Posted by Sheridan (Kingston, QLD) on 04/10/2009
"i had a bad experience with the cayenne pepper i only put in about a 1/4 and when i gargeld my eyes just caught on fire it was horrible my parents were asking what was wrong because it looked like i was crying
Posted by Jan (Melbourne, Australia) on 12/21/2008
Cayenne pepper did not cure my sore throat entirely, but it did lessen the pain significantly. However, I went overboard in my desperate attempts to cure my painful throat, pouring several tablespoonfuls of cayenne pepper in hot water instead of the recommended teaspoonful (that amount did not work for me), and ended up with a nasty cough when the pepper caught in my throat.
What had been a simple sore throat then turned into a sore throat (albeit much less painful) + severe dry cough the next three days. On the third day i coughed so badly that i vomitted my stomach and throat contents, and guess what? The cayenne pepper dislodged itself from my throat. Sweet relief, but the sore throat remained and got worse. I eventually gave up attempts at self-medicating and went to a doctor who prescribed a dose of antibiotics. The sore throat cleared up within two days.
Posted by Christopher Allen (Reno, NV) on 09/04/2008
I think it should be noted that when using Cayenne pepper as a remedy for sore throat that 1/4 tsp really means 1/4 tsp. When I attempted to use this remedy, I used a rather generous version of 1/4 tsp and WHOA did I get a nice little kick in the ribs on a small little sip.
Also, if you suffer from acid reflex, indigestion, heart burn, or any other stomach disorder or problem I would recommend caution since for me the remedy also caused that oh so burning feeling to bubble up in my tummy that wasn't very comfortable.
Other than that, the remedy didn't take away my sore throat fully, but it did kick it around enough to where my pain level is definitely tolerable. I definitely felt a difference immediately and I was completely skeptical of the method. Well done to all.
Posted by Callous (Anchorage, Ak) on 07/06/2008
It is a well known fact that peppers can alleviate pain and has been used widely around the world for operations and child birth. I see no reason that cayenne pepper would not block pain receptors for a sore throat. One should be careful because a percentage of people have an adverse reaction where the throat could start to swell and make breathing difficult.
Posted by Luis (New York, NY) on 07/23/2007
So I've been having a sore throat for the last 6 days. Today saw a doctor and she prescribed Zithromax 5 day treatment. We'll see. However, the pain I have in my throat is terrible and I can't swallow. 3 advils do not help. So I came here and found the Cayenne Pepper Water gargle thing. I went, took 1 teaspoon into 1/2 cup warmish water. the first few gargles went well. I'm used to spicy food so the tongue thing didn't worry me. But my throat pain is deeper than the gargle hits. So the last round I let some of the solution drop deeper into my throat. When it came into contact with whatever is irritated, my entire head caught fire. I had extraordinary pain from my throat through my ears and I was tearing and shaking uncontrollably, gripping my sink with both hands... I howled from the pain. it took a good 5 minutes and deep breathing to calm down. Basically, I maced myself it seems. This did nothing for the pain in my throat either, only, it showed me that the infection does in fact radiate to my ears. Now I will wait for the antibiotic to kick in I think. I'm still shaken up by it but I think I'll survive.
