Postherpetic neuralgia is a possible complication of a condition called shingles (which is a reinfection with the virus that causes chickenpox). A person who develops this postherpetic neuralgia experiences pain in the area of the shingles rash for months, or even years, after the rash has healed. While there is no cure for postherpetic neuralgia, antiviral medicines, painkillers, antidepressants, and other medications may be able to reduce the duration and severity of this condition.