This strep throat remedy sounds crazy, but the author actually used it to cure (diagnosed!) strep throat while pregnant and wanting to avoid antibiotics. It worked incredibly well!!
When I was pregnant with my daughter, I got strep throat.
It was awful. If you’ve ever had strep, you know the horrid knives-in-your-throat feeling I’m referring to. Ugh. I shudder just to think about it again.
I do my best to avoid antibiotics quite stringently. Being pregnant, that desire was especially strong. However, strep is a bacterial infection. Many people believe that bacterial infections will only respond to pharmaceutical antibiotics. From personal experience, I’m gonna have to disagree. Here’s how it went down…
It was a holiday weekend. In Tiny Town. The doctor saw me late Friday afternoon and took a swab to send to the lab for testing. He gave me a prescription just in case, though, because I wouldn’t be able to get the results until Tuesday, when they opened again.
I went home without filling the prescription. I told myself I would get it if I was feeling desperate, but I’d try googling for ideas first. I found tons of sore throat remedy ideas online. Most involved things like lemon and honey, etc.
One of the suggestions involved a crazy ingredient: cayenne pepper. I decided to make my own concoction, and give it a whirl. I developed this recipe that day, and have tweaked and perfected it in the couple of sore throats I’ve had since that time.
So, does it work?
Well, I gargled every 15 minutes for about 2 hours that evening. There was noticeable improvement after the first couple of times. I could swallow without tears coming to my eyes. Then, I felt about 75% healed by the next morning, and I felt no more pain at all 24 hours later. By the end of the weekend, I was back to normal, and just taking it a bit easy to allow my body to catch up.
The throat swab came back from the lab on Tuesday. It was a confirmed case of strep throat. And I healed it using the craziest cayenne pepper concoction ever! Natural remedies for the win!
(By the way, if you have a more minor sore throat – i.e. not strep – I’d advise trying gargling with good ol’ salt and water. Sometimes that does the trick just fine!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Strongly brewed lemon herbal tea Other types of herbal teas may work too
- 1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar I use Bragg's raw apple cider
- 1 tablespoon Raw honey
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper Add more if you can - as much as you can stand
Instructions
- Brew tea, then mix everything else in. Stir well.
- Gargle with small sips of the tea. Get it as far back in your throat as you can and keep gargling as long as you can stand it. Spit it out, and repeat every 15-30 minutes for several hours. You should feel the burn of the cayenne (within reason!).
Nutrition
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical professional, and this post should not be taken as medical advice. Please do your own research. Material on this blog is provided for informational purposes only. It is general information that may not apply to you as an individual, and is not a substitute for your own doctor’s medical care or advice.
Jennifer Brandon
I’m assuming you have to gargle the entire cup, one cup every 15 or 30 minutes?
Beth
No, I just do a couple of gargles (so whatever fits comfortably in your mouth to gargle as far down your throat as you can), and leave the rest in the cup by the sink, and repeat every 15-30 minutes.
Giuseppe Traister
This video is probably the most significant video you’ll see this week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4edv_6_D3po
Clayton Cozart
This vid is certainly the most important video ever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4edv_6_D3po
StrepSurvivor
One night, as I was trying to go to sleep, I thought something was stuck in the back of my throat, and I just kept trying to clear my throat and got more and more of a burning sensation. I thought the burning was from scratching up my throat by trying to clear it and figured I’d feel better in the morning. But by the time I woke up the next day, I had a full-blown case of strep. I quickly tried this remedy. After one use, my throat did feel instantly soothed. Also, please note, this headline makes it seem like it’s painful to swallow the tea mixture, but I put a little extra honey, and it actually tasted amazing and went down really easily. I hardly felt the burning sensation of the cayenne. In fact, the cayenne, compared to the strep throat, is actually soothing. I did need a full 3 days to recover, but all in all, that’s not too bad given the fact that I didn’t take any antibiotics. I will add that I did also use Zicam spray. I applied the Zicam to the back of my throat every 4 hours for about 24 hours, starting the first morning after I realized I had strep–really helps lessen the symptoms of any kind of cold or flu. But the cayenne concoction provides instant relief from the throat-burning sensation.
Beth
I’m glad it worked well for you!! 🙂
Sandy
Did this actually kill the bacteria or only the pain? I’ve tried apple cider vinegar with water and it worked within 24hrs, taking away the pain. But I still had the bacteria without the sore throat and spread it to my husband since I was still highly contagious. Which is why I’m asking because I would like an alternative too if it indeed kills the bacteria.
Beth
I’m not a doctor, but there are scientific studies on how cayenne (and other hot peppers) have anti-bacterial properties. When I used it (as long as you use it more than just the one time to dull the pain – and really keep at it for a day or so) the strep went away and didn’t return.
Allison
Hi Beth.. I need to try the strep gargling remedy.. but don’t see the recipe.. Could you repost it or email it to me. Looking very forward to trying.. Thanks.
Allison
Becca
Seconded– i can’t see the recipe. Please repost / email!
Jackie
Can’t see the recipe!
Beth
My apologies! It accidentally got hidden due to some tech issues on the back end. It’s all fixed now!
Angela
I think my throat is hurting so bad that I can’t find the recipe/ingredientes, can someone help me?
Thank you
Antonia
I CANNOT FIND IT either! scouring the net to find something similar. Please post. Thanks. Well wishes and prayers to Angela and all those hurting.
angela
Thanks @antonia! Hopefully someone will, meanwhile I am doing a lot of gargle with salt, sipping apple cider vinegar, drinking hot mint tea with honey and homeopathy (spray and pellets)!
Linda Gail Tannos
I don’ see it either! I found it two weeks ago when my throat was on fire and it was better by the next day. Now I’m trying to find it for my daughter and its no longer here. ugh.
Laura Honea
I’m dying where’s the recipe ?!?!?!
Susan
I made it about a month ago for a very sore throat but not strep, and found it to be very effective. If I’m remembering correctly it was boiling water, honey, cayenne pepper, lemon(?) and apple cider vinegar. 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, I remember, the rest I don’t but I imagine 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp lemon stirred in a mug of boiling water.
Erica
I’ve been using this for years but never remember the exact recipe. Where did it go??? I know it was 1 c strongly brewed lemon tea. I think 1 tbsp honey, idk how much cider vinegar, as much cayenne as you can stand ahs some amount of a squeeze of lemon. Not in the recipe but I always ad a clove of garlic.
Cordell
Really and truly thank you for this remedy. I got strep for the first time yesterday. And my Lord, it’s unbearable. Got off work bought all the ingredients, going home I barely had energy, could barely speak. But in less than 12 hours, I’m almost good. Most of the discomfort is gone from swallowing(pause), not much body pain. Gonna take the day off and heal up some more. Once much Appreciation and Happy New Year to You and Yours
.
Becky
I can’t find the recipe. Will you tell me what it is, please?
Justin
This works for clearing up your throat and the pain but the strep bacteria still remains in your system. As soon as your immune system weakens, the chances of strep coming back are super high. The antibiotics kill the strep from your system completely, which is why doctors recommend finishing your prescription even when your feeling better
Marysa
I have been taking natural remedies for years, and a friend told me about when she was in South America, she was in a remote area and the people there used a combination of honey and raw garlic to treat ailments. I have been using honey, raw garlic, and acv – and it does wonderfully! Last year my husband had a flu, and I was definitely exposed to it, but did not get it. I have treated strep with this combination and found that it works well. I will have to try some cayenne pepper too.
John Flytz
your article gave me the courage and some techniques to try the natural way…I almost gave up on day 7, but i’m so glad I pushed through, day 8 symptoms dropped 50%, day 9 feeling 80% normal, and today day 10 feeling 90% and confident my body can now fend off Strep Throat. I was a kid who had Strep a lot and they gave me a tonsillectomy when I was 7. I still got strep on occasion but not as often as pre tonsillectomy. Thank you so much for publishing this, as it was instrumental to helping me try and complete this exercise.
deb
Hey John, read your post… I’m down w strep and heading for the cayenne pepper – ACV – Lemon herbal tea
hoping my results are greased lightning
Margo
I remembered my Norwegian Grandmother mixing hot pepper (probably cayenne) with Apple Cider vinegar and hot water a couple times for my mom when she was sick and, while my Grandmother swore by it, my mom couldn’t stand to gargle with it and chose to be sick. My grandma just shook her head.
About 7 years ago, after I learned how zinc actually worked to “mute” a sore throat and make a cold less severe, I decided to see if my Grandma’s remedy would work as well or better. Instead of hot pepper though, I used Tabasco with my apple cider vinegar and hot water. I didn’t know how often to use it, so I did it every few hours. It WORKED! And better than the zinc.
Since then, every time I start to feel a cold or sore throat, I make up a batch and gargle with it. I’ve taught my son (who is 19) about it as well and have tried to get my husband to use it as well. No, I am not a trained in the medical profession, I just had a wise grandmother.
I love your actual recipe – I think I’ll see if using lemon tea and adding the honey will get my husband to try it again. Also, I appreciate the time table for use that you shared you shared – its a little more precise than my childhood memory.
Totally glad this helped you and has helped others as well. I
kws
I love this site. Thank you Beth for this concoction. I got strep out of the blue 3 days ago and tried everything. I was just about in tears … trying to sleep off this flu or strep or whatever I have but not feeling any relief but actually feeling like my throat was on fire, just on it’s own but then swallowing was almost unbearable.
I was getting really bummed that Monday instead of going to work, I’d be going to the ER. But then I found this site today and gargled with avc, manuka honey and cayenne. I gargled probably 3 times within a few hours…sometimes just holding my head and jaw up while letting the concoction sit on my throat. I was a little concerned that even though I used only a 1/4 of cayenne in a large mug that it might irritate what already felt like a very raw and sore throat. So after each gargle I soothed it by slowly sucking on a teaspsoon of manuka honey. After the first gargle I slept again and when I awoke, for the first time I felt some hope that maybe I could lick this thing. This is so bad I don’t remember having it this bad since I was 4 years old. Anyway, I’ve gargled a few times since and it still feels a little better. It’s definitely not gone, but it doesn’t feel worse and maybe like I could be recovering. I hope so because it was scaring me. I cant remember being in this much pain for 3 days due to strep. I’ll gargle again tomorrow with much hope that I will feel even less pain when I swallow feeling reassured that I’m on the mend. Thank you again for this site and sharing your home remedy for the rest of us out here without one. Maybe you could put a kit together and market it.
Ruth Kelepolo
Does anyone have the exact recipe?
Shaina
My question is did you ever go back and ask for a blood test to make sure the strep has left your body? What we have found out this past year is you DO NOT have to have sore throat symptoms to have strep in your blood! My husband was having joint pain in his hands. He couldn’t open and shut them and is only 39. So the doctor did a run of blood tests one being strep. Everything came back normal but the strep level was 450! A normal strep level is between 0-200 so what does that mean? It now has gone to the joints and is attacking his body. So we ALL went to be tested my level was 420, my daughters was 590, moms 570, nephew she is raising 1350!!!! See strep once in the blood and not treated can attack the brain and at my nephews levels he was having our butts of anger and quite a bit of issues.
I know antibiotics are not always the answer and I am not one of those people who run to the doctor every scratch or cough BUT do your own research! Strep is nothing to play with.
My moms foot doctor was gone for 2 weeks and when he got home he was very upset. His mom who was a ballroom dancer and in great health was having sinus issues. Her doctors treated her for a sinus infection but nothing was working. It wasn’t until she almost died with bacterial menigentis and in a coma that they found her strep levels through the roof and it wasn’t even a sinus infection. The strep was in her sinus cavity and went to her brain! He was upset that he was a doctor why didnt he think of the strep. Let me tell you some dictors don’t know about the strep being in the blood. We had to leave our pediatricians because they refused to check the blood! When we transferred them to our doctors thats when they found the high levels in the children.
SO please do your research and ask your doctor to do the simple blood test to see if this remedy did in fact kill the strep from your body.
Shaina
Cendy
Strep is very serious. My daughter acquired a disorder over the summer called PANDAS. It is caused by strep. It causes severe tics, severe mood and depression changes, it took my daughter as I knew her away. I have done more research than ever but after 6 months I almost have her back to pre disorder. She woke this morning with a very slight fever and a sore throat and swollen nodes (this is good because for the first time since this disorder her immune system is showing signs of “waking” up). Heading to the ER for a strep test and antibiotics so the strep doesn’t cause her tics to come back full force. Bottom line, strep is very, very dangerous. I had no idea just how dangerous.
Jen
Hello, I too am pregnant trying to avoid antibiotics in treating what I’m sure is strep throat. I don’t like taking medicine normally and especially right now I don’t want to do anything to harm my baby. I’m going to give this a try, I’ve seen a lot of honey/ lemon remedies but this one with the cayenne seems legit as cayenne is an herb that purifies the blood and has antibiotic properties.. I actually have all the ingredients in my house so I’m going to whip this up now!
Brittany Brydson
Hi Beth! I was looking for natural remedies on sore/strep throat and stumbled upon this post. Then I looked at who you were and I realized we were acquaintances back at Prairie! My husband and I were just married and lived in Davidson. Small world!
So my story is – I got sick with feverish, achy body two weeks ago, really weak… Then a sore throat and cough kicked in. It was brutal. I was doing everything to get rid of it. But two weeks later my throat was KILLING me. Still extremely sore. I went to the walk in, and the doc said I had strep in my throat (even though my symptoms weren’t really classic to strep)…. Prescribed me antibiotics, and I didnt fill it – hense why I was here reading your post! I make it two nights ago and try to get a few hours in of taking every 30 mins…. Then the next day (yesterday) it was obviously still sore because I only had got a few gargles in… I tried to do it every 30 mins (but had to go out for a few hours and didn’t gargle)… Up until I went to bed. I woke up this morning and it’s about 90% gone! Only super tiny spot but wow. I’m shocked! Worked amazing!!!!! This will be my go to for strep or sore throat. Thanks for writing this and figuring it out for the rest of us!
Blessings!
Beth
Hi Brittany! Small world, indeed! I remember you from our Prairie days. 🙂 I’m so glad you found this post, and that it helped you!! I’m sorry you were sick so long (ugh) but so glad that this remedy worked for you. xoxo!
Deborah Gotfried
Hello Beth, I so am encouraged by your site. I just got diagnosed with strep with a swath almost instant reading 4 days ago. I am a believer of Allicin extract caps(360 mg ea) for UTI’s and in general anything that avoids antibiotics. I’m very sensitive to drugs and allergies soar. It appears the last 3 days on my Allicin really needs much more help. Not running a fever but stuffy/clear running sinuses off and on, but mainly throat. Bright red with the white patches. Throat so parched. Can’t breathe through nose and inhalers not an option. I’ve been gargling w Himalyan pink salt n warm water 5+ times /day & before bed, followed with tsp of raw honey n fresh lemon. Hoping to handle the severity
of the cayenne concoction – will go to health store n grab … HELP!! I prayed the Allicin would kick it.
CA mom
Hi, thank you for the recipe. I am currently in early pregnancy, and really dont want to take antibiotics . My throat has gotten worse. I dont know if it is strep but wanted to try this. Do i gargle 1 sip every 15-30 minutes or the whole cup every 15-30 minutes?
Lindsey
Hi Beth! I’m having a hard time finding the recipe. Could you let me know where to find it pretty please? Thank you tons!
Bonnie Brown
I’ve looked for this recipe and can not seem to find it. Can you please share the recipe? Would gratefully appreciate it. Thanks in advance
Mustapha
It is not a remedy but I’ve found that eating cooked pasta, plain without anything on it other than olive oil, is one of the easiest things to eat with strep. Soups and liquids hurt me more as I think they seep into any pus sores that are in the throat. And like my thick saliva, soups can be too thick to go down quickly, whereas pasta in olive oil just slips right down! I added some chopped up wafer thin ham just for a treat! Also green tea with some manuka honey stirred in, nothing beats manuka honey for the healing process of any disease or illness, and is quite soothing if you can get some liquids down into you.
Priscilla Tuft
Thank you so much for posting this, Beth! It is Midnight and I am up with the most intense throat ache I have ever had. I rarely even sneeze, so this is a shocker. Tonight I have tried every
other remedy to no avail, and all the natural sites give the same honey and lemon advice, but I am so relieved to have come across this! In a pain panic I danced my way to the kitchen, gleefully remembering that I had all the ingredients in the pantry AND exactly 1 cup of heavily brewed throat coat tea that I couldn’t finish from an hour before. I am on dose number 2 and believing with all my heart this will get me through the night after a couple more gargles. Thank you for giving me hope and possibly some shut eye before my kindergartener wakes up ready to play all day ?I appreaciate you!
kaise kare
I got it bad?
For the last month or so I have been struggling with my throat aswell and just went on hoping it would cure itself. Fortunately some off the food I love to eat was helping me unkowingly to cure me but just wasnt enough, ( garlic bombs – a snack made with grated cheese + choped garlic + tobasco sause.) Also about two weeks prior going out for sushi, i found the following day that all the washabi and ginger almost cured me too. until last night that i went to the hospital all previous meds the docters gave me only partially helped but then it would come back. So I started reading up on the matter, turns out to many anti biotics can cause this strep throat also as it unbalance the good/bad bacteria in your body and mouth.
So last night after an injection , some new meds, again antibiotics I started using all the info on home made remedies and pro biotics, from caynne pepper , apple cider vinegar, plain yogurt, I started using them inbetween.
My best experiance so far and im getting better is the apple cider vinegar and salt with warm water, used as a rinse and gargle.
next as a snack and to sooth my throat i combine the plain yogurt and caynne pepper plus some coconut oil, it actually tastes great!
Tommorrow morning ill prepare some garlic to add to my wonderfull mixture.
Thanks for your help in creating this page, i thought it is wonderfull that people create ways to assist people in medical problems
R&H Assistant
I hope you’re feeling better today! Good for you for taking control of your health. I’ll have to try that yogurt combination sometime!
Jay
Here is the recipe.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup Strongly brewed lemon herbal tea (Other types of herbal teas may work too)
1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg’s raw apple cider)
1 tablespoon Raw honey
¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper (Add more if you can – as much as you can stand)
INSTRUCTIONS
Brew tea, then mix everything else in. Stir well.
Gargle with small sips of the tea. Get it as far back in your throat as you can and keep gargling as long as you can stand it. Spit it out, and repeat every 15-30 minutes for several hours. You should feel the burn of the cayenne (within reason!).
Char
I am grad student and by not having health insurance, along with not wanting to take an antibiotic to avoid other problems I was looking for another way to treat the symptoms of strep throat. Thankfully, I came across your site and had nothing to lose waking up with a sore throat that felt like knives in my throat. Upon so many gargles and an acetaminophen, my throat was well enough to sing within less than 24 hours (Thank you). I had at least 3 white spots on my tonsil ewwww, but it has cleared mostly and swelling has gone down. I will monitor it though. I gargled on and off with the ultimate ST remedy, salt/water gargle, peroxide gargle, Braggs Apple cider gargle, Apple cider/cayenne gargle, and cloves/water gargle, chicken soup, lemon ginger teas, throat coat tea, chamomile tea, emergenC, vitamins, rest, prayer, anointing oil, nasal decongestant for ears & nose. I developed a cough, then ear clogging, and hoarseness. At this rate I’m a little hoarse and cough has lessened. Praise to God and this blessed natural recipe. Being sick sucks, but when you heal, makes you most grateful for the times of health.
R&H Assistant
I’m so glad it helped you! Happy singing! 🙂
Margaret
Although I can see how Cayenne could kill bacteria, it seems like Cayenne could also burn the back of your throat if you use too much it could leave a residue that would hurt the already irritated tissue?. Just like The natural oil from peppers can burn the inside of the stomach, nasal lining or even the touch of your finger .
Beth
That’s why it’s diluted in a cup of tea, similar to when it’s used in cooking. It hasn’t been a problem for me in all of the times I’ve used this remedy. 🙂
Laura Novak
If you are concerned about cayenne pepper irritating your throat you can swallow it in capsule form. Buy organic non- GMO @ a health food store or online. I make my own and keep it on hand for all kinds of illnesses, ie: headaches. Cayenne is a blood purifier and is even effective in treating snake bites/ venom!!
Donna Road
Considering that I have a headache, I’m going to try some cayenne pepper. I’ve not heard this before; so, thanks for sharing!
Kristen
Guys, I tried this gargle and it did not work for me. It hurt. The doctor said my glands looked irritated. I do not recommend for strep.
Beth
I’m so sorry it didn’t work for you! Unfortunately, there’s never a guarantee when we try natural remedies. (P.S. I’m a bit confused about something though – if you do have strep throat… wouldn’t that more logically explain the irritated glands?)
Kristen
My throat felt way more irritated after 3 rounds of the pepper gargle. It was definitely worse after. Glad I went to the doc and got the antibiotics – 2 pills and 8 hours later and it’s so much better
Beth
I’m glad you’re feeling better! 🙂
Roxie
I will try anything to avoid pharmaceuticals. You should have then switched to salt water gargle.
I am keeping this handy for the future. What works for some, doesn’t work for others.