Can Benadryl gel be used on shingles?

Unless you have a contraindication to using an antihistamine, you can use one safely when you have a varicella / chicken pox.

One complication of this infection is pruritis or itching.

Antihistamines can reduce the body's histamine level and quiet the desire to scratch.

When a person does scratch, they increase their chance of infecting themselves - due to breaking the skin.

Therefore, using an agent to reduce itching is a good idea.

It was once considered good to use a topical product like calamine lotion, but lately that is not favorable due to the drying skin and scabs that can be formed using some anti-itch lotions.

There are other methods to reduce the itch caused by varicella, including cool baths that do not dry out the skin.

No, an antihistamine is a drug that causes the histamine reaction in mucus membranes to be suppressed. That reaction when not suppressed, causes inflammation and discharge of mucos, itchy nose and eyes. Chickenpox is generally seen as a disease of the skin and although it can affect the mucous membranes it does not cause a histamine reaction in those cells.