Medical Cannabis for Shingles and Neuralgia

Shingles is a painful reactivation of the chickenpox virus that causes burning, stabbing pain in one band of the body. In some people, especially older ones, the pain does not go away after the skin lesions heal and turns into post-herpetic neuralgia - one of the most distressing kinds of neuropathic pain.

It is this chronic pain that can be an indication for considering medical cannabis.

Post-herpetic neuralgia results from nerve damage caused by the virus. Such neuropathic pain often responds poorly to classic painkillers, yet can respond to medicines that act on the nervous system.

Cannabinoids act on receptors involved in pain transmission, so for some patients with neuropathic pain medical cannabis brings relief when other options fail.

In the acute phase of shingles, antiviral medication started quickly by a doctor is essential - cannabis does not replace it. Its role is to ease pain, especially the chronic pain that remains after the infection.

We describe a similar pain mechanism in diabetic neuropathy.

A consultation makes sense when pain after shingles persists for weeks, disrupts sleep and does not ease despite treatment. The doctor will assess the indications and carefully select the dose and profile.

More on the rules in the guide dosing medical cannabis.

The first visit is in person - in Krakow, Bydgoszcz, Torun or Kielce. You book a slot online or at 731 000 645, and the qualifying visit costs 169 PLN.

If you are starting out, the article how to get a prescription will help.