Dear Ashok, your mother could be suffering from some nerve inflammation that could have originated due to diabetes or the medication she had to take for the pain or due to nerve compression or injury somewhere. Please get her thoroughly assessed by a neurologist & a skin specialist to rule out anything severe as her age is critical. Some blood work, MRI, CT or nerve studies would likely be suggested.
I’m sorry to hear what your mom is going through, it sounds really tough. You’re asking about herpes zoster—it’s possible, given the burning skin pain description, but usually with zoster, you see a rash or blisters. So if her skin is clear, it maybe something else. Neuropathy especially in diabetes can also cause burning sensation, sometimes without any visible skin changes .
For herpes zoster, normally a healthcare provider would check visually for rash and might take a skin scrap if they’re not sure, but since she’s clear, it wouldn’t be the first guess. Neuropathic pain, however, often needs careful checking for any nerve issues or nerve compression, sometimes imaging like MRI is used again even after CT.
If you’re still concerned about a test and your docs didn’t already check her for zoster, ask about a viral culture or PCR test to be extra sure. But if it’s mostly at night and across the body, focusing on pain management and further understanding of nerve involvement seems key.
Ayurvedically, for neuropathic pain and sleep issues, considering her kapha dosha might be imbalanced (cause of weight gain too), the focus can be on balancing by proper diet. You might want to try using warm spices like ginger or turmeric in her meals—turmeric milk at night for instance could really soothe and help her sleep slightly better.
Also, Sarshapa Lepa might be beneficial—mustard seed paste applied locally can sometimes help ease pain. Check with your mom’s doc first, especially cause she’s on other meds.
Since sleep is hard, gently massage with warm sesame oil could provide some relief, possibly calming her senses before bed. But again, make sure it’s safe with current meds and any other health issues she has.
I definitely recommend keeping up with updates from her doctors—they might need to adjust or explore further treatments balancing her diabetes, pain, and everything else. Stay strong, and hang in there!
