Advanced Medical Care

One out of every three people in the United States develops a painful condition called shingles at some point in their life. Shingles is most common in women and men over age 60.

Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox: the varicella zoster virus. Almost all adults who develop shingles had chickenpox as children. The virus doesn’t die after your chickenpox clears; it stays dormant in your body and is reactivated when your immune system is compromised due to aging or other causes. 

Shingles usually manifests as a band-like area on one side of your body that triggers uncomfortable sensations, such as burning, tingling, and itching. Next, you may develop blister-filled rashes, similar to chickenpox, on your body or face. 

Generally, shingles resolves in 2-6 weeks. However, about 20% of people with shingles develop a complication called postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), which is a type of nerve pain.

At Advanced Medical Care in Queens and Brooklyn, New York, our neurologists know that chronic nerve pain can wear you down, lower your quality of life, and lead to other conditions, such as depression. That’s why we offer FDA-approved QUTENZA®, which addresses pain caused by PHN.

Is QUTENZA the answer to your post-shingles nerve pain? Here’s why it may be.

QUTENZA soothes confused nerves

When you develop PHN, it’s because the chronic activation of pain signals during your shingles infection damaged your nerves. The injured, confused nerve fibers send exaggerated signals of pain from your skin to your brain, even though the virus is no longer active and your rash has cleared.

Traditionally, doctors treat PHN with antidepressants and anti-seizure medications. These work by calming the nerves so they don’t bombard your brain with pain signals.

QUTENZA also dulls pain signals, but doesn’t work systemically. Instead, it’s a topical prescription medication that we apply directly to your affected area. QUTENZA works on the nerves themselves to subdue the pain signals.

QUTENZA is derived from nature

QUTENZA’s active ingredient is capsaicin, 8%. Capsaicin is the component in chili peppers that causes them to be hot. 

Unlike many other pain medications, QUTENZA is nonaddictive. It also has no drug-to-drug interactions, so it’s safe to take even if you’re on other medications.

QUTENZA treatment is simple 

You receive your prescription-only QUTENZA treatment in the safety and privacy of our office. First, we examine your skin to be sure you don’t have any active lesions, abrasions, or cuts in the treatment area. We also check your blood pressure.

Next, we cleanse and apply antiseptic to your skin. We may also apply a topical anesthetic to dull any burning sensations or discomfort during your treatment. 

We then apply the QUTENZA patch to your skin. Over the course of about 60 minutes, the capsaicin travels through your skin to the damaged nerve fibers. The medication then dulls the sensations that your nerves send to your brain.

After your treatment is over, we remove the patch and thoroughly cleanse your skin to remove all traces of capsaicin. This is an important step because if you accidentally touch the treatment area, you could transfer the medication to your eyes or other sensitive areas.

QUTENZA relief lasts

You don’t have to take a daily pill with the QUTENZA system. Just one treatment provides up to three months of pain relief. You may start to feel a dramatic improvement in your pain during the first week after treatment. For the first few days after QUTENZA, you should avoid exposing the treatment area to heat, such as:

• Directly sunlight
• Vigorous exercise
• Hot baths, showers, or spas

On average, patients experience a 33% reduction in pain after eight weeks. After three months, your nerve fibers may regrow and require another QUTENZA treatment. 

Has shingles caused nerve damage? Contact Advanced Medical Care for a nerve pain evaluation and QUTENZA treatment plan today.