Written by Brenton Wight, Health Researcher
Updated 10th September 2020, Copyright © 1999-[y] Brenton Wight and Lean Machine
Written by Brenton Wight, LeanMachine – Health Researcher

In 1995, the Chicken Pox vaccine was approved, despite warnings from educated immunologists that this would cause an outbreak of shingles!
What happened?
There is now an epidemic of shingles as predicted.
Seniors are more likely to be affected if they have had the Chicken Pox vaccine, but the biggest increase is now seen in children and young adults after having the Chicken Pox vaccine.
And everyone is now at a higher risk of Shingles, even if they have not had the vaccine, because of the large number of people who had the vaccine can now give Shingles to everyone they contact.
Of course, the CDC has attempted to bury this data because if the public knew the truth, they would no longer trust the very organisation who was entrusted to protect them.
Read more www.leanmachine.com.au/chickenpox-varicella-vaccine-this-is-why-a-shingles-epidemic-is-bolting-straight-at-the-u-s

What is Shingles?

People in the 80+ age group are in the highest risk for Shingles. Risk is significant at 60+ and increases every year as we age. Risk doubles by the time we are 70, and increases again in the 80’s.
Although at one time rare to occur in children and teens, Shingles can happen in any age group, but is now occurring more in the young.
Up to 30% of the population can expect an attack at some time in their life, but the risk can be substantially reduced to near zero by using these guidelines.
Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster (Chickenpox) virus, which is similar, but not quite the same as the herpes virus that causes cold sores and genital herpes, although the natural treatments listed here such as L-Lysine are effective against all of these as well as some other viral conditions.
People who had Chickenpox as a child are more likely to get Shingles.
The virus can lay dormant in the body for decades, usually sitting in the spinal cord or other nerves, appearing as Shingles often in the 60 to 90 age group after being triggered by a compromised immune system.
Typical triggers are stress, illness, a poor diet, lack of vitamin D3, antibiotic treatments.
The first sign is nerve pain such as burning or tingling sensations along affected nerves. Two to three days later, the virus reaches the skin, and red bumps or blisters develop above the affected nerves. More cases happen in Summer, so heat appears to be a contributing factor.

Symptoms

Nerve tingling or sensitivity is usually the first symptom, followed by painful red blisters along the nerve lines. Often an attack can be felt coming on by neuralgia around the scalp and/or along nerve lines.
Pain can be burning or stabbing, increasing as the condition progresses.
Blister patches can occur anywhere, but most often on the neck or upper trunk, usually only on one side of the torso, or face, arm, or leg. Often flu-like symptoms, chills, or headache accompany the condition.
The pain ranges from very annoying in mild cases, to unbearable in severe cases.
Pain is often reduced when atmospheric pressure is high, and worse when atmospheric pressure is low.

Is Shingles Contagious?

Yes, it can be transmitted by contact to others, even babies and newborns. It is much more likely to be transmitted to others who have never had Chickenpox or never had a vaccination. Regular washing of hands, sheets, pillow cases, towels, and disposal of dressings is essential.
While the risk is not as high as some other diseases, the results can be serious in some cases, so care is always required.

Prognosis

Some people recover well without any treatment in 3 weeks, others suffer for many months or even years. In very severe cases, damage to eyes or brain may develop, causing blindness or hearing loss, but this is very rare. Bell’s Palsy is another possible complication, where one side of the face can become paralyzed.
Usually the younger a patient, the faster the recovery and the milder the symptoms.
Recurrence is rare, but I would suggest permanent use of Lysine as a preventive measure, as this can be a very painful condition.

PHN or postherpetic neuralgia

This is the severe nerve pain associated with Shingles, coming on after the blisters have formed and when the disease is well established. It is much more severe than the original nerve pain when it starts. Pain may be burning, throbbing, or stabbing and can continue long after the blisters have healed.

Shingles Diet

The ratio between Lysine and Arginine is important. We need to increase Lysine and decrease Arginine to treat Shingles.
Arginine is another Amino acid.
Foods containing Lysine include meat, fish, yogurt, milk, eggs, cheese, apples, pears, avocados, apricots, pineapples, green beans, asparagus.
Avoid foods containing Arginine such as tomatoes, wheat germ, brussels sprouts, cashews, peanuts, blackberries, blueberries, grapes, pumpkin seeds, chocolate, sugar, anchovies, tuna, pine nuts and oats.
Just a handful of peanuts for example, contain enough Arginine to cause aggravation of Shingles.
Many weight-loss and body-building products contain arginine, so always check the ingredients.
Of course, many of these Arginine-containing foods are very good for our nutrition, and Arginine has some very beneficial properties, so this diet is only for those with Shingles.
When the Shingles symptoms are gone, we can safely return to a normal diet, as many of the foods listed containing arginine are very good for overall health.
However, I suggest that Lysine supplements be continued for several months, or longer if attacks reoccur.

Supplements

Two supplements are vital for prevention and recovery, and work well for both Shingles and Chicken pox.

Number one: L-Lysine, an essential amino acid.
L-Lysine (called simply Lysine hereafter) is essential because it must come from the diet or supplements, as the body cannot manufacture it from other components.
Take 1/4 teaspoon dissolved in a glass of water every day as a preventive measure. This product gives over 2 years supply.
To treat Shingles, increase the dose to 1 teaspoon a day until symptoms disappear, then go back to 1/4 teaspoon forever to help prevent a recurrence.
To treat the blisters topically, use Lysine Ointment to apply direct to the affected areas.

Number Two: Vitamin C, very important to build the immune system and reduce nerve pain.
This Vitamin C is pure pharmaceutical grade Ascorbic Acid powder, 453 gram tub. Avoid cheap vitamins made from Sodium Ascorbate which is not the same thing.
Preventive dose is 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 grams) daily.
This can be increased to around 1.5 teaspoons for Shingles treatment, but more may cause loose stools.
See also the IV treatment below.

Other important supplements are:

• Vitamin D3 to help build the immune system, also to strengthen bones and reduce risk of cancer and other diseases. This is a high dose of 10,000 IU so as a maintenance dose 1 to 3 times a week is fine, but to treat any disease, use daily for 2 to 4 weeks, taken with a meal containing some healthy fat
• Zinc will also help the immune system
• Active B12 helps prevent replication of the virus

Note that as we age, we tend to have less Vitamin B-12, Vitamin D3 and Zinc, which is obviously a contributing factor for higher risk of Shingles in seniors.

Herbal Supplements

Herbal supplements can help many conditions, but unfortunately, there are few herbal supplements that have any significant effect on Shingles treatment, but herbs such as
Astragalus can help build the immune system and may help reduce risk of Shingles developing.

Standard Medical Treatment

The Shingles vaccine – Zostavax – Sould I get the jab?

When we start getting old, doctors tell us to get vaccinations for the Flu every year, the Pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine, the Tetanus vaccine every 10 years, and now the Shingles vaccine.
Should we get them all? LeanMachine says no, but this is an individual choice for everyone.
Doctors can give a Shingles vaccine – Zostavax – for prevention, and works for 5 out of 10 people (so the drug manufacturers say), although 3 of every 1000 will get Shingles directly from the vaccination.
In Australia, this is free for the elderly, but will do nothing for an existing condition.
In the USA, the FDA recommends those over 50 get the jab, but the CDC (Centre for Disease Control) says only those over 60.
They all say that we need the jab, whether we have ever had Shingles or not, but this contradicts their own advice that a repeat occurrence is rare.
Zostavax is a live vaccine given in the upper arm as a single injection, and is said to last around five years.
Zostavax, made my Merck, is the same as the Chickenpox vaccine that is given to children, only fourteen times as strong!
Manufacturers claim that the vaccine may reduce the severity and duration of Shingles, but this is what they always say about the flu vaccine. We now know that a glass of water with lemon juice in the morning will also reduce the risk and the severity of the flu, equal to the vaccination in effectiveness. Add some Vitamin D3 and a few other supplements in my upcoming Immunity article, and say bye-bye to the flu.
The worst thing about the Chickenpox vaccination many of us had as children, is that it can cause Shingles, and the Shingles we get from the Chickenpox vaccination is actually far worse than Shingles from a previous Chickenpox infection.

Some side effects of the vaccination

• Redness, pain, swelling, itching at the injected site
• A rash similar to Chickenpox
• Headaches
• 3 in 1000 will get Shingles directly from the vaccination
• The Shingles vaccine is only 50% effective at first, dropping to zero effectiveness after 5 years

The vaccine is NOT recommended if:

• You are allergic to gelatin
• You are allergic to the antibiotic Neomycin
• You have a weakened immune system
• You have HIV/AIDS or any other immuno-supressive disease
• You are on steroids, Adalimumab (Humira), Infliximab (Remicade), Etanercept (Enbrel)
• You are on any other immune system suppressing drugs
• You have received any transplants
• You are receiving radiation or chemotherapy
• You have a cancer such as Leukemia or Myeloma that affects the bone marrow
• You have a cancer such as Lymphoma which affects the lymphatic system
• You are pregnant or at risk of becoming pregnant

The Shingles Prevention Study

This trial of 39,000 people showed that around HALF the time, the vaccine did NOT protect people against Shingles, a 50% success rate. LeanMachine calls this a 50% failure rate.
That is in the first year.
Successive years had an even higher failure rate, and by year five, failure rate was 100% meaning the vaccine was completely ineffective.
This trial was also carried out by Merck, a drug company with a vested interest in the outcome. When such trials are conducted, results can be misleading. For example, many people drop out of a study, often due to unpleasant or even intolerable side-effects, but all drop-outs are excluded from the results because they did not complete the study. Some people died, and this may have been from cancer, heart attacks or other disease, but who is to know if the vaccine accelerated or delayed their death? No one will ever know as their results are never included because again, they could not complete the study. Many of the results are also distorted because of vaguely-worded questionnaires about side-effects which can be interpreted in different ways. Many drug companies, including Merck, have been taken to court and sued because of deliberate “doctoring” of study results.
However, the study, if we can believe it, showed that the vaccination helped reduce severity of Postherpetic neuralgia, which otherwise in 10% to 15% of patients, continues for some time after the rash disappears, sometimes months, even years. The benefit of vaccination for Postherpetic neuralgia is apparently a 66% or two-thirds success rate in helping to relieve painful symptoms and shortening recovery time. Still not an outstanding success rate (a one-third failure rate), helping tho thirds of about 1 in 8 people who are affected (8%), but for those who have a fear or intolerance of pain, they may consider the jab to be worth the risk, but for those with Shingles already, the vaccination has zero effect on nerve pain. We all know that Vitamin B group helps protect nerves, so this should be added to the Shingles prevention list. No studies have been carried out on Shingles nerve pain with vitamins, but this seems logical to me.

The LeanMachine Study

This is a two-person study (myself plus Mrs LeanMachine) from from early 2010 to 2020, ten years.
Sure, two people is not a significant study as far as the scientific community is concerned.
But for LeanMachine, the improvement in health, the weight loss, the lower blood pressure and triglycerides, the almost elimination of allergies, the extra strength, fitness, energy, and lack of all disease proves to me that no vaccinations are required for anything. Neither of us has had a cold, flu or any other sickness ever since the diet, supplements and lifestyle were all improved at age 63.
Now as I edit this article at age 73, I have still not had even a headache or an upset stomach, so I do not believe I will ever get Shingles, Flu, Tetanus, Pneumonia or anything else.
Check back here in another 27 years to see how I am going!

Alternatives to the Vaccination

As a preventive measure, L-Lysine may be at least just as effective, and possibly much more effective, without any side-effects. After all, Lysine is a natural food and an essential Amino acid which we all need for good health.
Lysine, when combined with Proline, another Amino acid, has been shown to destroy Pancreatic cancer cells, and may well offer some protection against other cancers, and also helps build strong bones.

Intravenous Vitamin C

The amount of Vitamin C that can be taken orally is limited. Most people can take up to around 9000mg (9 grams, or around 4 teaspoons) but higher doses may cause stomach upset. The doctor can organise a much higher dose of Vitamin C using IV (Intra-Venous) drip, typically 50,000mg (50 grams) or more.
The doctor can also prescribe an anti-viral medication such as Acyclovir or Valacyclovir, often (but not always) effective to reduce the time to recover from Shingles, generally more effective in the early stages (first 3 days).
The doctor can also inject a nerve-block anesthetic into the affected nerve to reduce pain, but this wears off after 10 days or so, and does not always work.

What the doctor should NOT do

• Prescribe painkillers, especially opiates. Painkillers have shown little or no effect for Shingles
• Prescribe Paracetamol (Acetaminophen or Tylenol in the USA), which destroys glutathione, the “master antioxidant” of the body, impacts liver function and reduces fever. Fever is the body’s mechanism for fighting viruses, so why reduce it?
• Prescribe anti-depressants. Patients may feel depressed because of pain, but anti-depressant drugs can clobber the immune system, aggravating Shingles
• Prescribe anti-seizure medication. Can also clobber the immune system, aggravating Shingles
• Prescribe statin medication, again clobbering the immune system – see below
• Prescribe antibiotics, which knock out good gut bacteria, our first line of defense for the immune system

If the patient is currently on statin medication (Lipitor, Crestor, Zocor, Simvastatin, etc), they are invariably low on vitamin D3 and Co-Enzyme Q10 and after kicking the doc in the backside, (metaphorically speaking), quit the statins and get some Vitamin D3 and some Co-Enzyme Q10.

Other things to relieve symptoms

• Take a bath in cool water
• Use a towel soaked in cool water as a compress to affected areas, but do NOT use ice packs
• A bath in cool to lukewarm water treated with starch or colloidal oatmeal may help relieve symptoms
• A cloth soaked with apple cider vinegar applied to the affected areas can help reduce pain and itching
• A teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar daily can help rebuild the gut bacteria and immune system
• Calamine lotion on affected areas may help relieve symptoms
• Capsaicin cream (or Red Cayenne Pepper) may help reduce pain when applied to affected areas (keep away from eyes!) but best applied before the blisters open
• Mix a paste of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda and apply to affected areas and surrounds to help stop spreading. Works best if caught in early stages
• Peppermint oil applied to the blisters may help
• A paste made from Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate) and water may help heal blisters
• Drinking Celery Juice daily may help
• Spinal manipulation, Reiki, Meditation, and acupuncture may help in some cases
• Try spraying Colloidal Silver on affected areas. Science says there is no evidence it works, but anecdotal evidence claims it does work
• To prevent spread or recurrence of infection, wash towels and sheets in the hottest water possible, or at least leave to dry in direct sunlight
• Wash hands immediately in hot water after touching any affected areas, even more important if there are open blisters

Disclaimer

LeanMachine is not a doctor, and everyone should consult with their own health professional before taking any product to ensure there is no conflict with existing prescription medication.
LeanMachine has been researching nutrition and health since 2010 and has completed many relevant studies.