Kama (Nashville, Tn) on 06/27/2011

Better But With Side Effects
I recently had a bacterial throat infection. I finished one round of antibiotics and the symptoms instantly came back. The doctor prescribed a different antibiotic. When my throat infection started to come back after completeing that, she informed me if this didn't work she'd have to send me to an infectious disease specialist.
Desperate to avoid this, I started gargling with salt water, then with a few shakes of cayenne pepper powder in warm water. I did this for ten minutes every three or four hours. The rivers of snot in my throat went almost completely away. It no longer hurt to eat. Within two days, my throat is almost completely healed after over a month of agony.
It did give me canker sores, however, so people prone to them might want to be wary. Even so, I'll take a few canker sores that heal in days to throat pain for months!
Tricia (Paw Paw, Michigan) on 10/19/2008

Worked Temporarily
Cayenne Pepper (sore throat)
I had such a sore throat. I couldn't even swallow or breathe. I heard about this method, so I added 1/4 teaspoon to water about three-five times a day for three days and drank it. It definitely worked temporarily. For about 3 hours after I drank it, breathing and swallowing weren't even a problem. Eventually though, it would come back.
After I had had this problem for a week and had been trying the pepper remedy for three days, I went to the doctor. I didn't have strep throat, but she put me on an antibiotic and THAT made it go away.
All in all, for me cayenne peppers were good for temporary relief, but they were not a cure for my sore throat.
Justin (Detroit, Michigan ) on 09/09/2008

Worked Temporarily
I don't know if this worked. I think it is more the case that the burning sensation distracts you from the sore throat pain temporarily. I used 1/4 teaspoon of pepper with 1 cup of warm water, gargling the entire glass. WIth the final remaining sip, I figured I'd swallow the rest to make sure it got all the way to the back of my throat.
The "hotness" did not bother me, as I enjoy spicy food, however the remedy did seem to just operate as a distractor. I will try it a couple more times, since some of you recommended several doses, although I am skeptical.