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 Gerry (Seattle) on 10/23/2006
★★★★★
Cayenne pepper cured a sore throat that had expanded and totally shut down all breathing including through the nose and mouth. I take 1/2 tsp of 90k heat units of cayenne daily in my protein drink along with several fruits and herbs etc. This past Friday night my throat became very sore and I could not swallow. The throat swelled and totally closed off. Breathing through the nostrils ceased as well. I put my fingers down my throat to give a convulsive reaction and try to get some air. My wife was going to call 911 and I waved her off. Finally after several tries to throw up I was able to get a little air. I had my wife drive to the store for some expectorants/lozenges etc. (the usual things we try)
I jumped on the net and found your site about the cayenne and gargle. I could not gargle so put 1/2 tsp of cayenne in warm water and sipped it down. The breathing started to come back almost instantly. After 3 cups of 1.2 tsp each my breathing was back to normal and I was able to sleep for 5 hours without any discomfort. When I woke up my throat was still a little sore so I drank a cup of "brew" 5 times during the day. The breathing was fine and the sore throat was gone but I still had some "cold" symptoms. After two days I feel great. Being able to take a deep unrestricted breath has never felt so good.
I noticed on your responses I was reading some people say they "sprinkle" some on and it doesn't work. Others are afraid to swallow some for fear it will hurt them.
Cayenne is one of the best herbs we have and has many uses. I would not use less than 1/2 tsp in a cup of water either warm or cold it still works. Cayenne will heal internal bleeding and ulcers. It helps the heart and helps clear the arteries. Next time you have a cut and are bleeding take cayenne and "sprinkle" it liberally over the cut and watch it stop bleeding almost instantaneously. A great drink for hiking or driving long distances is about 20 ounces of fresh grape juice that you make in the blender and 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of cayenne. It takes a short while to get used to it BUT you will not fall asleep at the wheel and it is great for extra energy on a hike. We have used it for years.
I am glad I found your site and kick myself I did not think to put cayenne in water and drink it myself when I was in total oxygen deprivation. A little trick to cut down on the really "hot" feel when swallowing cayenne. Take a couple of swallows of cayenne then immediately close your mouth and do not breathe either through your nose or mouth. Wait about 10 seconds and drink a couple of swallows of water etc. Also the "cayenne heat" slows down with each swallow until after awhile you barely notice it. Please notice that the store bought cayenne in the bottles is normally 5k heat units and some from health food stores is 40k heat units and some will be 90k heat units. You can also special order it up to over 200k heat units. If you are using 5k heat units it will take a little more to get the desired results. As for swallowing cayenne it is good stuff for your system and has vitamin "C" to boot.
Cayenne
Posted by Lisa (Sault Ste. Marie, Canada) on 10/17/2006
★★★★★
My sore throat has been getting worse over 3 days time. I was at my witts end 10 minutes ago. I came to this web site because I was desparate for some relief. I tried GSE, tea, echinacea, lozenges, medication and just about everything I could get my hands on without seeing a doctor. I just finished gargling with the cayenne-water solution and my sore throat is GONE!!! It does burn a wee bit but the results are absolutely AMAZING!! I just know i will have to keep gargling the solution but it sure does beat a 6 hour wait time at the emergency department eh? THANK YOU!
Cayenne
Posted by Debbie (England) on 10/10/2006
★★★★★
i tried the thyme in warm water first, but my throat was so bad it did not touch it... so went on your site and found the cayenne pepper one, which i always have in. At first it didn't feel any different then after about four minutes my throat felt much better. i will carry on until its gone . thank you earth clinic. also about your acid reflux survey, my husband has severe acid refux to the point that should he collapse (as he has done)he cannot be put in the recovery position as the acid comes up and chokes him . he took ibuprofen for four years for pain following a motorbike accident and docs think that it what caused the acid reflux.
Cayenne
Posted by Sherri (Millstone, KY) on 10/10/2006
★★★★★
I have this severe sore throat at this time of year - every year - due to seasonal allergies to the Goldenrod, etc. Last year I suffered more than a week with a bad sore throat and had to have antibiotics to get rid of it. I got a bad sore throat starting Friday night the 6th. It kept me feeling awful all weekend. By Monday night I was so tired of being ill that I looked for a home remedy on the internet and came across this site. I found a treatment that I had right in my spice cabinet. So, I mixed 1/2 tsp of red cayenne pepper in 6 oz of warm water and gargled several times (each time) on Monday night, once Tuesday morning and once Tuesday afternoon. My sore throat, which I had all weekend, was gone after only 3 treatments!!! I'm sitting here writing this pain free!! That's some mean stuff, but truly Amazing! Now I'm trying the ACV and water for sinus congestion and infection. Thanks sooo much for the info!
Cayenne
Posted by Jake (Palm Desert) on 10/06/2006
★☆☆☆☆
I wanted desperately for this cure to work but unfortunately it didn't. I tried gargling every 15 minutes and drinking it but my throat remained sore. I have tried for three days now. I did however discover how great it is in tea. I added it to my peppermint and honey tea (for those of you not familiar with cayenne pepper, there is a warning on the side stating that the longer it is cooked (and that is what is happening in the tea) the hotter it gets. So make sure just to use a sprinkle or two) With the number of people it has worked for I would give it a try though. Good luck.
Cayenne
Posted by Angie (Oxford, AL) on 09/28/2006
★★★★★
Thank you so much!! I've been sick for a week now. I went to the doctor and I spent $70.00 on meds. My Mom and Dad told me to try this. It sounded so crazy but I did and it WORKED almost immediately. I now believe in these home remedies and will do them for now on. Thanks!
Cayenne
Posted by Jan (Orange Beach, AL) on 09/27/2006
★★★★★
Thank goodness!! I have not been able to speak and my throat has felt like someone took a blow torch to it. I used the cayenne pepper and warm water and my throat is so much better. I will use it whenever I feel a sore throat coming on. Thanks Penney.
Cayenne
Posted by Laura (Maryville, MO) on 09/26/2006
★★★★★
This stuff really is amazing. I could feel it working just seconds after I gargled. Yes, its very spicy, but it felt just like my sore throat. I can talk much better now, and I feel lively now. Thank you so much. I can get on with my day now!
Cayenne
Posted by Laura (Ithaca, NY) on 09/25/2006
★★★★★
I'm a voice major in my second year of college and the weather in Ithaca constantly changes-- prime conditions for plenty of colds to start up, not to mention prime conditions to annoy my allergies. I was landed with a cold in my third week up here and immediately went to the campus health center. I was prescribed a cough/congestion medicine that helped me get better, but very slowly. To make matters worse, I had to run auditions one night for the student-run musical. I sucked it up and sang through my terrible sore throat for the whole two hours. BIG. MISTAKE. The next day, my voice was completely shot. For a week afterwards, I couldn't even speak, much less sing. My sore throat went away, but I still had terrible laryngitis. Finally, after missing a second voice lesson--which puts me in danger of losing my major--I decided something had to be done. I had heard of the cayenne pepper remedy awhile ago, but I never had any on hand. This time, I called a friend and asked her to pick up some cayenne pepper at the local store for me. That night, I drank two glasses of water with cayenne pepper mixed in. I despise spicy foods, so it took a lot of guts for me to drink it, but drink it I did, and lo and behold my voice suddenly sounded tons better the next day. Not only that, but my congestion had cleared up a great deal. Cayenne pepper is the stuff of the gods and I am so glad I found this site. THANK YOU, EARTH CLINIC!
Cayenne
Posted by Paula (Lancaster, OH) on 09/14/2006
★★★★★
I have had this virus for about a month and a half now. I felt like I had gotten better about 2 weeks ago and then it came back with a vengence. Low grade fever every day, plugged ears, severe cough, postnasal drip, sore throat, swollen spleen, swollen glands, fatigue. My daughter has same symptoms and was diagnosed via blood test with mono. I am pretty sure thats what I have too. I am desperate for an antivral cure. Have tried crushed garlic 3 x day w/ no effect. I inhale saline every 2 hours thru nose. Antibiotics were tried in the beginning before the mono diagnosis with no result. Tried Cayenne pepper gargle which relieves the sore throat but I am looking for a more permanent solution. I was told that olive leaf extract will kick the virus but I cannot find any info on it. Does anyone have any they could pass on?
Replied by Sasha
(Houston, Tx.)
08/21/2015
Cayenne
Posted by Rob (Boston) on 09/13/2006
★★★★★
Nice, this worked for me almost immediately. It stings a little but its definitely worth it!
Cayenne
Posted by Erin (Bettendork, IA) on 09/09/2006
★☆☆☆☆
i so wanted to be a believer of this remedy, as i've been suffering from a very bad sore throat/tonsillitis for nearly four days now. swallowing is very painful and it feels like my tonsils are the size of golf balls. maybe the problem lies in that i don't really have a sore throat, but sore tonsils. who knows. i guess both hurt. i wince everytime i swallow as the pain is so bad. Also, it might be helpful if more people told what parts cayenne/water people used. i had no idea how much to use, so i put about 1 teaspoon (or a little more) in a cup and a half of hot water and gargled for about 15 seconds twice in a half hour. The pepper burned my mouth pretty bad. i had to drink some water afterwards as the burning was so bad. it's the next morning now and no relief. any suggestions? and, how the heck can you gargle this for 10 mins?!?! i could only gargle for 30 seconds or less. i've tried this "solution" a few times now and it's a NAY for me.
Cayenne
Posted by Debby (Paris, TN) on 08/20/2006
★★★★★
I am always willing to try something with out pills to heal myself. I couldn't wait to get out of work as I was so miserable I wanted to crawl under the table and die lol but I bought some cayenne powder and started gargling with it at midnight.... it was hotter than coal to me but I could feel it kicking in, it not only took away the sore throat but decongested my head and my chest! Unbelievable! I would have spent a fortune at the doctor on stupid meds and antibiotics that don't do anything but relieve symptoms! I will pass that around to anyone that tells me they have a sore throat and then some! And your site! Thank you for having it!!! Now I can go to work and put myself into my job! :) Ty TY TY TY TY
Cayenne
Posted by Christian (Charlottesville, VA) on 07/30/2006
★★★★★
Another thumbs up here. I could feel a significant difference within 20 minutes. Obviously effective if done right! I'm new to the site and very impressed. Down with the "FDA approved" prescription and store bought crap!
Cayenne
Posted by Cassie (Springfield, OH) on 07/30/2006
★★★★★
wow!... i didn't think this stuff would really work!... i just got back from cheer camp and i had no voice at all and i needed an overnight cure because we were holding a cheer camp of our own the next day... so i was looking for cures online and i saw this and i thought i would try it... within seconds of gargling this stuff i had a voice again... this stuff is a miracle worker!!... i am absolutely amazed!
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