Hey, check this link out:

Shingles .

It mentions that "Cimetidine, a common component of over-the-counter heartburn medication, has been shown to lessen the severity of herpes zoster outbreaks in several different instances" (Wikipedia, 2007).

I guess you could find some heartburn medication and try that--but I would not go haywire or hog wild with it, before I saw the GP--hopefully even though he may feel he cannot treat it, maybe he can give you some kind of medication?