TED'S REMEDIES
05/31/2007: Anonymous writes, "Dear Ted, You seem quite knowledgeable on the topic of strep throat, I'm hoping you can help. My son 8yrs old is experiencing reoccurring strep throat and has had three rounds of antibiotics in the last two years. He has it again, today, and I've begun the cayenne pepper rinse, in addition to essential oil steams. He has red splotches on the back of his throat and only minor pain but he looks quite sick. I know the long-term risks of antibiotics and am determined to beat this. I came across a comment you made regarding alkalinity for strep (baking soda?). Should I just rinse his mouth/gargle a few times a day? Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated. I am considering a constitutional remedy (homeopath consultation) since I heard it is possible he could be a carrier and when he gets run down will get it over and over. Thank you for any time you can give to this."

Ted from Bangkok, Thailand replies: "You can do as many baking soda mouthwash rinse as you wish. When making a mixture, 1 tablespoon in 1/2 glass of water, should be a saturated solution enough, then add 3-6 drops of hydrogen peroxide 3% if possible. Do the mouthwash or sip very small amount so it FLOWS slowly down the throat (in amount of say 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon every 5 minutes - but try the 1/4 for a child. For an adult it is closer to like 1/2 to 1 teaspoon. If done for about 20 times, most of the pain should go away. Actually it is more like 10-15 times for me. The key is frequency of mouthwash rinse, and sipping that helps a lot.

Generally in a severe strep throat problem, I won't consider cayenne peppers. If you want to make a specialized mixture JUST only the mouthwash and no sipping, then add 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, plus 1 tablespoon of baking soda, and 3-6 drops of H2O2 3%. If accidental swallowing, will cause loose stools, but sometimes the body needs to clear of itself of toxic buildup in the stomach.

There are many formulas I have against the strep throat, but much of the problem is actually obtaining the needed materials. Baking soda is perhaps the easiest to find. To increase the body's resistance, and in event of such sickness, usually 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda with a small squeeze of lime (such as 4 teaspoon) and some 1/4 glass of water and let the child drink that. Wait for the fizz to finish reacting for about 5 minutes. This will alkalize the blood to prevent the strep or virus from entering the bloodstream. Usually a biofilm is formed before a major cold is underway and sometimes adding 1-2 drops of iodine tincture helps breaks down the biofilm in a mouthwash situation, if that were the case, but yours may not be necessary. Drink plenty of warm green tea, WITHOUT SUGAR AND WITHOUT MILK is necessary. You can do a swishing of green tea, in the mouth with a slow sip every minutes a much as you wish for this. The green tea will kill some strep, and break up the biofilm too. However, I will keep this green tea after the maximum mouthwash and sipping has been reached. Adding a pinch of sea salt in the green tea may further help kill, but this is usually not necessary unless the strep is aggressive and this kills the strep by hyperosmolarity.

I am not against homeopathy, but sometimes they put the homeopathic remedies in sugar cubes. Those are not recommended since the sugar fuels the strep throat. Avoid homeopathy that uses sugar. Keep homeopathic medicines away from mobile phones, t.v., radiator and microwave, they tend to get destroyed."

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

[YEA]  06/01/2006: Leslie from Seattle writes: "I tried this a few weeks back when I felt a horrible sore throat coming. I knew it would soon turn into strep as I have had it before plenty of times and when I get it, I get it bad! So I was worried since my baby was only a few weeks old at the time and I did not want to take any medications since I breast feed exclusively and did not want to have to stop and give formula because of antibiotics. I have never given any of my children formula and never plan to, so I wanted to find a natural cure to avoid having to do that. I tried the ACV method, gargling a few teaspoons w/ water a few times a day and it worked! It taste horrible, but who cares when it's natural and so much better for you (and in this case, my baby too!) I told everyone I know and my husband a few weeks ago did the same thing and warded off a sore throat this way too. I'm hooked and so glad I tried it!"

[YEA]  04/24/2006: Lori from Canada writes: "My daughter was diagnosed with strep. Came across your site. She gargled with ACV and water. She got significant relief, but the next day it was back. Gargled again, and made a weak tea from ACV, water and honey. She drank about half, but then said it hurt her stomach. She has been keeping up the gargling, and we also painted her wrists and throat with iodine. Does anybody know how often and / or how long you can do this iodine painting? She is 16 years old. Thanks - we sure appreciate this site."

[YEA]  03/17/2006: Lisa writes: "My boyfriend came down with a bad sore throat. After seeing a doctor, he found out that it was strep throat. I know strep throat is contagious! A few days later, I came down with a sore throat. Not only was it sore, but I started to see blisters develop! I became very concerned. I wanted to avoid taking any antibiotics for a number of reasons, so I happen to come across your website and saw your apple cider vinegar cures. I'm a believer in home remedies, and I didn't hesitate to try it. As soon as I started sipping on ACV, my throat started to burn, and I continued sipping it throughout the day. When I came home from work that day, I noticed that my blisters were almost gone, and my sore throat was gone! I will definitely keep ACV on hand and share this remedy with family and friends!"

[YEA]  03/15/2006: Hope from Visalia, CA writes: "I've had sore throats before, but the last sore throat that I had wasn't like my usual sore throats. I had blisters, it was swelled, and it was red. Come to find out that I had strep throat. I knew I had to take some kind of antibiotics to cure it so I decided to look up some home remedies and read some comments on ACV. After using ACV the first day, I noticed that all my symptoms were gone by the next day. My other concern was what the acid in ACV would do to my teeth so I decided to buy a small spray bottle (travel size) and fill it with half ACV and water. With the spray bottle, I was able to spray just the back of my throat and avoid it getting on my teeth. I still rinsed my mouth out just to be on the safe side."

[YEA]  02/23/2006: Rod from San Antonio, TX writes: "Ok I thought when I found this website that I found a bunch of apple growing kooks, trying to get us to buy the ACV, But I was desperate, I work in a very stressful high volume company with little time to be sick, I thought I was getting a sinus infection ran to the Doctor and paid him $200 to get told I also had strep throat. Went to the pharmacy and paid another small fortune for 4 medications. I began the medicine and by the next day I was worse. last night I google homeopathic cures for strep and found this site. I read about ACV, I thought that maybe ya all were crazy but I had no other choice I felt as if my head was going to blow off and the throat was on fire. I went to the store bought Heinz ACV, paid for it and got in my car and gulped some down. I began to sneeze almost immediately. Then my throat felt as if it caught fire, and within 30 seconds I could actually swallow without having to prepare myself for the pain. my sinuses are 100 percent better, my strep is not gone yet but I think I will add the diluted ACV and water sipping it today and will update on my condition in the morning. I am also going to try ACV on my young son who has had GERD since birth."

BARLEY, ACV, CAYENNE, GARLIC, SEA SALT

[YEA]  09/24/2007: Evelyn from Missouri, USA writes: "I recently found out that a friend we had been at the park with came down with strep throat. She called me to make sure I was feeling alright. I had been feeling a sore throat, and within a few hours, it became very painful. I could not deal with strep! I have too much responsibility right now, and so I searched online for a natural cure. I found this site, and found it fascinating. I couldn't decide what to try.

I have used barley water in the past as well. Here is what I did- I made a drink using barley water, apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper, garlic, some sea salt, lemon juice and some honey to help with the flavor. I drank a cup warm, and WOW did I feel the effect. My throat began to burn, but it was soothing. I drank the entire glass. Put the rest of the 'tea' in the fridge, and continued drinking a cup every so often through out the day. I felt no more sore throat later that day, and thought I was cured, so I stopped drinking it. For two days, I felt great. Then decided to eat some sweets (chocolate candies) and instantly my sore throat started up again. I felt like I had just added some kindling back to the fire. So I made more of the drink, gargled it and swallowed it. I did this through the night, and the next day, and totally cured it. I don't know if I had strep. I know it hurt, and my friend had it. So I was up for trying. My children all have it now, and I am trying to figure out which remedy they will be able to handle, as they are not very interested in the drink that I used. :) But it totally works!!!

BETA GLUCAN

BITTER ORANGE OIL

CAYENNE PEPPER

I finally got rid of the pain today, but rules do not permit me to tell you how - that is unfortunate."

[YEA]  03/22/2008: Jimmy from Falmouth, KY writes: "I have an extraordinary pain tolerance. I'm devistated by sore throats. Desperate to avoid strep throat and a trip to the doctor, I looked up home remedies. I found this site. I put 1/8th teaspoon of cayenne in 8 oz of water with a teaspoon of real lemon juice concentrate. I gargled the mixture and swallowed just a bit after each gargle. You should get about 6 or 7 gargles. I don't like spicey food, I didn't coat my lips with vaseline. I had a 50 percent ruduction in the pain immediately."

[YEA]  03/13/2008: Rich from Atlanta, GA writes: "Cayenne Pepper for sore throat (Remedy) - put me under "Yea" please. This works. I don't usually care a bit for most home remedy -type stuff, but I'm sitting over here developing strep. It got so bad that I couldn't even swallow like a normal person without restraining the reflex to vomit, and having to wipe my eyes from the pain. Me. A 30 year old guy as big as a football player. My mom actually called me with this cure. The pain was so bad that I figured why not, so I hit the store and came back to give it a shot. That was at about 1:15PM. It is now not quite 3:15, and I feel so much better, I can't even tell you. There's still some pain and soreness there, as anybody would expect, but it's just a shell of the agony it was this morning. I would not write this comment if I didn't mean what I say. If you're in pain, try this. It will burn your mouth like hellfire for a minute, but it's gloriously, beautifully worth it. When the fire dies down, you'll be shocked at the difference. Thanks Penny, and thanks Earth Clinic."

I have taken so much ibuprofen over the past 2 days, easily twice as much as I have ever taken for anything else. I stopped taking it about 4PM today, and started looking for a better solution at about 8. I went to the store to get Cayenne, and while I was there I was hungry (surprising over these past 3 days) so I got some kettle-cooked jalapeño chips as well as the cayenne pepper. I gargled some water with quite a bit more cayenne than I figured was necessary, then ate some chips (I grew up with Mexicans, I love spicy food). After only 1 gargle and some chips, my throat is feeling drastically better. I'm about to go gargle another cup. Thanks for your guys' help!"

[YEA]  02/03/2008: Sarah from La Linea, Spain writes: "I just wanted to say that my 2 year old little girl just got over a bad case of what I think was strep throat. She was puking and everything. We took her to the ER cos she wasn't keeping anything down and they gave her some antibiotics. Then of course, that night I felt my throat going. I felt like crap last night and decided that tonight I would search for some home remedies. And I came across this website. I was playing with some ways to take the Cayenne Pepper and settled on actually drinking a tablespoon of lemon juice and cayenne pepper, equal parts. It seems to have cut out my sore throat by about 50% so I'll keep it up. Advice for anyone thinking about trying this? Just try it - you have nothing to lose! Thanks people."

[YEA]  01/18/2008: Salem from Providence , Rhode Island writes: "I am a teen and my throat was annoyingly sore and since me being really sensitive I was ready to cry because it hurt so bad. So, I went online and looked up remedies and found cayenne pepper. I went straight to my dad's spice cupboard and found the pepper we used to make Buffalo chicken. I put a little bit of water and a few dashes of pepper and gargled it. It burned my lips a little but it was nothing to the strep I've had so hats off to this great website for curing my ailment."

[YEA]  01/11/2008: Erin from Dyer, Indiana writes: "Cayenne Pepper for Sore Throat.....Oh MY Gosh...I feel like crying..it WORKED..I AM SOLD! I have been sick since Xmas..first the Flu and it went away and then I got sick again! This time I waited for over a week thinking it would go away..nope! Had to go to the Dr who said I had a sinus infection and prescribed Z-Pack and Nazonex. She also did a Strep test that made my already horrible sore throat 100 times worse!! My throat was so painful everytime I swallowed I felt like some one was sticking a knife in my throat..I am NOT kidding. I called back to talk to the Dr and she was out..the nurse said to gargle with Salt water and suck on cough drops.."come On" I thought...I tried it..and of course it did not work. I was in tears..got the throat spray..didn't help. Googled Sore Throat and found this web sight. Thank GOD! I was hesitant (not a spicy food girl at all) but sooo desperate I sent my husband to the store last night for it. First I put it in Soup..just alittle..then I gargled with the 1/8 tsp & 1 cup water. I only did half of the glass..it was not bad like I feared. By the time I went to bed to my amazement..my throat improved 75%. I put some in my coffee this morning..not to bad..then in my soup again for lunch. I am SOOOOOO HAPPY to say my throat is at 98% improvement!!!!! I hadn't slept 2 night prior without waking up 3 or 4 times in pain. Last night I slept straight through!!! I am telling EVERYONE!!THANK YOU! I would still be a miserable mess right now with out trying this. Believe a once skeptic..This Works!!"

[YEA]  12/21/2007: Vibs from New Delhi, India writes: "I am quite prone to sore/strep throat since childhood. Just few months back I had a bad throat and I was avoiding anti biotics. So I read about cayenne on the net. I tried gargling with cayenne twice but was not very sure about it, although it gave me some releif, and decided to stop it (which I should not have) and took anti-biotics and faced all its side effects. Yesterday again I had a sore / red / painfull throat with fever, and I decided to go for cayenne. I took 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne in lukewarm small cup of water and gargled every 2 hours during the day. Also I took homeopathic belladona medicine side by side. And today I am feeling much better and working. I want to say JUST TRY IT there are no side effects."

[YEA]  12/03/2007: Dana from Los Angeles, California writes: "I started having a sore throat on Tuesday, that night I broke out in chills and ended up staying home for the rest of the week. I was in excruiciating pain. On Sat morning I couldn't take the pain in longer and went to Kaiser walk in. The doc gave me some Amoxicillan(sp?) and said to check back to see if it's a strep. He just told me to keep doing what I was doing, which was everything to stop the pain, two motrins, salt gargle, apple cider vinegar gargle, throat losengers and Chamomille tea, which only gave me slight comfort. Late saturday night my sis made corn and weiners and she put a dash of Cayenne pepper in it. She gave me a small bowel, because she wasn't sure if I would be able to finish it. I was so tired of soup and hungry so I ate it. I noticed from the first and second bite how it didn't hurt, but actully felt good and soothing. I remember thinking this hurts so good. After the third bowl (I was really hungry) I noticed the pain in my throat had immediately subsided, so I said to my sis what did you put in this. I have tried everything and I eat this and I can actually swallow with no pain. She told me she put Cayenne in it and that I should try her Lemonade. So I did and I was ABSOLUTELY AMAZED!!!!!! UNBELIEVABLE! Oh my goodness. I asked my sister if we could market this. Do people know about this. I mean why don't the companies that make throat losengers make Cayenne losengers. The Cayenne in the food had already stopped the pain, but the sipping on the tea just sealed the deal. I made more sunday night just to keep it going and now this morning I have no residue or nothing of a sore throat. I told any and everyone that would listen. Now I want to know about other naturopatic remedies. Here's the concoction: 1/2 real lemonade, 2 tablesp of maple syrup, she bought organic grade B, and a dash of Cayenne. Put hot water in it, stir and just sip on it."

[YEA]  09/03/2007: Tiana from Flower Mound, TX writes: "My son had 2 episodes of strep throat within a few months and then sure enough, I got it too (first time in my 41 yrs). I had it diagnosed by a doctor, and got a antibiotic prescription. I told him that I was going to try and cure it without drugs first and he STRONGLY suggested that I not. But, I really wanted to see if this would work. So...I gargled with cayenne pepper (every 1/2 hr or so), drank warm raw apple cider vinegar and cayenne pepper mixed with honey 3 times per day the first 2 days, and also sucked raw garlic cloves (remedies). YEP - I REAKED! But, I was feeling LOTS better by the 2nd day and almost myself again with 3 days. I continued the ACV/cay. pepper tea once per day and sucking the garlic for an entire week. Went back to the doctor and they did the strep test that has to be sent to the lab, just to make sure it was gone. YEP - completely. The doc couldn't believe it. I gave him this website and told him to pass it on to any patient who doesn't want (or need) antibiotics. Note - drinking the acv/cay pepper tea was at first difficult, but I quickly got use to it and actually enjoyed it because it made me feel so much better. It would be very difficult however, to get a child to drink it and my children will take ANYTHING."

07/25/2007: catheren (cathy264@hotmail.com) from salt lake city, utah writes: "ok, well i have had the horrible sore throat for days, i am thinking it might be strep but hesitant on going to doctor, found this websight and the remedy on cayenne pepper gargle. after ready many many people saying that their sore throat went away afterwards, i thought i would try. I just gargled my first cayenne gargle, it feels a little better, it burned but that was something i can handle but i am hoping that this is the cure...stay tuned.."

[YEA]  05/16/2007: Lindsey from Kissimmee, FL writes: "Go figure that I became ill on the day I'm graduating from high school. I had been feeling lousy for the past few days, but today it finally kicked in: sinus headache, sore throat, lots of chest congestion. Of course something would happen to me like this, today! (I'm not usually one to get sick. I have became ill with strep throat without fail every winter break through high school, but that's it for the entire year) In an act of desperation, (of course I didn't want to go to the doctor today) I googled "home remedies for sore throat and congestion," and this site popped up. As I began reading I wasn't too sure that it would work. But as I said, I was desperate. This morning I could barely tear myself away from my bed, so I forced myself to go to Publix and pick up some ground Cayenne Pepper and a bottle of Pure Clove Honey. I meant to pick up a few lemons as well, but it slipped my mind. As I arrived home I mixed the honey and pepper and 3 ounces of water together to take it as a shot. To be honest I was a bit nervous to taste the concoction, but after I got up the nerve to try it I was amazed! I immediately began having to run to the bathroom to cough up phlegm! I had a cup of ice cold water ready in the case of a burning sensation, but there wasn't any. I was impressed. Now about 25 minutes later I think I might just be able to have the energy to walk across the stage and graduate from high school tonight. :) Thank you so much for creating this site!!! It's been a life saver."

[YEA]  05/08/2007: Joanne from East Sussex, United Kingdom writes: "Last Month i was treated twice for my strep throat from my doctors the first one i was prescribed on Amoxycillin 250 mg - Failed so he written another antibiotics called Erythromycin and it also didnt work as everytime i take it it does work.but i went back to my Gp.he told me that i have a viral sore throat and there is nothing more he can do & it will go eventually.since then i have been looking into your website,read it and tried Ceyanne Pepper,Tell you what it was the best remedy i have ever come across..my sore throat vanished in two days of ceyanne pepper. i use a half a teaspoon ceyanne pepper in half warm water,gargled it and spit it out for two mins - three times a day..also sprinkeled a few on my pasta..delicious but hot !!!! hope you try it & it works wonders and most natural thing instead of taking doctors drugs !."

[NAY]  05/05/2007: kathi (katlyn_565@yahoo.com) from Mount Olive, Illinoiw writes: "I have had a severe case of strepp for 3 days. I cannot sleep and have tried everything from the cayenne to the acv to the hydrogen peroxide. I cannot get rid of this pain. It is now 3 am and i am tired but in too much pain to sleep."