DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Administration of Vitamin C in a Patient with Herpes Zoster - A case report -

  • Byun, Sung-Hye (School of Medicine Kyungpook National University) ;
  • Jeon, Young-Hoon (Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, School of Dentistry)
  • Received : 2011.02.09
  • Accepted : 2011.04.04
  • Published : 2011.06.01

Abstract

Herpes zoster as a result of reactivated varicella-zoster virus is characterized by vesicular eruptions on skin and painful neuralgia in the dermatome distribution. Pain during an acute phase of herpes zoster has been associated with a higher risk of developing postherpetic neuralgia. The current therapies for herpes zoster including analgesics and sympathetic nerve block as well as antiviral agents are important to alleviate pain and prevent postherpetic neuralgia. However, in some cases, the pain does not respond well to these treatments. We had a case in which a patient with herpes zoster did not respond to conventional therapy so we attempted to administer intravenous infusion of vitamin C which resulted in an immediate reduction in the pain.

Keywords

References

  1. Arvin A. Aging, immunity, and the varicella-zoster virus. N Engl J Med 2005; 352: 2266-7. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp058091
  2. Levin MJ, Gershon AA, Dworkin RH, Brisson M, Stanberry L. Prevention strategies for herpes zoster and post-herpetic neuralgia. J Clin Virol 2010; 48(Suppl 1): S14-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1386-6532(10)70004-4
  3. Wu CL, Marsh A, Dworkin RH. The role of sympathetic nerve blocks in herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia. Pain 2000; 87: 121-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3959(00)00230-X
  4. Finnerup NB, Sindrup SH, Jensen TS. The evidence for pharmacological treatment of neuropathic pain. Pain 2010; 150: 573-81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2010.06.019
  5. Chen JY, Chu CC, So EC, Hsing CH, Hu ML. Treatment of postherpetic neuralgia with intravenous administration of vitamin C. Anesth Analg 2006; 103: 1616-7.
  6. Chen JY, Chang CY, Feng PH, Chu CC, So EC, Hu ML. Plasma vitamin C is lower in postherpetic neuralgia patients and administration of vitamin C reduces spontaneous pain but not brush-evoked pain. Clin J Pain 2009; 25: 562-9. https://doi.org/10.1097/AJP.0b013e318193cf32
  7. Schencking M, Sandholzer H, Frese T. Intravenous administration of vitamin C in the treatment of herpetic neuralgia: two case reports. Med Sci Monit 2010; 16: CS58-61.
  8. Drolet M, Brisson M, Schmader KE, Levin MJ, Johnson R, Oxman MN, et al. The impact of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia on health-related quality of life: a prospective study. CMAJ 2010; 182: 1731-6. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.091711
  9. Dworkin RH, Portenoy RK. Pain and its persistence in herpes zoster. Pain 1996; 67: 241-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3959(96)03122-3
  10. Petersen KL, Rowbotham MC. Natural history of sensory function after herpes zoster. Pain 2010; 150: 83-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2010.04.005
  11. Dworkin RH, Corbin AE, Young JP Jr, Sharma U, LaMoreaux L, Bockbrader H, et al. Pregabalin for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Neurology 2003; 60: 1274-83. https://doi.org/10.1212/01.WNL.0000055433.55136.55
  12. Schorah CJ, Downing C, Piripitsi A, Gallivan L, Al-Hazaa AH, Sanderson MJ, et al. Total vitamin C, ascorbic acid, and dehydroascorbic acid concentrations in plasma of critically ill patients. Am J Clin Nutr 1996; 63: 760-5. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/63.5.760
  13. Besse JL, Gadeyne S, Galand-Desme S, Lerat JL, Moyen B. Effect of vitamin C on prevention of complex regional pain syndrome type I in foot and ankle surgery. Foot Ankle Surg 2009; 15: 179-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fas.2009.02.002
  14. Perez RS, Zollinger PE, Dijkstra PU, Thomassen-Hilgersom IL, Zuurmond WW, Rosenbrand KC, et al. Evidence based guidelines for complex regional pain syndrome type 1. BMC Neurol 2010; 10: 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2377-10-20
  15. Bruehl S. An update on the pathophysiology of complex regional pain syndrome. Anesthesiology 2010; 113: 713-25.
  16. Miclescu A, Gordh T. Nitric oxide and pain: 'Something old, something new'. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 2009; 53: 1107-20. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1399-6576.2009.02054.x
  17. Chung JM. The role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in persistent pain. Mol Interv 2004; 4: 248-50. https://doi.org/10.1124/mi.4.5.3
  18. Rice ME. Ascorbate regulation and its neuroprotective role in the brain. Trends Neurosci 2000; 23: 209-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0166-2236(99)01543-X
  19. Lonnrot K, Metsa-Ketela T, Molnar G, Ahonen JP, Latvala M, Peltola J, et al. The effect of ascorbate and ubiquinone supplementation on plasma and CSF total antioxidant capacity. Free Radic Biol Med 1996; 21: 211-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/0891-5849(95)02207-4

Cited by

  1. Nutritional Factors in Herpes Zoster, Postherpetic Neuralgia, and Zoster Vaccination vol.15, pp.6, 2012, https://doi.org/10.1089/pop.2012.1563
  2. Topical application of disodium isostearyl 2-O-L-ascorbyl phosphate, an amphiphilic ascorbic acid derivative, reduces neuropathic hyperalgesia in rats vol.166, pp.3, 2012, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2012.01835.x
  3. Vitamin C and Its Emerging Role in Pain Management: Beneficial Effects in Pain Conditions Besides Post Herpetic Neuralgia vol.25, pp.3, 2012, https://doi.org/10.3344/kjp.2012.25.3.200
  4. Survey on the Treatment of Postherpetic Neuralgia in Korea; Multicenter Study of 1,414 Patients vol.26, pp.1, 2013, https://doi.org/10.3344/kjp.2013.26.1.21
  5. Can Vitamin C Be Used as an Adjuvant for Managing Postoperative Pain? A Short Literature Review vol.26, pp.2, 2013, https://doi.org/10.3344/kjp.2013.26.2.209
  6. Medications in Treatment of Postherpetic Neuralgia vol.27, pp.1, 2014, https://doi.org/10.3344/kjp.2014.27.1.1
  7. A Study of Intravenous Administration of Vitamin C in the Treatment of Acute Herpetic Pain and Postherpetic Neuralgia vol.28, pp.6, 2016, https://doi.org/10.5021/ad.2016.28.6.677
  8. The role of vitamin C in the treatment of pain: new insights vol.15, pp.1, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-017-1179-7
  9. Looking back to move forward: a twenty-year audit of herpes zoster in Asia-Pacific vol.17, pp.1, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-017-2198-y
  10. Vitamin C and Infections vol.9, pp.4, 2017, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9040339
  11. Relief of Acute Herpetic Pain by Intravenous Vitamin C: The Dosage May Make a Difference: Authors' Reply vol.30, pp.2, 2018, https://doi.org/10.5021/ad.2018.30.2.263
  12. Vitamin C in the critically ill - indications and controversies vol.7, pp.5, 2018, https://doi.org/10.5492/wjccm.v7.i5.52
  13. Role of Vitamin C in Skin Diseases vol.9, pp.1664-042X, 2018, https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.00819
  14. An Insight and Update on the Analgesic Properties of Vitamin C vol.10, pp.3, 2011, https://doi.org/10.4103/jpbs.jpbs_12_18
  15. Repositioning Vitamin C as a Promising Option to Alleviate Complications associated with COVID-19 vol.52, pp.4, 2020, https://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2020.52.4.461
  16. Intravenous Administration of Vitamin C in the Treatment of Herpes Zoster-Associated Pain: Two Case Reports and Literature Review vol.2020, pp.None, 2011, https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8857287
  17. Can a metabolism-targeted therapeutic intervention successfully subjugate SARS-COV-2? A scientific rational vol.131, pp.None, 2011, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110694
  18. Role of high dose IV vitamin C and zinc in coronavirus vol.7, pp.1, 2011, https://doi.org/10.4081/gc.2021.9338
  19. A literature review on beneficial role of vitamins and trace elements: Evidence from published clinical studies vol.67, pp.None, 2011, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtemb.2021.126789