I got the shingles November '09 and after seeing my doctor (who gave me some meds) I googled shingles. During my research I found some things I could try and I found some that actually worked for me. Since shingles affects the nerve endings, I took supplements that would help - Vitamin B1 (the type that melts under the tongue), L-lysine and B-complex. These really helped me. But I did have a milder case as I had taken the vaccine 10 months before I contracted the shingles.