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If you’ve ever wondered why some people get strep throat over and over and over again, sometimes even just days after a strep infection was supposedly eradicated with antibiotics, here’s the likely answer as explained by old-time MDs who practiced medicine before the modern love affair with prescription drugs got its start.
Most people are far too quick to run and get a prescription for antibiotics and never give their immune system a chance to build any resistance whatsoever. Most never consider the use of home remedies for strep throat either.
Conventional doctors today do a great job of scaring people out of their minds about the possibility of rheumatic fever/heart damage from allowing the body to deal with a strep throat infection unmedicated. However, the truth is, the risk of complications from strep throat is very small for healthy people who have no issues with their immune system. Even WebMD used to state (before pharmaceutical industry pressure forced a change in language to only mention antibiotics) that strep throat will go away on its own with or without treatment in 3-7 days.
I’ve written before about the one and only case of strep throat I ever had. It occurred when I was 15 and I am ever so grateful my MD father loved me enough to let me fight through it and win without antibiotics. The result? I’ve never ever gotten strep throat again despite repeated exposures. One exposure was in very close quarters – a college roommate had strep throat and I still didn’t contract it! What’s even more interesting is that none of my children have ever had strep either despite multiple exposures from friends and classmates.
I obviously built up a strong resistance to strep throat at a young age and have been blessed with never having to suffer with it again by allowing my body to fight through it naturally. It’s also quite possible I passed on my immunity to my children via breastfeeding, although that is obviously just an educated guess on my part.
The article I wrote on my personal strep throat story has invited both ridicule and applause over the past couple of years. Some folks have angrily emailed me saying I am crazy and putting people’s lives in danger by suggesting that forgoing meds for strep is the best way to go if one is in good health.
For others, the article triggered an “aha moment” with more than just a few deciding once and for all to stare down the strep throat demon and win!
One such inspiring story crossed my inbox recently and the strep throat victim was none other than professional singer Martin DeBourge!
Here’s what Martin had to say:
As a singer, getting strep throat every single year is not only frustrating, but vocally debilitating! So when it hit again this year, and I felt it coming on, I decided a new course of action was in order.
I spent a day researching. The one article that really rang true for me was on your website about whether antibiotics for strep are really necessary. You talked about how you “muscled through it” when you had strep throat as a teenager, and how your body may have even built an immunity against it.
That sounded great to me! But, I am well aware of the massive pain strep throat can cause. Just swallowing fluid is excruciating, let alone solid foods. So I needed a sort of “healthy second opinion”.
I called fellow friend and vocalist David Katz in New York. I knew he was an herbalist, but most importantly, he would understand my plight as a singer needing to do what’s best for my pipes. He runs a website and has an herbal product line JUST for singers, so I knew he was the right guy.
He ALSO encouraged me to steer clear of the antibiotics and gave me a few suggestions to “get through it”.
I braced myself for at least 10 days of bed ridden fever, throat swelling and sickness. Like I said, I’ve been through this numerous times before, so I knew what I was in for. I didn’t clear my singing schedule though, hoping for the best.
To my amazement, the strep “spots” started clearing within a couple days. I had my voice back in 36 hours! I was floored… and convinced.
Martin kept a daily log of his strep throat home remedies adventure outlined below. Hopefully, it will inspire more than just a few others to take the leap themselves.
Effective Strep Throat Home Remedies
Martin’s holistic strep throat treatment consisted of the following ingredients which he consumed at a rate of ½ teaspoon every 30 minutes to an hour.
- Use a mortar & pestle to mash up 3 cloves of fresh garlic (sources). If the raw garlic is too hot for you or you’re concerned about the odor potential, use homemade pickled garlic instead. Do not use commercial pickled garlic as it has no therapeutic value.
- Mix in half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper (sources).
- Mix in raw honey (manuka honey is the most potent. Be wary what brand you buy as most manuka honey is fake. Get UMF certified 15+) to taste which has healing properties of its own (sources).
Martin also gargled with raw apple cider vinegar diluted with some water 3x per day (sources). Although Martin didn’t use it, adding small cups of bone broth to the regimen would have helped speed healing as well.
Note that some people like to gargle with colloidal silver, which also works well. However, note that this remedy will kill the good bacteria in your throat area as well as the bad, potentially contributing to more problems down the road from unbalanced mouth, throat, and sinuses flora.
Below is Martin’s daily journal logging his progress to a cure.
Using Home Remedies for Strep Throat: A Daily Journal
10/6 – Sunday afternoon – felt “something” in throat. Still sang well at rehearsal.
10/7 – Monday morning – “something” became more prominent and I began the research into what I felt was inevitably the strep bacteria attacking my throat.
10/7 – Monday early afternoon – visit to doctor for regular checkup and asking about an unrelated pulled muscle. He checked my throat (routinely) and said nothing. It didn’t matter if he had, I would have just went through the motions of accepting an antibiotic prescription, but not taking it – I had already made up my mind to do something “different”.
10/7 – Monday afternoon – found information on The Healthy Home Economist about beating strep with no meds. Followed up with a phone call to David Aaron Katz. Became convinced that I will muscle through it with home remedies. As per David’s suggestion, I started by sucking/chewing on cloves of garlic – 5 of them before the day was out!
10/7 – Monday evening – attempted to sing. Did not go well, highs were very strained.
10/8 – Tuesday morning – throat uncomfortableness, but quick mirror check didn’t seem to reveal anything overly red. Driving son to school is when I looked in rear view mirror and noticed two white spots. Strep confirmed.
10/8 – Tuesday later morning – started a cycle of garlic chewing with a mixture of raw honey & cayenne pepper every half hour (concoction detailed below). First two administers I experienced upset stomach, but became very tired and slept most afternoon.
10/8 – Tuesday afternoon – continued garlic/honey/cayenne mixture every half hour during awake times.
10/8 – Tuesday early evening. Headaches persisted, but still had an appetite. Gargled with ACV – that was a bit painful.
10/8 – Tuesday evening. Continued with mixture until I went to sleep. Noticed a third spot very far back and lower behind the tongue. May have always been there, but this is the first I noticed.
10/9 – Wednesday early morning – Awoke with a sore throat, a bit difficult to swallow. Gargled and drank 16 fl oz water with 2 tbs of ACV & Raw Honey. Checked throat under light, saw the same three spots.
10/9 – Wednesday afternoon – no stomach issues, and the sore throat lessened considerably throughout the day. Still uncomfortable, but I can definitely eat.
10/9 – Wednesday early evening – third spot undetected, second one lessening. First one still prominent, but definitely all good signs. Also, I noticed I am not all that drained and exhausted – which I attributed to the garlic intake.
10/10 – Thursday early morning – woke up with slightly less of a sore throat. Gargled and drank 16oz water with ACV & Honey. Throat under light still shows the one stubborn spot, hard to tell, but it could be a tiny bit less in size.
10/11 – Thursday afternoon – Was told by my wife that she can’t bear with my garlic breath another day… no worries, that third spot is definitely reduced in size. I decided that come morning, I will just do Apple Cider Vinegar. Besides, I had a karaoke gig this night and needed to not smell like garlic for the customers.
10/12 – Friday Morning – Spot free. Wow. Not a single spot, throat back to normal. I decided to slowly warm up the voice as I had a singing engagement to prepare for on Saturday.
10/13 – Saturday evening – voice 100%. Throat clean as a whistle. In all my years (year after year) getting strep throat, I have NEVER bounced back this quick – not to mention getting through it without antibiotics.
10/15 – UPDATE: I made a facebook post about this a few days ago, simply saying that I kicked strep to the curb without the use of antibiotics. I have over 1400 followers on my profile, so I certainly expected varying comments. One particular comment jumped out at me… “make sure you really got rid of it, it typically comes back within a couple days if you didn’t eradicate it”.
Well……… it’s not back!
Congratulations Martin on the amazing success of your strep throat remedy! Please keep us updated on your progress, but my bet is that you won’t ever be taking antibiotics for strep throat again, and you may very well never even have it again!
Have you always wondered how to get rid of strep throat without meds? Have you ever muscled through it under your own power using one or more strep throat home remedies? If so, what remedies did you use and have you experienced immunity to strep throat since? Please chime in with the strep throat cures which worked for you below.
Want to connect with Martin? These links below will point you in the right direction:
(youtube) www.youtube.com/martindebourge
(bio) www.15hifi.com/site/martindebourge
More Information
Remedy for Sore Throat (fast acting)
How to Repair Your Gut After Antibiotics
Why Antibiotics Today Could Threaten Your Life Tomorrow
Best Natural Antibiotics and How to Use Them
Fever Blisters Home Remedy
I have an 11 year old boy. He refuses to take meds for strep. He’s been sick for 4 days now. Has only eaten very little. Was wondering if he didn’t take anything, he won’t try the concoction that is mentioned, how long would it take for him to feel better? I have to take off work while he is gone from school and can’t take off another day. Advice is appreciated. Thanks.
Advice: You’re the parent, not him. Make him take the meds.
I’m reading this and I think it is great that every one was able to get over strep on their own. Good for you. But, I have to be the note of caution. I caught strep every couple of weeks for about two years, when I was 13. My mother also let me “tough it out.” I wound up in the hospital with tonsils and lymph nodes so swollen I had to have surgery. My jaw was so swollen I could not speak, much less eat. It also turns out that the bacteria had spread to my heart and damaged it. Be careful, see a doctor.
I am going to try this garlic/cayenne/honey mixture. I came down with strep on Thursday whilel out of town visiting my sister. In order to avoid a hefty emergency bill, I decided to tough it out until we returned home and I could see my primary phiysician. We arrived home Sunday afternoon and by Monday morning I was feeling much better but still had a pretty significant sore throat. Tuesday was even better. Today (Wed) I returnerd to work and made it through just fine but still have this nagging sore throat. So after my shift I decided to do some research and stumbled across this site. I really hope this helps with the soreness. But, clearly I am recovering with no antibiotics and it would be truelly awesome if I never have strep throat again!
I had strep for a week before I went to the doctor for it. They gave me a shot and it didn’t work. Since the service was horrible, I decided not to go back. A Dr. that specializes in natural medicine had me take a probiotic (build up the strong good bacteria to fight the bad is how she explained it). For upkeep or when I feel like I’m catching something I’ll drink “tea” consisting of: warm water, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar-with “the mother”, cinnamon stick, and raw local honey. It actually tastes a lot like apple cider but with a bit more of a “zing”. I had a really bad case and haven’t caught it again since although two years later my nephew keeps popping up with it and I’ve been around him constantly every time. He’s being put on antibiotics every time 🙁
Is it safe to take this remedy while pregnant? I just found out I have step and am nervous about putting antibiotics in my body while pregnant.
Our neighbors child has strep throat and scarlet fever. Over the weekend our kids were playing together so her mom told us about the exposure. I made the mistake of mentioning it to my mother who reacted in complete hysteria over it. She nagged me to take them to urgent care to get early treatment of antibiotics and I refused. She told me my lackadaisical response is ridicules and I should be more proactive. So I had them a teaspoon of raw honey (for the 5 yr old) and apple cider vinegar for the 11 year old and sent them to bed. Again she harped about how she is now exposed and she can’t afford to be sick. I tried to tell her that exposure does not equal contraction or infection. But I’m talking to a person who runs to urgent care for ever ache and pain, so I don’t expect her to understand. My kids have never been to the hospital for colds, never had flu shots, and only treated with antibiotics once in their lives.
Anyhow, to satisfy my mom I called the kids doctor and told them about the exposure and they said if they aren’t showing symptoms then not to bring them in. They wont pre-treat. I was glad to hear that as it validated my lackadaisical response. I will continue to give honey and ACV treatments and my oldest actually enjoys raw garlic. And I’ll let you know if it ever develops from here into anything.
Well, I have to weigh in on this because I tried it this week for strep throat. I am so shocked and impressed I am telling everyone about this. Strep is making its rounds here where we live. Friday I began to feel it, Sat much more, Sunday could barely drag myself out of bed. Saw this site and decided to try this. I was all prepared to head to Dr on Tues if no difference. Began Monday am, did it pretty much exactly as explained, minus the gargling. Never have been able to do that. I did add 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar to garlic mix. Also started really pumping up on Vit C and sipped bone broth through the day. Tues morning was remarkably better then Mon, 24 hours later. So I continued and by Wed am, I knew I had kicked it. I continued with garlic but only about 4 doses that day. It is now Thurs and its gone, with only a slight rasp in my throat to remind me. I am going to continue the garlic 2x day for another week. Everyone I know who has been on the antibiotics is still feeling it, even after a week. Made a big believer out of me.
Great news! I’ll bet you will be more resistant to catching it again next time too since you licked it without drugs and built some natural immunity.
What to do for pain and if you need to work?
Any suggestions for young kids (2 years old)? I can see her taking the raw honey, the ACV (maybe), but raw garlic? Help!
I know this article is several years old, but I thought I’d chime in for anyone still reading. Our family doctor is open minded, scientific and pragmatic. He is a board certified family doctor who also uses homeopathy and natural home remedies. He has treated our entire family of 7 for Strep Throat over the years. He recommends adults tough it out, and that children be kept under very close observation, but tough it out as well. However, in one case in which I personally was unable to overcome the illness within 10 days he recommended that I take antibiotics, but left it up to me. I took them and have not had Strep Throat since. He explained Strep Throat like this. This bacteria is in the digestive system all of the time, and we get Strep Throat when our system is out of balance, usually due to stress, exhaustion, lack of sleep, etc. Strep bacteria then has the opportunity to over colonize, leading to illness. When you tough out the illness without antibiotics, you preserve the healthy bacteria in your gut which keeps Strep bacteria from taking over. That’s why people who choose not to take antibiotics are less likely to have a repeat occurrence. In other words, you can’t “build up immunity,” but you can maintain a healthy gut by avoiding antibiotics whenever possible and by being aggressive with probiotics when you do take them.
Thanks for posting!! I get strep once every 2 to 3 months and go through the same scenario.. go to doc, get amoxicillin it goes away for 2 months, then its back. This time I am saying enough is enough! When you mention probiotics, do you reccommend kombucha?
Kombucha is not near strong enough. Get a therapeutic grade probiotic supplement. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/choose-best-probiotic-supplement/
This comment makes complete sense to me. I have been holding up my immune system through a mostly plant based diet and herbs etc successfully until the last month. Prior to this my immune system was in terrible due to my partner dying, losing my business and having my home repossessed. I was not eating properly and in quite a state.
For the last month every time I have worked a long shift and then drank alcohol, the next day I have a sore throat and signs of ‘coming down with something’. I have rested, eaten well, taken herbs or whatever, and luckily by the next day, I’ve been fine. However, the last two weeks I have been very low, not eating properly and not taking any of my herbs. I have even had take away food which is not like me and of course just promotes ill health. I drank alcohol two nights in a row (which is also unusual) and today I have developed strep. I’m contributing this to alcohol lowering my immune system but I have to be able to combat this in the past, until the last two weeks when I didn’t give my body anything to fight with.
I have never had step before but I am fairly sure this is what I am experiencing. I don’t have tonsils as they were taken out so it can’t be tonsillitis. I have no cold or flu symptoms other than feeling off, temperature and headache. I have a severe sore throat and white patches. My throat looks like all the strep throat pictures on Google.
Anyway, I have been using oregano this evening as this has been scientifically proven to be more effective than antibiotics against strep. I have also made a tea of nettles, peppermint, ginger and cinnamon, gargled with acv, drank a couple of chamomile teas and took some raspberry leaf tincture. I also put five cloves of garlic in my dinner too so I will stink for the next 24 hours! As much as I don’t feel great, I don’t feel AWFUL. I was running a temperature earlier but that has gone. I am struggling to sleep though despite feeling tired hence why I am commenting at 4.30am!
I will update how long this lasts and what I did. I always try a combination of things and try to attack from all angles. I recommend that anyone suffering any illness does the same as long as they know what they are combining is safe to do so. I would recommend taking remedies aimed at the problem, some multi vitamin herbs like dandelion, nettles, alfalfa or raspberry leaf and then some immune boosting remedies too. That way you are doing all you can to support your body even if you are not eating a lot due to pain or feeling unwell. Try to avoid refined sugars and starches. Eat as much nutritional food as you can manage when ill. Always keep up fluids even if you don’t feel like drinking. It’s very important in any illness.
I think this is the best advice that I have heard, it makes a lot of sense. Strep effects my stomach greatly. Thanks for sharing.
you never mentioned if a throat culture was done when visiting the doctor. You only said he looked at your throat and prescribed you something. We don’t know for sure if you had strep throat. It might have just been a mild throat infection.
white spots on your tonsills is strep throat…. can’t be anything else… thoiught everyone knew that.
Actually white spots on the tonsils don’t just indicate strep throat it could be many things such as: Mononucleosis (or better known just as Mono), severe tonsillitis, oral thrush and even Diphtheria (but of course there are other symptoms with Diphtheria not just white spots on tonsils). Strep Throat can only be determined by a throat culture, I’d never recommend self diagnoses. I have had a history of strep throat 4x a year since the age of 14 (I am now 21). Recently went to the doctor to get a note for work expecting strep throat and surprise, strep test was negative! Had a blood test for Mono, Positive. I am all for natural health (I actually treat all my illnesses naturally if possible) but I always make sure to know the monster I am up against. 🙂
I am a specialist physician in my country (Australia) There are a number of viral and bacterial causes for what may be perceived by a person to be strep throat. Some are potentially life threatening. At least three types of bacterial tonsillar/throat infection (diphtheria, haemophilus and pertussis) can in some cases progress very rapidly to airways obstruction. So if you do develop tonsillitis or sore throat that is significantly inconveniencing you I would strongly recommend that you see a competent family doctor sooner rather than later and insist on having the tonsils swabbed. Antibiotics may or may not be prescribed once the swab result comes back, depending on whether the result is positive for a bacterial infection, but get the swab done and ring up or attend promptly to get follow up antibiotic treatment if indicated.
Strep throat can cause serious heart and kidney complications later and needs to be treated in every case with suitable antibiotics for up to 10 days. Persons who state otherwise need to read up on rheumatic fever and streptococcal nephritis. Both are disastrous but are potentially avoidable if streptococcal infections (of the skin as well as of the throat) are treated with the appropriate antibiotics.
Don’t forget: Your esteemed raconteur Samuel Clemens is alleged to have once said: Denial ain’t a river in Eygpt. Protect yourself. Understand the history (horrific), the science and the evidence for treatment of these diseases and don’t succumb to snake oil remedies.
Just a heads up, Garlic…like antibiotics, affect birth control.