Is there relief from the pain? 

Nowadays there are a number of medicines available for reducing the pain associated with PHN. These include medicines such as Amitriptyline (Elavil), which are used to treat depression as well as drugs such as Gabapentin (Neurontin), Carbamazipine (Tegretol) that are used for treatment of seizures. Some relief in pain can also be obtained with the application of the cream Zostrix. But this cream should be applied only after the blisters have healed. Some patients also find relief through acupuncture and transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS). Under this procedure low-level electric current is passed through the skin that causes tingling sensation and provides relief from pain. 

One medicine that is becoming very important in the treatment of PHN is Lidoderm (a form of Lidocaine). Lidoderm comes in a patch that is applied on the skin. The medicine penetrates the skin and heals the nerve cells damaged by the virus. The patch is long lasting and provides relief from this very painful ailment. When the pain becomes unbearable, especially in very old patients, doctors may even inject very strong painkillers or local anesthesia directly into the affected nerves. This is only used as a last resort when the patient is under extreme discomfort. Some doctors have also tried anesthesia injections into the spine to stop the pain. Along with Lidocaine, this injection contains a steroid that is found to reduce the pain significantly. However these treatments have not yet become mainstream and are only at an experimental stage.