The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
515 User Reviews
Posted by William (Bound Brook, NJ) on 01/09/2009
★★★★★
Gargling with Cayenne pepper did wonders for my sore throat! I gargled for 30 seconds with a glass of 1/8 tsp. pepper mixed in 8 oz. of warm water. I repeated for another gargle. The following morning I felt great. I wonder if this could cure other viral diseases.
Cayenne
Posted by Jennifer (Virginia Beach, VA) on 01/08/2009
★★★★★
I get regular sore throats in cold and allergy season. I never had my tonsils removed and I can feel sore throats coming on. I went online tonight and tried looking up natural sore throat remedies. I had heard of the apple cider vinegar method before, which seems pretty popular too, but I hadn't heard of the cayenne pepper method. Within just the first gargle (about 1/4t pepper to about 1/2 cup hot water) I felt relief. It wasn't gone completely because I had just started doing it but I could at least swallow without having to brace myself. The comment below about the terrible pain and such scared me at first but it's really not bad, especially when you feel the relief. It's like eating spicy salsa, your lips are a little 'warm' afterwards, but it's not worse than a spicy meal! If you're in pain, it's worth a try!!
Replied by Brad
(London, Ontario, Canada)
01/06/2009
★★★★★
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Posted by Kathleen (Stone Mountain, GA) on 12/27/2008
★★★★★
Oh my goodness! I am so happy to report that the cayenne pepper remedy worked! I had a sore throat for like 2 weeks. I tried all kinds of OC remedies. I was in the hospital for an unrelated ailment and they gave me some throat spray. (Yeah right! My throat laughed at that stuff) So I aint gonna lie, I was skeptical about the cayenne pepper and water thing. But I did it for about 6 hours (12 ounces of water and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne) I had to swallow a few drops each time cuz I couldn't reach the soreness with just gargling. It burned like crazy! But it was worth it! The next day I woke up and my throat felt like 90% better! So I did it some more that day and the next thing I know I was feeling NO pain in my throat! Thanks so much for this information!
Cayenne
Posted by Jen (Orlando, FL) on 12/21/2008
★★★★★
You have GOT to be kidding me. I've had one of the worst sore throats of my life for the past few days. I had been trying to take over the counter cold medicine, but nothing worked at all. Then tonight when I tried to go to sleep, my throat was throbbing so bad that I could feel the pain in both ears - I didn't think I could stand it anymore, so I got out of bed to Google some late night urgent care clinics in my area. Since it was a Sunday night, everything had closed early...the only option left was the Emergency Room, which seemed a little drastic, even though I did consider it since my pain was so bad.
I stumbled across this site when I searched for 'sore throat remedy' - I've never tried any home remedies for anything before. I started reading through the testimonials on this cayenne pepper trick and I decided to give it a try. I figured it wouldn't make me feel any worse, so why not. And my husband was in bed already, so he wouldn't be there to make fun of me throwing random spices around in the kitchen at midnight.
I'm not a huge fan of most teas, and I couldn't stand the thought of just mixing cayenne pepper with water, so I decided to use canned soup, and then add the cayenne pepper as a seasoning. I'm not even done with the soup right now and I feel GREAT! Better than I have in the past few days. Granted, I still have a cold, so I still have the runny nose (even though the spicy flavor helped clean that out a bit too!), a tiny bit of a sore throat and a little bit of a cough...but WOW...this is amazing.
I used:
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 can of canned soup (I actually had a 'mexican style' soup flavor at the house, which worked well with the seasoning... but it will probably work with anything!)
I also kept a small glass of pulp-free orange juice nearby, since other posters said they needed to use it to cool off the heat at times - I definitely did!
This is amazing - if you have a sore throat...DO THIS! I wish I would have known about this years ago! I realize it may not work for everyone, but I'm glad I'm one of the people it works for.
Cayenne
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.
Replied by Sheridan
(Kingston, QLD)
04/10/2009
Cayenne
Posted by Alice (Raleigh, North Carolina USA) on 12/19/2008
★★★★★
Thank you so very much for this site. I am plagued by sinus issues and each time the seasons change, I get sick. It always starts off with a sore throat due to the post nasal drip in the back of my throat. But this time after years and years of dealing with this and taking medications upon medications, I decided to try a remedy for sore throat. Saw this website and tried the pepper. It works!! Yes, there is some discomfort from the pepper. Put vaseline on your lips before you start. Just stick with it and take it consistently for about 24 to 48 hours. Repeating every 4 hours or so. Also it is better if you start taking the mixture at the FIRST sign of a sore throat. I also rinse with Neil Med Nasal Sinus Rinse after gargling with cayenne pepper solution. It works people, it simply works!! What have you got to lose...a sore throat?
Cayenne
Posted by Ivanna (Springfield Gardens, USA) on 12/17/2008
★★★★★
I was realy freaking out because a week before I was to sing at my talent show I got a sore throat. The show is tomorrow and my throat has gotten so bad that it is hard to talk let alone sing. I tried the first thing I saw and I instanly felt better. My dad even said he could here my voice from outside (in a good way). I hope this keeps us because I have some high notes to sing.
Cayenne
Posted by Marty (Chicago, IL) on 12/14/2008
Alright, I'm sick of feeling terrible these past few nights with a very sore throat, and am trying the cayenne gargle. I love spicy food, so there's that; but after a few gargles with the recommended amounts, I can't say I feel a difference yet - definitely not an instant one, anyway. I'll keep at it, as it's definitely cheaper than antibiotics (I got strep regularly as a kid, years and years and years ago). Wish me luck!
marty
fyi... 1/8 tsp cayenne into 2/3 cup of hot water is my first attempt on this...
Cayenne
Posted by Marx (SG, Singapore) on 12/13/2008
★★★★★
Saying HI from Singapore! YES! Gargled for few times using MAX limit i can withstand the spiciness b4 bed. Cayenne Pepper really cured MOST of my throat the nex following day!
Cayenne
Posted by Robert (New York, NY) on 12/12/2008
★★★★★
The worst sore throat I can remember in my life. White spots on the tonsils, the ears starting to have pressure. A mess in other words. I couldn't sleep, so ended up hunting for remedies and found this site at 2:30AM in the morning. A quick trip to the kitchen, find the Cayenne powder and after 10 minutes of gargling, 5 minutes apart, blessed relief. I was asleep 45 minutes later. Thanks very much.
Cayenne
Posted by Mike (langley, B.C. CANADA) on 12/06/2008
★★★★★
Cayenne for Sore throat. Gargled with it and put some in my Clamato juice and drank it. Sore throat was almost completly go in a few minutes. Awesome. Thanks.
Cayenne
Posted by Erin (Dallas, TX) on 12/05/2008
There is no way that cayenne pepper is good for a sore throat. The pepper just destroys your nerve endings, leaving you with a numb sensation. If you are looking for numbness, use sore throat spray. That's gentler on the sores and doesn't trick you into thinking that you are cured. I would suggest going to the doctor to see if you need antibiotics and drinkiing lots of warm tea with honey. Also, taking certain vitamins like B12 can help your body build up a strong immune system to fight sore throats and other sicknesses. Sometimes there is no magic instant cure, only medicine, good habits, and time.
Replied by Mommy
(Boise, ID)
05/14/2009
Replied by Dan
(Huntington Beach, Ca)
04/26/2010
Cayenne
Posted by Jeff (Pittsburgh, PA) on 12/01/2008
★★★★★
I was on day 4 of the worst sore throat that I had ever experienced. I am sure it was strep throat but never went to a doctor. After researching this site I finally developed a remedy: 1 cup hot water, 3 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar, 3 tablespoons Honey and enough Cayenne Pepper to cover the entire top layer of water (5-6 sprinkles). Then I gargled then swallowed about 4 full mouth full every 30 minutes to an hour over a 6 hour period. I went from severe pain (9 of 10) to slight pain (2 of 10) within 4 hours. I also sprinkled the Cayenne Pepper on dinner, The next morning the sore throat was completely gone. Side note: On day 3 of my sore throat I tried gargling and swallowing ACV and hot water for a 7 hour period, this only gave me temporary relief but the sore throat was back in full swing the next day.
Cayenne
Posted by Celena (Albuquerque, NM) on 11/29/2008
★★★★★
I found mixing cayenne pepper with Odwalla Superfood works well to ease the pain of a sore throat. i used 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 6-8 ounces of superfood The superfood helps with the burn and also has iodine and immune boosting vitamins.
Cayenne
Posted by Robert (Tequesta, Fl, USA) on 11/21/2008
★☆☆☆☆
Cayenne for sore throat. Nay: Coupled with the fact that it's a form of torture, it didn't seem to help at all. The salt water with ACV is at least bearable tho I don't know if it works yet.
