The list of treatments mentioned in various sources for Herpes zoster oticus includes the following list. Always seek professional medical advice about any treatment or change in treatment plans.
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Acyclovir has proved to be an effective treatment for genital herpes. I.V. administration may be required for patients who are hospitalized with severe genital herpes or for those who are immunocompromised and have a potentially life-threatening herpes infection. Oral acyclovir may be prescribed for the patient with a first-time infection or recurrent outbreak. Other agents include famciclovir, valacyclovir, and penciclovir; these drugs suppress symptoms but don’t cure the infection. Daily prophylaxis with acyclovir reduces the frequency of recurrences by at least 50%, but this is only appropriate for a patient with frequent outbreaks and may not decrease transmission rate of the disease.
Foscavir, a powerful antiviral agent, is the treatment of choice for herpes strains that are severe in nature or have become resistant to acyclovir and similar drugs. Administered I.V., foscavir can have several toxic effects, such as reversible impairment of kidney function or induction of sei-zures. As with other antiviral drugs, this drug doesn’t cure herpes.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Antiviral therapy is the mainstay of treatment. Acyclovir seems to stop the rash’s progression and prevent visceral complications. Capsaicin, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and low-dose amitriptyline are the current treatments of choice for postherpetic neuralgia. Topical antiviral ointment is helpful if started early in the disease process.
Herpes zoster can resolve spontaneously and may only require symptomatic treatment, the goal of which is to relieve itching and neuralgic pain with calamine lotion or another antipruritic; aspirin, possibly with codeine or another analgesic; and, occasionally, collodion or compound benzoin tincture applied to unbroken lesions.
If bacteria have infected ruptured vesicles, the treatment plan usually includes an appropriate systemic antibiotic.
Trigeminal zoster with corneal involvement calls for instillation of idoxuridine ointment or another antiviral agent. To help a patient cope with the intractable pain of postherpetic neuralgia, the physician may order systemic corticosteroids — such as cortisone or possibly corticotropin — to reduce inflammation (although their use is controversial). He also may prescribe tranquilizers, sedatives, or tricyclic antidepressants with phenothiazines. In some immunocompromised patients — both children and adults — acyclovir I.V. appears to prevent disseminated, life-threatening disease. High doses of interferon (an antiviral glycoprotein) have been used in patients with cancer when the herpetic lesions are limited to the dermatome.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
No specific treatment exists. The primary goal of supportive treatment is to relieve itching and neuralgic pain with calamine lotion or another antipruritic; aspirin, possibly with codeine or another analgesic; and, occasionally, collodion or compound benzoin tincture applied to unbroken lesions.
If bacteria have infected ruptured vesicles, treatment usually includes an appropriate systemic antibiotic.
Trigeminal zoster with corneal involvement necessitates instillation of idoxuridine ointment or another antiviral agent.
To help a patient cope with the intractable pain of postherpetic neuralgia, administer a systemic corticosteroid, such as cortisone or, possibly, corticotropin, to reduce inflammation as well as tranquilizers, sedatives, or tricyclic antidepressants with phenothiazines.
Acyclovir seems to stop progression of the rash and prevent visceral complications. In immunocompromised patients — both children and adults — acyclovir therapy may be administered I.V. The drug appears to prevent disseminated, life-threatening disease in some patients.
Clinical tip Acyclovir and famciclovir shorten the duration of pain and symptoms in normal adults.
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
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