Right after posting the cayenne pepper tip from Men’s Health (and after noting that my headache was stronger than ever), I just couldn’t resist trying it. Let’s hope this photo doesn’t haunt me for the rest of my life. Ah, the internet.
I mixed the prescribed 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne with 4 ounces of warm water in a teacup. Swished a Q-Tip around in the solution, and stuck it right up there. Surprisingly, the mixture didn’t burn at all (I think my cayenne is a little old and not as spicy as it once was), so I added a bit more and repeated.
15 minutes later, my nostrils are still on fire. But - tah-dah! - the headache is gone! I’m sold.
6 responses so far ↓
1 ekroh // Jan 25, 2008 at 3:41 pm
I think this is what blogs are for
2 Matt // Jan 25, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Impressed by the remedy.
More impressed by the photo.
3 Brad // Jan 26, 2008 at 2:15 am
SOLD!
4 goddess34 // Jan 26, 2008 at 5:21 am
it probably worked because you wanted it to. If it was a migraine your headache would not have gone away with that fast otherwise the gp would be prescribing it and the government would be doing research on it.
5 amaltby // Jan 26, 2008 at 1:30 pm
@goddess34
you may be quite right, and i didn’t mention my own analysis of what might have happened. (but no, it wasn’t a migraine, it was just a headache.)
the study was done at bastyr university in seattle. the researchers found that capsaicin, a compound found in chilies, cuts off the neurotransmitters in the brain that cause you to feel headache pain. i think it may have something to do with those neurotransmitters being “distracted” by the burning-effects process of the capsaicin, but i’d have to talk to the researchers or get my hands on their study to know for sure.
regardless, you’re absolutely right that the placebo effect can be very strong. at the same time, i applied the solution along with a healthy dose of skepticism, so it might just be the capsaicin/neurotransmitter connection after all.
6 Reader question: ginger tea // Mar 9, 2008 at 2:43 pm
[…] pepper. Oh, sweet sweet cayenne pepper. Need I remind you of this epic blog post? As I discovered firsthand that day, capsaicin, a compound found in chilies and a prime ingredient […]
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