he needs to see his doctor asap to get prescription meds that will help it..I had this a few years ago (miserable)....I would recommend the "anti Shingles" vaccine that is now avaiable...anyone who has ever had chickenpox is highly likely to get shingles someday, if they havent already...it takes your doctors prescription to get the "shingles shot" and you have to do it at the drugstore ... right now, its on back order, but there should be some available again in a couple of months (so the pharmacist told me)..you can take your prescription in to the druggist and he will put it on order for you.