I gave it the college try. I'll settle with the pain.

Forget about it.
I am not doing this zostrix (hot pepper cream) anymore.

It is insane. I'd rather have the pain.
I put it on for four treatments over a day and a half.
I took a shower before Shabbat.
O. M. G.
The shower felt pretty normal, except for a slight burning where I had put the cream. I expected that based on what was written in the package insert, and it was not too bad. But when I got **out** of the shower, it gradually got more and more on FIRE. Crazy BURNING sensation over the whole area I had been putting the cream. It got so bad that I finally put an ice pack on it, and then it gradually calmed down.

Then, if that wasn't bad enough, it seems I am having a side effect of throat irritation and coughing from it. I've been coughing all Shabbat, like bronchitis. I thought the cough was a left over from my flu, but then I realized it got worse when I did an application of the cream. I was coughing and coughing, and my throat burned.

Saturday night I got on the internet to see if this is a known side effect of Zostrix. I found it in abundance that for some people it can cause irritation to the mucus lining of the throat and cause coughing. Well, again, we see that I am in the category of some people.
This is one source (of many) I found:

Respiratory

Respiratory side effects have included cough and throat irritation, nasopharyngitis, bronchitis, and sinusitis.

While on the internet tonight looking at medicines, I realized one thing: that there are so many risks involved. I don't want to keep trying medicines. It turns my life upside down, and makes me focus only on the pain (because of the side effects of the meds). I don't want to try the Lyrica, or even the Art-50 that Dr. D suggested. He also suggested the possibilities of fentanyl patches (opiate), methadone, medicinal marijuana. All of these are addictive, and may or may not ease the pain.

This evening in my internet searches, I saw so many people on forums talking about their addiction (and attempts to get off of them) to prescription meds. It all starts with people wanting to ease their pain, stemming from myriad conditions and syndromes.

I think I will settle with the pain.

Or maybe try something non-pharmacological. There are options. For now I am too tired to chase down options. I may call Dr. D again and say this to him, but it is too overwhelming right now.

As I said, I'll deal with the pain, as I have been for a long time now.