity scientifically proven through studies on experimental animal models. There are as yet only a few dozen human clinical trials on the medicinal use of elderberry, but the results as an antiviral agent are impressive. More research needs to be done, but incorporating elderberry, especially with other immune vitamins such as vitamins A and C, could be a very useful part of a shingles regimen.

Alpha Lipoic Acid

Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is a supplement that is not especially antiviral. However, its super power is that it reduces inflammation and damage to nerves. The published studies on ALA focus on nerve damage and neuropathies, especially diabetic neuropathy. However, because these studies show a unique ability for ALA to improve nerve health and normal function, many integrative practitioners use it in their protocols for shingles recovery. Not only might it help with recovery and comfort, it may help to protect the nerves from actual damage by the virus.

With alpha lipoic acid, dosage is important. This can be a somewhat expensive supplement, and it is hard to manufacture. Therefore some products contain lower dosages, such as 10 or 25 mg. It is important to use a minimum of 600 mg a day total, because benefits have not been demonstrated at dosages lower than that.

Don’t Despair

Shingles is almost always self-limiting, meaning it eventually goes away. Using natural products to help speed the process, reduce the symptoms, and protect against nerve damage can be powerful tools to put this virus back to sleep—for good. VR

References:

National Institute on Aging, National institute of Health. 5 things you need to know about shingles. Available at: www.nia.nih.gov/health/infographics/5-things-you-need-know-about-shingles. Accessed March 28, 2019.

Mayo Clinic. Postherpetic neuralgia. Available at: www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/postherpetic-neuralgia/symptoms-causes/syc-20376588. Accessed March 28, 2019.

Akram M, Tahir IM, Shah SMA, et al. Antiviral potential of medicinal plants against HIV, HSV, influenza, hepatitis, and coxsackievirus: A systematic review. Phytother Res. 2018 May;32(5):811-822.

Tomanova D., Holcova S., Hladikova M. Clinical study: Lotion containing propolis special extract GH 2002 0.5 percent vs. placebo as on-top treatment of Herpes zoster. Health. 2017;9:1337–1347.

Schnitzler P, Neuner A, Nolkemper S, et al. Antiviral activity and mode of action of propolis extracts and selected compounds. Phytother Res. 2010 Jan;24 Suppl 1:S20-8.

Nolkemper S, Reichling J, Sensch KH, Schnitzler P. Mechanism of herpes simplex virus type 2 suppression by propolis extracts. Phytomedicine. 2010;17(2):132-8.

Astani A, Zimmermann S, Hassan E, Reichling J, Sensch KH, Schnitzler P. Antimicrobial activity of propolis special extract GH 2002 against multidrug-resistant clinical isolates. Pharmazie. 2013 Aug;68(8):695-701.

Ziegler D, Low PA, Litchy WJ, et al. Efficacy and safety of antioxidant treatment with α-lipoic acid over 4 years in diabetic polyneuropathy: the NATHAN 1 trial. Diabetes Care. 2011 Sep;34(9):2054-60.

Gu XM, Zhang SS, Wu JC, Tang ZY, Lu ZQ, Li H, Liu C, Chen L, Ning G. [Efficacy and safety of high-dose α-lipoic acid in the treatment of diabetic polyneuropathy]. Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi. 2010 Sep 21;90(35):2473-6.

Ametov AS, Barinov A, Dyck PJ, et al. SYDNEY Trial Study Group. The sensory symptoms of diabetic polyneuropathy are improved with alpha-lipoic acid: the SYDNEY trial. Diabetes Care. 2003 Mar;26(3):770-6.

Yildiran H, Macit MS, Özata Uyar G. New approach to peripheral nerve injury: nutritional therapy. Nutr Neurosci. 2018 Dec 7:1-12.

Cheryl Myers is an integrative health nurse, author, and an expert on natural medicine. She is a nationally recognized speaker who has been interviewed by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Prevention magazine. Her many articles have been published in such diverse journals as Aesthetic Surgery Journal and Nutrition in Complementary Care, and her research on botanicals has been presented at the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the North American Menopause Society. Myers is the head of Scientific Affairs and Education for EuroPharma, Inc.