Our friendly team is available to help Monday to Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm.
If you need urgent assistance, do not use this service. Call 111, or in an emergency call 999.
0 items in your cart
Shingles (herpes zoster) is a painful, blistering rash caused by the same virus responsible for chickenpox. Starting antiviral treatment quickly can reduce how severe and how long symptoms last, and lowers the risk of lasting nerve pain. Complete a short online consultation and one of our UK-registered prescribers will assess whether antiviral treatment is suitable for you.
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, develops when the varicella-zoster virus reactivates in the body. This is the same virus that causes chickenpox: once a chickenpox infection clears, the virus does not fully leave the body. Instead, it lies dormant in nerve tissue, sometimes for decades, and can reactivate later in life when the immune system is weakened by age, illness, stress, or certain medications.
Shingles typically causes a painful, blistering rash that appears in a band on one side of the body, following the path of a single nerve. Many people notice tingling, burning, or shooting pain in the area a few days before the rash appears, and some also experience flu-like symptoms such as fatigue, headache, or a mild fever. Shingles is most common in adults aged 50 and over, and in anyone with a weakened immune system, though it can affect adults of any age who have previously had chickenpox.
Most cases of shingles can be safely assessed through an online consultation. However, some presentations need urgent in-person care rather than an online prescription. Contact A&E, call 111, or book an urgent GP appointment if any of the following apply to you:
If a prescriber assesses antiviral treatment as suitable for you, they may recommend one of the following options. Both are established antivirals used to treat shingles, and dosing for shingles is higher than the dose used for cold sores or genital herpes.
For shingles, aciclovir is prescribed at a higher dose than for cold sores or genital herpes: 800mg, taken five times a day, for 7 to 10 days.
View AciclovirValaciclovir is a prodrug of aciclovir that the body absorbs more efficiently, meaning it can be taken less often. For shingles, the typical dose is 1g, taken three times a day, for 7 days.
View ValtrexPer NICE guidance, certain groups are more likely to benefit from antiviral treatment for shingles. Presenting within 72 hours of the rash appearing matters most, but treatment may still be considered slightly later if new blisters are still forming.
The risk of complications, including long-lasting nerve pain, increases with age.
A weakened immune system increases the risk of shingles becoming more severe or widespread.
This includes shingles affecting the neck, limbs, or groin, where complications can be more likely.
More severe presentations are more likely to benefit from antiviral treatment.
Alongside antiviral treatment, standard pain relief such as paracetamol, or an NSAID if suitable for you, can help manage discomfort. Some people continue to experience nerve pain in the affected area after the rash has healed, known as post-herpetic neuralgia. If this happens, it may need specialist pain management support beyond what an online prescription can offer, and we'd recommend discussing this with your GP.
While you're recovering, keep the rash clean, dry, and loosely covered. You can't catch shingles from someone else if you've already had chickenpox or been vaccinated against it, but the fluid inside the blisters can trigger chickenpox in someone who hasn't had it. Until your rash has fully crusted over, it's best to avoid close contact with pregnant women, newborn babies, and anyone who is immunocompromised and hasn't had chickenpox.
Find clear answers to common questions about shingles, how it's treated, and when to seek urgent care.
Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus reactivating in the body — the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a chickenpox infection, the virus stays dormant in nerve tissue and can reactivate later in life, often when the immune system is weakened by age, illness, stress, or certain medications.
Most cases of shingles last around 2 to 4 weeks. The rash typically blisters, then dries out and crusts over before healing. Starting antiviral treatment within 72 hours of the rash appearing can help shorten how long symptoms last and reduce their severity. Some people continue to have nerve pain after the rash has cleared, known as post-herpetic neuralgia.
You can't catch shingles itself from someone else if you've already had chickenpox or been vaccinated against it. However, the fluid inside the blisters contains the live virus and can cause chickenpox in someone who hasn't had it before. It's best to avoid close contact with pregnant women, newborn babies, and anyone who is immunocompromised and hasn't had chickenpox, until your rash has fully crusted over.
Yes, although it isn't common. Most people only have shingles once, but it is possible to have it again, particularly if your immune system is weakened. If you notice symptoms returning, a prescriber can assess whether antiviral treatment is appropriate for you.
Both conditions are caused by the varicella-zoster virus. Chickenpox is usually the first infection, causing a widespread, itchy rash, most often in childhood. Shingles happens when the same virus reactivates later in life, causing a painful, blistering rash that's usually limited to a band on one side of the body, following the path of a single nerve.
You should seek urgent in-person care rather than online treatment if the rash is on or near your eye, if you have facial weakness or ear symptoms alongside a facial rash, if you have a widespread rash and are significantly immunocompromised, or if you notice signs of a secondary infection such as spreading redness, warmth, pus, or fever. In these situations, contact A&E, call 111, or book an urgent GP appointment.
Start a short online consultation and our clinical team will assess whether antiviral treatment is suitable for you.
