L have pain from shingles for 18 months . please what can l do to get out of the pain or ease lt.?

Zap that zing: Shingles pain can linger, the nerves still zinging long after the infection has quieted. You can put Lidocaine or capsaicin [the chili pepper extract] on your skin. Other relief from pills: pain medications, tricyclic antidepressants and gabapentin. Intravenous Lidocaine or steroid injection into your spine may help. Please talk with your doctor about your options. Hope you feel better.

Polypharmacy!: Post herpetic neuralgia, the pain from the damaged nerves that were injured during the zoster (shingles) infection, is one of the hardest pains to deal with. Topical ointments are usually not well tolerated. Oral medications, especially the anti-seizure class, are useful but frequently more than one need to used at the same time to get results. Narcotics are helpful at times. Spinal cord stim ?

Chronic pain: Unfortunately after 18 months the condition is chronic. Treatment is predominantly medical: Gabapentin or pregabalin, tricyclic antidepressants, Lidoderm patch.