The painful, blistering skin rash known as shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox. Once you get chickenpox, the virus becomes dormant but remains in certain nerves. Medically called herpes zoster, shingles develops when the virus becomes active years later. Limited research indicates that adenosine monophosphate might be useful for this condition, but probably only in an injected form. Consult your doctor before attempting to use adenosine monophosphate as an alternative remedy for shingles.
Shingles
Shingles usually only occurs once, and it typically clears up in two to three weeks. It is very painful, however, and the virus in its active state is contagious, so other people can catch chickenpox from direct contact with an individual who has shingles. Shingles also can leave lasting effects, including continued pain. Chronic pain from a shingles attack is called post-herpetic neuralgia. The reason for the varicella-zoster virus becoming active again is unclear, according to PubMed Health. The occurrence is most common in elderly people and in persons with weakened immune systems. Shingles is usually treated with antiviral drugs along with pain relief medications and topical soothing agents.
Adenosine Monophosphate
The body creates adenosine monophosphate as a byproduct of cell metabolism. Medicinally, adenosine monophosphate is used as an emergency injection for one type of abnormal heart rhythm -- paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. Researchers became interested in adenosine monophosphate as a shingles treatment because of evidence that people with the infection may have low levels of this substance, according to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Research
A study published in the March 8, 1985, issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association" investigated the effects of injected adenosine monophosphate on people with shingles. The group receiving the injected medication experienced significantly better improvement than the group receiving a placebo. Adenosine monophosphate provided moderate pain relief effects and boosted skin healing. After four weeks, 88 percent of participants receiving adenosine injections and 43 percent of the placebo group were free of pain. All participants still experiencing pain received further adenosine treatment, and no recurrence of pain was reported in up to 18 months of follow-up.
Considerations
The website of Langone Medical Center at New York University cautions that more evidence is needed to support using adenosine monophosphate for treating shingles or preventing post-herpetic neuralgia. The website also warns people not to self-inject adenosine oral supplements in the hope of treating shingles. Although supplement manufacturers may promote taking adenosine supplements orally for shingles, research is lacking on oral adenosine for this condition. In addition, the body may not even be able to absorb oral adenosine supplements, according to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
References
- PubMed Health: Shingles
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center: Adenosine Monophosphate
- Drugs.com: Adenosine
- New York University Langone Medical Center: Shingles (Herpes Zoster)
- "Journal of the American Medical Association"; Herpes Zoster -- the Treatment and Prevention of Neuralgia with Adenosine Monophosphate; S.H. Sklar; March 8, 1985
