Cayenne pepper

Hi All,

I know that there are some on this forum with have tried cayenne pepper for migraines. I have a horrible migraine right now and am not sure what to do. I know that cayenne pepper is more of a preventative, but right now, I feel like I have nothing to lose bu trying it for a while. Does anyone use the capsules? If so, has it helped at all. Please let me know.

Pain free days,
sailingm

Sailing, I think it is one of those weird things that occasionally helps a person, but not too many. It is certainly worth a try. I tried the spray and capsules. neither helped at all. Eating spicy foods is a trigger for me. so I didnt think it would work! But, of course, I tried it any way. Hope it helps you.
Hugs,
Cindy

I said I wasn't going to advertise my migraine successes because it seems like when I do, the monster stomps on me. And maybe this is just a coincidence, but I wanted to share it anyway.

Incidently to migraines I have been ingesting a fairly large amount of Tabasco sauce (cayenne) every day for a few weeks now. I have coughing/congestion/sore throat that I haven't been able to shake. Tabasco is one of the few things that makes me feel a little better. I have been eating probably 1/8 to 1/4 cup a day. Oh, I really like the taste too. I put it one eggs, in most soups, and sometimes just down a teaspoon by itself. I haven't had a migraine since Dec 27, about the same time I started with the Tabasco.

It may only be a coincidence but it is an interesting one. We'll see. I know that a few, very few, people have had some success with it as a migraine preventative. I can't understand how it could work, but I am enjoying the respite, whatever the reason. Perhaps I'll continue to take it after my flu symptoms go away. I'll let y'all know one way or another.

Chris

PS I tried taking cayenne capsules before as a preventative and it didn't work for me. I don't understand why drinking it would. We'll see.

OMG I have heartburn just from reading that..lol

Stillhurtin wrote:OMG I have heartburn just from reading that..lol

Me too, Jessica!

I'm so glad it's working for you, Chris, and I hope it continues. It sure is a lot cheaper than prescription meds, as long as your intestines can handle it.

Keep us posted, and thanks for sharing.

Becky

Actually, I take prilosec daily, not specifically because of the cayenne. This is a side issue but in the past, I worked hard at not eating anything that triggers heartburn. It didn't make any difference what I ate or even if I fasted. I always had terrible heartburn. The prilosec takes care of it. Yes, I've been tested for h pylori (negative) and even had the camera down the throat to the stomach. I have overall irritation, but no ulcers, no tumors.

So since I have to take the stomach med anyway and the tabasco is good for me in many other ways, I take it. Oh yeah, I really enjoy the flavor of cayenne sauce. I find it delicious. The 'maybe" migraine help is just a nice bonus.

Chris

That is really awesome, Chris! I hope it lasts for you (forever would be nice)!

Cheryl

Thanks Cheryl,

It's been 23 days so far. I still suspect it's a coincidence but we'll see. Even if cayenne turns out to not prevent migraines but reduces the frequency, I'll be thrilled.

Chris

23 Days is miraculous (to me anyway). I hope it continues, Chris. 23 days.......WOW!!!!!!

Becky

Yes, 23 days is really encouraging. Keep the faith!

Cheryl

Today is the 26th day with no migraine. I am still downing 1/8 - 1/4 cup of tabasco a day. to reiterate, I was not taking it as a migraine preventative, but to help with nasal congestion and sore throat. However, this is the longest time I have gone without a migraine in years. At this point, I am cautious about saying the cayenne is actually preventing migraines. I will continue to use the tabasco every day for at least another month to get a better picture. Besides, I love the way tabasco tastes on food and I even enjoy it straight. I like the taste that much.

The brand I am using isn't all that hot, just tasty. It is Crystal brand from Louisiana (ai-eee!).

Chris

Chris, Anna's neuro told a friend of mine who also see him that he has a patient with migraine disease (very bad) who is getting great relief taking tumeric as a preventative. Maybe along the same principal? "Heat" of some sort works as a preventative?

Cheryl

Cheryl,

I don't know. You may have a point. If you remember Bahman, he first had considerable success with cayenne and then later he found out he did even better with tumeric. When he was talking about cayenne, I tried it. But I was was taking capsules with cayenne powder. They didn't help. Maybe I wasn't taking enough? Or maybe there is a difference between taking the dry powder and taking the sauce? That doesn't make sense to me, but who knows?

Chris

Cheryl, Turmeric is supposed to be a potent anti-inflammatory. I keep meaning to try it, since I have never found anything, even natural, that I can take with anti-inflammatory properties. My Dr. thinks it is from the damage done by untreated Celiac disease for most of my life and being a poor detoxer.
Hugs,
Cindy

I love hot sauce. If it weren't for the fact that it would make my belly explode I would LOVE this treatment as an option! MMMmm. Hot sauce on pizza, hot sauce on hot dogs, hot sauce on burgers...ahh the list goes on.

Seriously though, KABOOOM!

It's been 32 days without a migraine! Truly miraculous for me. Is it the tabasco sauce? I'm not going to say yes yet, but 32 days is a very long time to not have a migraine. I wish Bahman would show up here so we could talk about it. I know it sounds so crazy. How could cayenne prevent migraines? All I know is the only thing I have been doing differently in the last 32 days is have tabasco sauce every day.

Chris

Not sure if this helps Chris.

Cayenne relieves pain (taken both internally and applied topically). It provides natural heat, and its ingredient, capsaicin, is a strong pain-relieving agent that alleviates the joint pain of arthritis, rheumatism, muscle spasms, cramps and bowel pain. In addition, Cayenne triggers the release of endorphins by the brain, chemicals that relieve pain that may be helpful in treating cluster headaches. This herbal supplement improves blood circulation and is thought to normalize both high and low blood pressure. In alternative medicine, Cayenne is called a carrier or catalyst herb that increases the efficacy of almost every other herb or herbal combination

Pen,

Thanks! I was aware of the topical uses and have used cayenne cream rub for muscle pain. But I was not aware of its internal properties. Enlightening. It seems to be a plant that has many positive properties. I love the taste so I think I will permanently incorporate it into my diet .

Chris

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing. I figure it is another thing to try that can only be beneficial since it is good for you anyway regardless if it helps the migraine. Fortunately I have a cast iron stomach and love hot stuff. I will just have to come up with a way of taking it. I don't want it on everything! Any ideas?

I did try the dried cayenne pepper once by inhaling it when I was desperate but was too far gone to have it work. Felt kind of stupid with all this pepper all around my nose. I remember when Bahman was using it. Someone else at the time was using chia seeds. Anyone remember who that was? I tried those with no success. They are very healthy for you though so nothing lost there.

You know in our stumbling efforts to rid ourselves of this demon we imbibe of so many good things.
We should be in ultimate health and many of us probably are, diet wise at least.
So that's nothing to do with why we suffer....

Maybe we need to eat crap....

That made me laugh out loud Pen. I've thought of that one myself. I, for one, eat very healthy and I bet a lot of others on this forum do also since things like alcohol, chocolate, food additives, etc. are triggers for a lot of people. Maybe if we ignored this and indulged, things would change. Probably has about as good a chance as anything else we've been told or tried.

chris so thrilled for you 26 days is great, long may it continue for you.