DefinitionPostherpetic neuralgia is pain in the area where a shingles infection once occurred. The pain may last for months or years.Causes, incidence, and risk factorsPostherpetic neuralgia occurs when the nerves have been damaged after an outbreak of shingles. Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox.Postherpetic neuralgia is more likely to occur in people over age 60.SymptomsThe main symptom is pain in the area where shingles once occurred. The pain can range from mild to very severe. It lasts for months, sometimes years, after the original shingles infection.TreatmentAnticonvulsant drugs, usually used for seizures, may help with the pain of damaged nerves. Gabapentin and pregabalin are the ones most commonly used to treat postherpetic neur