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.
Cayenne
Posted by John (Buffalo, Ny) on 05/14/2011
★★★★★
Yesterday I started with a sore throat that I figured would go away.
As the day went on it seemed to get worse. I woke this moring barely able to swallow my saliva.
After reading about cayenne peper I decided to give it a try.. I gargled with it in a large glass of water swallowing minimal amouts to get into my throat and didnt feel anything right away... But after 5 mins of gargling... The pain subsided greatly... I will try it again throughout the day...Thanks!
Cayenne
Posted by Jacob (Butler, Pa) on 04/18/2011
★★★★☆
So I have had a sore throat for about a day and I work tech support for the Local cable company and was looking for a quick fix for my sore throat. Saw this page and low and behold I happen to have a packet of Devil Sauce which is made with cayenne peppers. (Yes we tech support people have random things like hot sauce packets sitting in our desk) So everyone was saying do it with water but being stuck on a call and without water I opened the packets and downed the entire thing. Within seconds the lump that was in the back of my throat was not as bad and the pain was minimal to almost none. I can say that I still feel said lump but not as bad so I will continue with this treatment until tomorrow and see how it goes.
Cayenne
Posted by Msamandaskids (Deltona, Fl) on 04/16/2011
★★★★★
My throat has hurt so bad the last 3 days, I've been in tears! Today I searched the internet for natural remedies.. ANYTHING to ease the pain. Cayenne worked in about 2 mins... BUT I didn't just use the Cayenne in a glass. I did a teasp of Cayenne, Teasp Sugar, Teasp Salt, Teasp Garlic (FRESH), one drop tabasco and WARM WATER... About 8 oz. Now, I'm going to tell you, DO NOT SMELL this mixture or you may never get it to your lips! Also, put a lip proctectant on such as lipgloss, vasaline, chapstick, etc.
I'm a BIG CHICKEN when it comes to trying stuff like this and a sceptic... But I was in so much pain, I figured "what the heck". And, it WORKED! I gargled the mixture 4 times for 10-15 secs each time over a period of 2 mins! My throat is no longer sore (still feels "fat" or "puffy" in the tonsil area... But NO pain)! AND, all that spicyness has made my nose run (which I haven't been able to blow my nose for 2 days because it was so stuffed up). SO, it's a double remedy!
Cayenne
Posted by Too Early For Mixing (Roseville, California) on 11/19/2011
★★★☆☆BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
I just want to make sure no one makes the error I did after waking up at 5:30am with a terrible sore throat. (FYI: I'm not much of a morning person unless I'm going fishing) Use around 8oz. of water. No need to be exact. And use 1 TEASPOON of cayenne peper. NOT a tablespoon. Also when you gargle make sure it hits your throat. Otherwise you're just spinning your wheels. I used a tablespoon and less than 8oz of water and let's just say I had a very spicey and mouth numbing experience. Took most of the pain away instantly though.
Cayenne
Posted by Janel (Washington, Dc) on 11/21/2011
★★★★★
Really didn't think this was going to work. Mixed one tsp of Cayenne in approx 8 oz of warm water. Honestly, it made me gag a bit and lit my lips on fire but in less than three minutes, no sore throat. My lips are still tingling... I like the suggestion from a previous poster to wear chapstick!
Cayenne
Posted by Tracy (Dallas, Tx) on 03/16/2011
★★★★★
I was a total disbeliever.... But to my suprise it has decreased the pain from not being able to swallow my own saliva to being able to drink some tea with honey and lemon which I might add is helping alot too.... I may actually get some pain relief and a little sleep tonight...
Cayenne
Posted by Sara (Arcata, California) on 11/12/2010
★★★★★
I read that cayanne pepper helped sore throats on this website about 6 months ago. I gargled with the cayanne and I instantly felt better, I was even getting white bumps on my throat, and they went away. I was so amazed. A few months later, my coworker could barely talk, she said she wanted to cry it hurt so bad I got her a hot glass of water and put cayanne pepper in it and told her to gargle it. The next day her voice was back and it felt all better. This is truly amazing I am so glad I found this, so I can recommend it to my family and friends so they will now how to heal themselves naturally also!
Cayenne
Posted by Stevetesta (Orlando, Usa) on 12/22/2010
★★★★★
It definitely works. I put a bunch of cayenne pepper in my chicken soup. The effects were immediate for me. I was able to swallow without any pain within ten minutes of finishing my soup.
Cayenne
Posted by Lovechronic.hatestrep (Austin, Texas, North America) on 02/04/2011
★★★★★
I added just a little pinch of cayenne to my broth and my excruciatingly swollen tonsil was reduced within ten minutes. I hadn't eaten anything solid in almost two days. After that, I ate actual soup and began my first-ever strep throat road to recovery without the aid of anitbiotics. As a chronic strep sufferer, who strives to live chemically-free, this is a huge deal. My most sincere and heartfelt thanks to earthclinic.com and the magical google machine that found these posts!
Cayenne
Posted by Joey H (Santa Rosa, California) on 03/03/2011
★★★★★
Ok first let me say I tried ALOT of methods that are used to help cure soar throat, my mom bought cough drops, spray, tea, the salt in water method, it works but not as good as I liked and not as long as I like it to last. But I saw this and first thouht "this won't work" but then I tried it I just put a tea spoon of cayenne in hot water then I gargled it several times. It was a bit spicey but believe it or not it works and I'm just a 17 year old kid saying this my throat is better and trust me I got so frustrated I had so much anger because of it but now I know just to do this and I will be fine! I highly recomend it over anything else.
Cayenne
Posted by Arsieiuni (Arley, Al, United States Of America) on 11/02/2010
★★★★★
I woke yesterday morning with a sore throat that I had known was coming on the night before. My head was stuffy and nose drippy. I searched "Sore throat" remedies first and found cayenne pepper. I'd never tried it, but didn't have any. I hate sore throats more than anything though so as soon as I could get my mate out of bed, we went and bought some and came home. I gargled the cayenne in water (1/4 teaspoon in nearly a full cup of very warm water with a little sea salt thrown in) until I'd used it all, swallowed very small amounts and repeated 3-4 times throughout the day whenever my congestion got bad again. It helped the sore throat instantly, continued to help it as I continued using the remedy, and the problem was gone upon waking today. Other symptoms of my cold remain, but the sore throat was vanished. A definitive YAY! For me. :) Thanks so much for this site and this cure!
Cayenne
Posted by Magico (Brisbane, Queensland) on 09/17/2010
★★★★★
I would recomend the cayenne remedy to everyone. I tried it and it did wonders for my throat. I pushed it a little and actually put in 1/2 a teaspoon of cayenne pepper and I sure felt the difference in my throat. if you can handle the heat I say go 1/2 a teaspoon instead of 1/4. All you need is a spoonfull of honey next to you for when u finish with pepper gargle. Enjoy and thank you for this recipe its a keeper! Peace!
Cayenne
Posted by Kelly (Colorado Springs, Colorado) on 02/25/2008
★★★★★
Well, after 2 visits to the doctor in 5 days due to a SEVERE sore throat with sores and white spots, I really thought I had strep throat. I tested negative both times, but my throat was so sore that I sat on my couch and cried. I haven't slept in 3 nights because it's just getting more and more worse, even after going to the store and buying $20 worth of medicines for colds and sore throats. I gargled with salt water, took 3 kinds of throat drops, ate ice cream to let it slide down my throat for any relief that I could get. Nothing worked. I even used a sinus rinse that you can buy in Walmart to cleanse out my sinuses. Still, nothing worked. Then thinking I was doomed to be sick forever (it seems like that when your miserable), I googled sore throat remedies and found this website. I, like everyone else, was sick and tired of being sick and tired and looking for SOME form a relief. I went ahead and tried the warm water and cayenne straight up since I felt I couldn't possibly feel any worse, and it WORKED! IT REALLY WORKS! I plan on keeping it up until it's totally gone, but I'm feeling like my old self again! I betcha by tomorrow I'll feel like going outside! My husband is in another state at the moment, but he's got the same thing that I have, so I told him and he's on his way to the store right now! Thank you so VERY, VERY MUCH for this LIFE SAVING information!
Cayenne
Posted by Kevin (Brooklyn, NY) on 02/17/2008
★★★★★
I've been sick for about the past two days, with a very strange flu like cold but not quite the flu. Anyway, my throat was hurting me very very badly. It felt like someone stuck a size 11 shoe with spikes down my throat. I was thinking about going to the hospital for antibiotics but instead thought perhaps I should search for a natural cure before spending hundreds of dollars. Sure enough I found your site and saw the comments about cayenne pepper. It just so happens that I have a bottle of ______ cayenne solution in my cabinet. So I gargled and sipped a bit and I can feel a bit of relief when I swallow. It's only been about 10 minutes since I did it and I an feel a difference. I will continue to do it throughout the day and see if makes the soreness go away completely
Cayenne
Posted by Crystal (Chicago, il) on 02/08/2008
★★★★★
Cayenne pepper cured my sore throat! I have been sick for three weeks now. It start as something viral and led into a sinus infection. Just when I thought the worst was over I woke up with a sore throat that felt like razor blades when I spoke or swallowed. I also had sores which is why I was little scared. I didn't have cayenne but had a mexican bottled hot sauce.Its made from chile arbol. I put a couple drops (1 tsp) in a cup of warm water and gargled six times. just tried it 30 min ago and its working well. The sore that felt like a ball already seems smaller. Go for it and adjust the heat to what you can stand.
Cayenne
Posted by Jessica (Brooklyn, New York) on 02/05/2008
★★★★★
I used the Cheyenne Pepper for a SEVERE sore throat that kept me up all night long until 3:50AM! I took amoxicillin that I had in my medicine cabinet, halls drops, warm soup, NOTHING HELPED. I even resorted to eating a chain of ice pops just to get some relieve, but it was a no go. I then decided to rush to the emergency room as soon I saw the sun, but then I googled "Sore Throat Cures" and came to this site. I browsed through the testimonials, skeptically, all the while rubbing my ENFLAMED throat...Finally, in desperation, I thought: "Let me try it! I have nothing to lose and possibly everything to gain.
So I took a half a glass of the hottest water I could stand, emptied a little more than half a capsule of Cheyenne into it, added honey, about 2 teaspoons of lemon juice (These were all grocery bought items I had lying around...)and gargled with it and I repeated the gargling 4 more times throughout the night. (even though the first shot was enough to be satisfied, I wanted to make sure it would STAY gone!) It was AMAZING! I instantly took away my sore throat, and now I can even swallow without feeling like sandpaper is going down with my saliva! Anyone who's the least bit skeptical, don't hesitate PLEASE! It REALLY works!
Cayenne
Posted by Jeff (New Castle, Pennsylvania) on 01/31/2008
★★★★★
Well, I have been a sports player for quite a while, so pain is kinda nutural for me. (As they say no pain, no gain.) Well the one pain I can't stand is a sore throat! (Sad I know.) So as I was Google searching sore throat remedy's, I came across this site. I saw a lot of people say "cayenne and water", so I decided to try it. What I did was take a little under 1/8 of a TEASPOON of cayenne pepper and 1/2 a cip of warm water. Just mix that together and gargul. I thought to myself "This is going to burn like CRAZY!!" But amazingly enough it helped more than it burned!!! The only thing is your tounge feels a litle funky after you do it. Other than that, I would just like to say thank you to the people who posted it on this website!!
Cayenne
Posted by Teri (Woodinville, WA) on 11/06/2007
★★★★★
After suffering with swollen glands and a scratchy and sore throat for 3 days, I came across this website. I had been using honey in green tea, zinc lozenges, echinachea and Tylonol Extra for pain... I tried 1/2 cup green tea, 1 tsp. lemon juice (bottled on hand), 1 tsp. honey and 1/8 or 1/4 tsp of cayenne!! It's only been less than 10 minutes and Boy what a difference!! The hotter you can stand the temperature & 'heat' from the cayenna, the better!! Wow!! It works.
Cayenne
Posted by Musicgold (London, England) on 09/28/2007
★★★★★
Hi, I had a very bad case of soar throat from drinking too much ice cold water. I tried saline water (salt water) remedy for three days to no avail. Finally, I read about CAYENNE PEPPER REMEDY on this site. I tried once and I started feeling a difference. Though it took me 3 days to fully cure my soar throat. Thanks Penny, MG
Cayenne
Posted by Sean (Charleston, SC) on 08/30/2007
★★★★★
Gargling with Cayenne Pepper helped my sore throat immensely. I put together James from Georgia's concoction to further help my throat and and never in my life have I been more afraid to drink something. It does taste like I am drinking the wing sauce straight but it has rid me of much phlegm and aided my sore throat. My throat still burned a bit but once it went away so did most of the pain in my throat as well as some congestion.
Cayenne
Posted by Camille (San Clemente, California) on 08/19/2007
★★★★★
I tried 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper with 1/2 cup warm water gargled and spit six times. The next day my sour throat was almost gone. I didn't even have repeat this again. After one morning it felt good enough to stop. However, I recommend to continue until the pain is completely eliminated. THANKS FOR THIS CURE. ITS AMAZING!!
Cayenne
Posted by Dawn (Wa State ) on 11/17/2021
You answered my question of does it burn yikes 😳
Cayenne
Posted by Patricia (Northampton, UK) on 01/31/2015
Can I use it in my 6 year old daughter?
Cayenne
Posted by Doddie (Lawrenceville, Georgia, Usa) on 04/21/2013
Mary, are you sure you used 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper or was it 2 teaspooons ? I did not do it because I thought it was a bit too much so I used a teaspoon. Please let me know because I will use the 2T if I have to. Also did you just gargle with it or did you swallow it all. With 2Tlbs. how often did you have to do this. Thank you for your response, Clara
Cayenne
Posted by Eddie95 (Liverpool, Uk) on 07/20/2012
★☆☆☆☆
well its a NAY from me, been trying this for a few hours cant say anything is improving except for a burning mouth. I assume this works the same as the salt water trick in that osmosis draws water out of your inflamed throat, reducing the swelling slightly, and temporarily. but it does not "kill the bug", "disinfect the disease" etc.
most of us have flu viruses. You can't kill that with salt or antibiotics or anything. The only thing that really makes swallowing less painful is just to keep eating and swallowing. It only gets really painful if you try and stop swallowing for ages. so the more spaced out your swallows, the more they will hurt.
people are saying this definitely works, because after two days the sore throat has cleared - well duh, it would probably have cleared by then anyway, most sore throats do get significantly better after about 2 days. so you can take whatever you want and give credit to that, or you can just accept your body just got rid of it the underlying cause (because our bodies are actually pretty good at sorting things out themselves! ), and the "remedies" did nothing but maybe fractional temporary relief.
Cayenne
Posted by Lynn (St. Clair Shores, Michigan) on 10/09/2012
Maybe using cold water with the cayenne would be better than warm. Perhaps there would be less burning. I'm trying 1/8 tsp. Cayenne with 1/2 cup of cold water. My sore throat is caused from itching due to allergies and sinus drainage. We'll see how this remedy works for this type of sore throat.
Cayenne
Posted by Andrea C (Cardiff, Wales) on 01/26/2013
You have to use WARM WATER with Cayene pepper Clair xxxxxx It switches on a neouron that lets the body know ITS COMINING!!!!!!!!!!!! Lol xxxxxxxxxxx Its also to do with 'BRAIN CHEMICALS xxxxxxxxx Colds water, negatives the efffect of CAYYENE PEPPER XXXXXXXXXXXXX So do not use COLD WATER it MUST be as hit as you can stand the water xxxxxxxx Love Andrea C
Cayenne
Posted by Dara (Los Angeles, Ca) on 02/05/2013
I've used Cayenne for about 5 years for my sore throats but I use liquid and the little bits don't get caught in my throat I dont have to wait for it to disolve and it is a much more pleasant experience. Hope this helps.
For my throat cure I use 2 fresh lemons, cayenne liquid, and I add a bit of agave warm water & it makes a delightful tea that I can sip throughout the day.
Cayenne
Posted by Wplush (Honolulu, Hi) on 05/25/2012
Did you try ACV for your BMS? Where can you get Cayenne Pepper? Do you have any other problems such as digestive or skin issues? Is the Cayenne still working for you?
Cayenne
Posted by Dana (Kennewick, WA) on 09/17/2014
Have you been tested for b12 deficiency? Burning tongue can be a sign that you need b12 shots to replenish a seriously depleted store of b12 in your body.
Cayenne
Posted by Anon (Tel Aviv, Israel) on 04/22/2012
★★★★★
Cayenne for sore throat worked perfect for me. Thanks
Cayenne
Posted by Krista (Wolcott, Ct) on 03/07/2012
★★★★★
I occasionally get those horribly painful sore throats where I feel like my throat is swollen way in the back- maybe my tonsils. I usually suffer through it, but the last time I had one, I was staying with a friend and she made me a mixture of hot water, lemon juice, maple syrup (she didn't have honey), and cayenne pepper. There was so much relief from it! The relief didn't last very long after I finished drinking it, though (maybe 20-30 minutes). I believe it shortened the time of my sore throat, though. I was also alternating that with gargling salt water.
Today I woke up with a sore throat and at lunch time I went to the store to get lemons, honey, and cayenne pepper. I've drunk two mugs of it (one whole lemon's worth) so far. The first time I put too much cayenne pepper in it. You really only have to put in enough so that you feel a tingle in your throat but not a burning. I'm not sure if it's all due to the cayenne pepper. It might be the combination with the lemon and the honey. But it really does work.
Cayenne
Posted by Alecia (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) on 04/04/2012
How much of everything are you supposed to put for the hot water, lemon juice, honey(maple syrup), and cayenne? I would like to try this but don't want to end up more sick than I started :)
Cayenne
Posted by Marianne (Los Angeles, Ca) on 09/08/2012
Have the same question as Alecia. How much of everything do we use?
Cayenne
Posted by Barb (Waterford, Mi) on 02/23/2012
★★★★★
I was suffering from a severe sore throat and was willing to try anything to relieve it... Even water was torturous to drink... So I tried cayenne pepper every 15 min. for an hour as suggested. Each time was extremely painful as I gargled with it and for about 30 seconds afterward... It offered about the same relief as a saltwater gargle after that. I kept it up for a day and did not experience any healing from it.... Don't put yourself through the agony of the gargle... it's gonna take a few days to get better inspite of anything you do.
Cayenne
Posted by Sickly (Los Angeles, Ca) on 02/29/2012
★☆☆☆☆
Did not work for me, my throat burns really badly, not strep, no fever, but so much pain in my throat and congestion in head. I tried this last night and today, it did not work. I did the amounts mentioned here with warm water and poured it into the back of my throat and gargled 15 seconds, repeated until I finished the glasses. It felt better for a few minutes, which happens when I gargle with hot salt water anyways, and then mostly my mouth just hurt from the spice and my throat is still in the same amount of pain. It did not help for more than a few minutes, even gargling a glass every 15 minutes for an hour didn't do anything besides clear up my sinuses for a bit.
Cayenne
Posted by Chloe (Rochester, Nh, Us) on 05/23/2012
While possibly an effective method for curing sore throats due to colds, etc. , I would NOT recommend this to anyone who suffers from soreness due to something like chronic tonsilitis. For a condition such as this, the cayenne acts purely as an irritant.
Cayenne
Posted by Saskia (..., New York ) on 02/10/2012
★★★★★
I tried this concotion immediatly, warming up some water and getting out a little shaker of cayenne. At first when I tried it, it didn't work at all. I thought that I was just one of the few with bad luck. But after it didn't work just gargling it, I decided to just add a little honey to the water and pepper mix and just sip it. It still didn't seem to work. Then I coughed and realized, "Hey! That doesn't hurt!" Already my throat is feeling better and I've only been sipping for an half an hour or so. I definitely recommed this to anyone with a sore throat, It works great!
Cayenne
Posted by Someone (Somewhere, Magic Fairy Land) on 02/04/2012
★☆☆☆☆
DO NOT USE!!!!! I tried this, with warm water and about a tsp of cayenne, and now not only does my throat hurt more than it did before, but my mouth is on fire too!!!!! Once again I repeat, DO NOT USE!!
Cayenne
Posted by Cory (Oakville, Washington) on 03/16/2012
Anyone who puts a teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a cup of water will most definitely feel like dying! I put a teaspoon of cayenne pepper in my taco recipe and with a pound of meat, it was still too hot! For those who try the cayenne, which really does work for most people, if done right, please, please use the cayenne SPARINGLY! I am talking like a tiny sprinkle to start, so you hardly even taste or feel anything!!
That said, my favorite remedy depends on what sounds the best at the moment. Hot water with cayenne and a dash of apple cider vinegar, hot water with lots of lemon and some honey, dill pickle brine... Also, the different remedies seem to work best when paired with the "right" sore throat. In other words, the reason I have the sore throat may be different from one time to the next (a cold, strep, just a post nasal drip without the cold... ) and sometimes one remedy works better than another. I haven't figured out what remedy goes with what cause, but who cares, as long as I can get rid of the sore throat!
