What is capsaicin topical used for. How should capsaicin be applied to the skin. What precautions should be taken when using capsaicin topically. What are the potential side effects of capsaicin topical application.

Understanding Capsaicin: The Active Ingredient in Topical Pain Relief

Capsaicin, the compound responsible for the spicy heat in chili peppers, has found its way into various topical medications designed to alleviate minor pain. This natural substance works by affecting nerve cells in the skin associated with pain perception, effectively reducing their activity and diminishing the sensation of discomfort.

Derived from chili peppers, capsaicin is available in several forms for topical application, including:

• Ointments
• Creams
• Gels
• Oils
• Topical solutions

These products come in various strengths, catering to different levels of pain and sensitivity. The versatility of capsaicin-based topical treatments makes them a popular choice for those seeking relief from minor aches and pains.

The Therapeutic Applications of Topical Capsaicin

Topical capsaicin is primarily used to address minor pain in muscles and joints. Its applications extend to a range of common conditions, including:

• Arthritis
• Backaches
• Muscle strains
• Bruises
• Cramps
• Sprains

Is capsaicin effective for all types of pain? While it’s particularly useful for the conditions listed above, it’s important to note that capsaicin is most effective for minor, localized pain. For severe or chronic pain, it’s essential to consult with a healthcare professional to determine the most appropriate treatment approach.

Proper Application Techniques for Topical Capsaicin

To maximize the benefits of topical capsaicin while minimizing potential side effects, it’s crucial to apply the medication correctly. Here’s a step-by-step guide to proper application:

1. Clean and dry the affected area thoroughly.
2. Apply a small amount of the product to cover the painful area with a thin layer.
3. Gently rub the medication into the skin until it’s absorbed.
4. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after application.
5. If applying to your hands, wait 30 minutes before washing them.

How often should capsaicin be applied? The frequency of application depends on the specific product and your doctor’s recommendations. Generally, it’s used as needed or as stated on the product label. Always follow the package instructions or your healthcare provider’s guidance.

Precautions and Considerations When Using Topical Capsaicin

While topical capsaicin is generally safe when used as directed, there are several important precautions to keep in mind:

• Avoid applying to broken, damaged, cut, infected, or rash-covered skin.
• Do not wrap or bandage the treated area.
• Keep the medication away from eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Protect the treated area from direct heat sources like heating pads or hair dryers.
• Avoid applying immediately before or after showering, bathing, swimming, or vigorous exercise.

Can topical capsaicin be used during pregnancy or while breastfeeding? If you’re pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding, it’s crucial to consult your doctor before using topical capsaicin. They can provide personalized advice based on your specific situation and potential risks.

Potential Side Effects and How to Manage Them

Like all medications, topical capsaicin can cause side effects. Most are mild and localized to the application site, but it’s important to be aware of potential reactions:

Common Side Effects:

• Burning sensation at the application site
• Redness
• Itching
• Irritation

Less Common Side Effects:

• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Throat irritation

How long do side effects typically last? The burning sensation at the application site usually diminishes after several days of continued use. However, if you experience severe burning or any concerning symptoms, discontinue use and consult your healthcare provider immediately.

Interactions and Special Considerations

While topical capsaicin is generally safe, it’s important to be aware of potential interactions with other medications and special considerations for certain individuals:

Potential Interactions:

• Transdermal patches (e.g., diclofenac, nicotine, rivastigmine, rotigotine)
• Other topical pain medications

Special Considerations:

• Increased skin sensitivity to sunlight
• Potential for respiratory irritation if inhaled
• Allergies to capsaicin or other ingredients

Should you inform your healthcare provider about all medications you’re taking? Absolutely. It’s crucial to tell your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, supplements, and herbal products you’re using or planning to use. This helps prevent potential interactions and ensures your safety.

Storage, Disposal, and Emergency Information

Proper storage and disposal of topical capsaicin are important for maintaining its effectiveness and ensuring safety:

Storage:

• Keep at room temperature
• Protect from excessive heat and moisture
• Keep out of reach of children

Disposal:

• Follow local guidelines for medication disposal
• Do not flush down the toilet unless specifically instructed

Emergency Situations:

In case of accidental ingestion or severe reactions, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately. Provide them with information about the product, amount used, and any symptoms experienced.

How can you prevent accidental exposure to capsaicin? Always keep the medication in its original container, clearly labeled, and stored securely. Be cautious when applying to avoid contact with sensitive areas, and wash your hands thoroughly after each use.

Maximizing the Benefits of Topical Capsaicin Treatment

To get the most out of your topical capsaicin treatment, consider the following tips:

• Be consistent with application as directed
• Give the treatment time to work (effects may take several days to become noticeable)
• Combine with other pain management strategies as recommended by your healthcare provider
• Monitor your response and report any concerns to your doctor
• Keep a pain diary to track improvements and identify patterns

Is topical capsaicin suitable for long-term use? While it can be used for extended periods, it’s important to follow your doctor’s recommendations and periodically reassess its effectiveness. If your pain persists or worsens after a week of use, consult your healthcare provider for further evaluation.

By understanding the proper use, precautions, and potential side effects of topical capsaicin, you can safely harness its pain-relieving properties. Always consult with a healthcare professional for personalized advice and to ensure that topical capsaicin is the right choice for your specific pain management needs.

Capsaicin Topical: MedlinePlus Drug Information

pronounced as (kap say’ i sin)

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Topical capsaicin is used to relieve minor pain in muscles and joints caused by arthritis, backaches, muscle strains, bruises, cramps, and sprains. Capsaicin is a substance that is found in chili peppers. It works by affecting nerve cells in the skin that are associated with pain, which results in decreased activity of these nerve cells and a reduced sense of pain.

Capsaicin comes as an ointment, cream, gel, oil, and a topical solution in various strengths to apply to the skin. Topical capsaicin is usually used as needed as stated on the product label or as directed by your doctor. Follow the directions on the package instructions carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use topical capsaicin exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than directed by the package instructions.

To use topical capsaicin, apply a small amount of ointment, cream, oil, or topical solution to cover the affected area of skin with a thin layer and rub it in gently. Avoid applying topical capsaicin into folds of skin.

Do not apply topical capsaicin to skin that is broken, damaged, cut, infected, or covered by a rash. Do not wrap or bandage the treated area.

This medication is only for use on the skin. Do not let topical capsaicin get into your eyes, nose, or mouth and do not swallow it.

Wash your hands with soap and water to remove any medicine that may have gotten on them. If topical capsaicin is applied to the hands, wait for 30 minutes before washing your hands. Do not touch your eyes, nose, or mouth until you have washed your hands.

While using topical capsaicin, protect treated area from direct heat such as heating pads, electric blankets, hair dryers, and heat lamps. Topical capsaicin should not be applied immediately before or after showering, taking a bath, swimming, or vigorous exercise.

Stop using topical capsaicin and call your doctor if your pain worsens, improves and then worsens, or lasts longer than 7 days.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Before using topical capsaicin,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to capsaicin, any other medications, chili peppers, or any of the other ingredients in topical capsaicin. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: transdermal patches such as diclofenac (Flector), nicotine (Nicoderm, Nicotrol), rivastigmine (Exelon), rotigotine (Neupro) or other topical medications for pain.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while using topical capsaicin, call your doctor.
• plan to avoid unnecessary or prolonged exposure to sunlight and to wear protective clothing and sunscreen. Topical capsaicin may make your skin sensitive to sunlight.
• you should know that topical capsaicin may cause burning at the application site that generally disappears after several days. Stop using topical capsaicin and call your doctor right away if severe burning at application site occurs.
• you should know that topical capsaicin may cause coughing, sneezing, tearing, and throat or respiratory irritation if inhaled. Do not inhale dried residue from the place where you applied topical capsaicin.

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.

This medication is usually used as needed. If your doctor has told you to use topical capsaicin regularly, apply the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not apply a double dose to make up for a missed one.

Topical capsaicin may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• burning sensation at the place where capsaicin was applied
• redness, itching, or irritation at the place where capsaicin was applied
• cough
• sneezing
• throat irritation

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms call your doctor immediately:

• pain, swelling, or blistering at the place where capsaicin was applied
• eye irritation or pain

Topical capsaicin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while using this medication.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch) or by phone (1-800-332-1088).

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from light, excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom).

It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location – one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. http://www.upandaway.org

Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website (http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p) for more information if you do not have access to a take-back program.

In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at 1-800-222-1222. Information is also available online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can’t be awakened, immediately call emergency services at 911.

• Aspercreme Warming^®
• Red Hot^®
• Revlex^®
• Weh-Weh^®
• Zostrix HP^®
• Transder-iQ^® (as a combination product containing lidocaine, menthol, methyl salicylate, capsaicin)

Last Revised – 10/15/2020

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Capsaicin Transdermal Patch: MedlinePlus Drug Information

pronounced as (kap say’ i sin)

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Nonprescription (over-the-counter) capsaicin patches (Aspercreme Warming, Salonpas Pain Relieving Hot, others) are used to relieve minor pain in muscles and joints caused by arthritis, backaches, muscle strains, bruises, cramps, and sprains. Prescription capsaicin patches (Qutenza) are used to relieve the pain of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN; the burning, stabbing pain or aches that may last for months or years after an attack of shingles). Prescription capsaicin patches (Qutenza) are also used to relieve the pain of diabetic neuropathy (numbness or tingling due to nerve damage in people who have diabetes). Capsaicin is a substance that is found in chili peppers. It works by affecting nerve cells in the skin that are associated with pain, which results in decreased activity of these nerve cells and a reduced sense of pain.

Prescription transdermal capsaicin comes as an 8% patch (Qutenza) to be applied to the skin. Your doctor will choose the best place to apply the patch(es) in order to treat your condition and will mark the area where the patch should be placed. If transdermal capsaicin (Qutenza) is used to relieve the pain of postherpetic neuralgia, up to 4 patches are usually applied for 60 minutes once every 3 months. If transdermal capsaicin (Qutenza) is used to relieve the pain of diabetic neuropathy, up to 4 patches are usually applied for 30 minutes once every 3 months.

Nonprescription (over the counter) transdermal capsaicin comes as a 0. 025% patch (Aspercreme Warming, Salonpas Pain Relieving Hot, others) to apply up to 3 or 4 times daily and for no more than 8 hours per application. Use nonprescription capsaicin patches exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often or for a longer period of time than directed by the package instructions.

Your doctor may apply an anesthetic to numb your skin before applying prescription transdermal capsaicin (Qutenza). Tell your doctor if you experience pain at the application site. Your doctor may use a cold pack or give you another medication for pain.

Apply nonprescription (over the counter) capsaicin patches to a clean, dry, hairless area of skin as directed by the package directions. Do not apply capsaicin patches to skin that is broken, damaged, cut, infected, or covered by a rash. Do not wrap or bandage the treated area.

Wash your hands with soap and water to remove any medicine that may have gotten on them. Do not touch your eyes until you have washed your hands.

Do not let the nonprescription (over the counter) patches come in contact with your eyes, nose, or mouth. If the patch does touch your eye or if irritation of your eyes, nose, or mouth occurs, wash the affected area immediately with water. Call a doctor if eye, skin, nose, or throat irritation.

While you are wearing a capsaicin patch and for a few days after treatment with prescription transdermal capsaicin, protect treated area from direct heat such as heating pads, electric blankets, hair dryers, heat lamps, saunas, and hot tubs. In addition, vigorous exercise should be avoided for a few days following treatment with prescription transdermal capsaicin. You should not shower or take a bath while you are wearing a nonprescription (over the counter) capsaicin patch. You should remove the patch at least 1 hour before showering or taking a bath; do not apply capsaicin patches immediately after showering or taking a bath.

Stop using nonprescription capsaicin patches and call your doctor if severe burning occurs or if your pain worsens, improves and then worsens, or lasts longer than 7 days.

Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Before using capsaicin patches,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to capsaicin, any other medications, chili peppers, or any of the other ingredients in capsaicin patches. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: opioid (narcotic) pain medications such as codeine (found in many cough and pain medications), morphine (Kadian), hydrocodone (Hyslingla, Zohydro, in Apadaz, others), and oxycodone (Oxycontin, Xtampza, in Percocet, others) or other topical medications for pain.
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had high blood pressure, stroke or mini-stroke, heart problems, or trouble feeling or sensing touch on the skin.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while using capsaicin patches, call your doctor.
• plan to avoid unnecessary or prolonged exposure to sunlight and to wear protective clothing and sunscreen. Capsaicin patches may make your skin sensitive to sunlight.

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.

Apply a new patch as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next scheduled application, skip the missed dose and continue your regular schedule. Do not apply an extra capsaicin patch to make up for a missed dose.

Transdermal capsaicin may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• burning sensation at the place where the patch was applied
• redness, itching, or small bumps at the place where the patch was applied
• nausea

Some side effects can be serious.

If you experience any of these symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

• pain, swelling, or blistering at the place where the patch was applied
• cough
• eye irritation or pain
• throat irritation

Transdermal capsaicin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch) or by phone (1-800-332-1088).

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children and pets. Store it at room temperature.

It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location – one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. http://www.upandaway.org

Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website (http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p) for more information if you do not have access to a take-back program.

In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at 1-800-222-1222. Information is also available online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can’t be awakened, immediately call emergency services at 911.

• Aspercreme Warming^® Patch
• Coralite ^® Medicated Heat Patch
• Medirelief Hot^® Patch
• Qutenza^® Patch
• Salonpas Pain Relieving Hot^® Patch
• Satogesic Hot^® Patch
• Solistice Hot^® Patch

• Toplast Hot^® Patch (containing menthol, capsaicin)

Last Revised – 04/15/2023

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medical and pharmaceutical uses — ThePharma.Media

Capsaicin is a hot/pungent ingredient in red chili peppers that has anti-inflammatory, warming, analgesic, and vasodilating effects and is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry.

Capsaicin, the hot ingredient in red chili peppers, helped win the 2021 Nobel Prize for American scientist David Julius. Well, this is an occasion to explore in more detail the numerous aspects of the pharmacotherapeutic action of this natural substance!

Path to Science

Capsaicin is a chemical compound that was first isolated from chili peppers in crystalline form in 1878.

Soon after, capsaicin was found to cause a burning sensation on mucous membranes. In addition, it turned out that this component increased the secretion of gastric acid and stimulated the nerve endings in the skin.

The chemical structure of capsaicin was partially elucidated in 1919, and in 1930 it was synthesized chemically.

In 1961, capsaicin-like substances (dihydrocapsaicin, nordihydrocapsaicin, and homocapsaicin) were isolated from chili peppers by Japanese chemists, who named them capsaicinoids.

All of these compounds are currently being used for health and beauty purposes.

David Julius and Ardem Pataputyan are 2021 Nobel Prize winners

Capsaicin (and its analogues) have been used in low concentrations in topical formulations for decades, with products available over the counter in most countries. As a rule, these are drugs used to treat pain and have varying effectiveness. However, pain is not the only indication for the use of capsaicin.

“Pepper” phytocompound provides not only warming, analgesic or anti-inflammatory, but also vasodilation (vasodilating effect).

The application of substances that cause prolonged vasodilation of the surface vessels at the site of application, increase skin temperature and produce a sensation of warmth, is a great way to revitalize hair follicle activity. So capsaicin-based products are widely used to combat hair loss.

In addition, capsaicin is also used for other cosmetic indications, for example, to combat cellulite. Since an increase in local blood flow in the skin is accompanied by an improvement in blood supply to the underlying tissues (including subcutaneous adipose tissue), this biologically active agent helps to even out the “orange peel” in problem areas. It is even positioned as a “fat burner”!

See also

Capsaicin is now being considered for use in oncology: new research shows that it can also kill cancer cells by “forcing” them into apoptosis (programmed death). However, if capsaicin receives such an indication, it will not be soon.

Capsaicin preparations: use for a wide range of indications

Be that as it may, today in pharmacies you can find enough products with capsaicin, a pungent substance that performs a variety of therapeutic (less often cosmetic) tasks. In most cases, these are topical products – ointments, gels, patches or tinctures, which are used mainly for conditions such as

• arthritis and arthrosis,
• radiculopathy,
• joint pain,
• myalgia (pain in the muscles),
• postherpetic neuralgia,
• rheumatism,
• lumbago,
• neuropathic pain.

See also

In addition, capsaicin is also actively used in aesthetic / cosmetic products – for the most part in preparations for improving hair growth and anti-cellulite products.

Capsaicin is also used in sports (although much less frequently). The warming effect and improved blood flow have a positive effect not only in chronic inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal system, but also in preparing muscles for physical activity.

As far as the effectiveness of this substance is concerned, it is not so easy to reliably determine it: the discomfort from the daily use of such products affects adherence to treatment. Consequently, patients may miss “doses”, thus worsening the overall result of treatment. However, to date, we have managed to collect enough data indicating the effectiveness of this burning molecule!

Capsaicin for pain: injections to replace topical drugs?

Capsaicin-based products have long been approved in many countries for the topical treatment of neuropathic pain of various origins, but, as already mentioned, the discomfort of daily use of such products affects the patient’s adherence to treatment. Therefore, the results of such topical therapy have always been ambiguous.

Over time, the idea emerged that it was best to start with a high dose of topical capsaicin to limit the duration of acute pain. It was expected that in this case, the therapeutic effect, which would come quickly (sometimes after a few minutes), could last for weeks. An analysis of this method showed its effectiveness, which, however, faded before a new idea: to use capsaicin in injectable preparations.

Capsaicin-based injectables have begun to be used to relieve localized pain in arthritis and other musculoskeletal disorders. More recently, capsaicin injections have been shown to be effective in patients with Morton’s neuroma, a painful condition associated with compression of one of the nerves in the area of ​​the metatarsal bone, which is accompanied by shooting, burning and stabbing pain in the plantar region, as well as in the toes (metatarsalgia). In this case, pain relief was not accompanied by a change in tactile sensitivity. Although the injection of capsaicin provoked short-term pain, after that it still “turned off” the pain and provided long-term analgesia (several months after a single injection).

See also

The Capsaicin Phenomenon

Anyone who has ever tasted a hot pepper knows the pungent nature of capsaicin – yet it remains the most popular spice on every continent.

Observations of this gastronomic phenomenon formed the basis of the idea that capsaicin is nothing but a neuronal excitotoxin (excitotoxin), i.e. a substance that “overexcites” nerve cells, causing damage to varying degrees or even death. People not accustomed to eating this pungent spice can only tolerate small amounts. However, regular use of capsaicin leads to the development of tolerance, ie. tolerability – you can use higher and higher doses without burning pain.

The pro-nociceptive (ie, giving the ability to perceive and transmit pain) effects of capsaicin are not limited to the oral cavity: this compound causes pain in many other tissues, including the skin, joints, muscles and, of course, the cornea. As it turned out, in these tissues, this burning substance behaves approximately the same way.

Capsaicin and Pain

Although this “peppery agent” has been known to science for more than a century, the mechanism of action of capsaicin has only recently been identified.

Capsaicin acts on the synthesis, storage, transport and release of substance P, a neuropeptide that is considered the main chemical mediator of pain impulses from the peripheral nervous system to the central nervous system (ie, acting as a neurotransmitter).

Substance P has also been shown to be released into joint tissue where it activates inflammatory intermediates that are involved in the development of arthritis. Capsaicin renders the skin and joints insensitive to pain by depleting and preventing re-accumulation of substance P in peripheral sensory neurons. With the depletion of substance P in the nerve endings, local pain impulses cannot be transmitted to the brain.

See also

Action in detail

The discovery of the TRPV1 nerve receptor (vanilloid-1 transit potential receptor) helped explain the analgesic effect of capsaicin and, in general, clarified the understanding of how nociceptors (primary afferents that signal pain to us) are activated.

Capsaicin binds selectively to the TRPV1 protein, which is located on the membranes of neurons sensitive to pain and heat. Essentially, TRPV1 is a heat-activated calcium channel (at 37°C – 45°C), so the TRPV1 opening threshold is, in fact, normal body temperature.

When capsaicin binds to TRPV1, it lowers the channel’s opening threshold to values ​​below body temperature – which is why capsaicin is associated with the sensation of heat / burning.

As mentioned earlier, long-term activation of TRPV1-containing neurons by capsaicin depletes substance P and prevents its reaccumulation. Thus, the “transmitter” of pain is eliminated, as well as the pain sensation itself.

As a result of exposure to capsaicin, skin nociceptors become less sensitive to the action of various stimuli. This effect is often referred to as desensitization and is thought to underlie pain relief. At the same time, nerve cells that do not contain TRPV1 are not affected.

Side effects, risks and precautions

Activation of nociceptors is usually associated with the threat of tissue damage. This imposes restrictions on the use of thermal, chemical, and mechanical stimuli to study pain mechanisms, especially in human CI. At the same time, histological studies of the properties of capsaicin did not show that it is able to provoke stable pathological changes in tissues. It is this feature – stimulation of pain without subsequent damage – that makes it such an attractive pharmacologically active agent.

However, over time, it turned out that capsaicin has the ability to both activate and destroy nociceptive endings. The selective neurotoxic effect of capsaicin was first identified in animal experiments, which marked the beginning of research into the search for capsaicin-sensitive neurons. This also formed the basis of clinical research on the expanded therapeutic use of capsaicin in neurology.

Capsaicin-based drugs can cause long-term burning or stinging pain in the skin if used incorrectly. If swallowed – nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and burning diarrhea. When exposed to the eyes – severe lacrimation, acute pain, conjunctivitis and blepharospasm.

First aid in such cases is elimination of the irritant. Capsaicin can be washed off the skin with soap or other detergents, or rubbed off with oily compounds—vegetable oil, petroleum jelly, or polyethylene glycol will work, but water or vinegar is less effective.

Burning and pain can be reduced by cooling with cold packs/ice, cold water, or even air from a fan. Mucosal burn can be treated with topical lidocaine.

Capsaicin-induced asthma/cough is treated with nebulized bronchodilators, oral antihistamines, or corticosteroids.

How does hot pepper treat diseases?

YouTube is full of videos of people eating “the hottest pepper on the planet” and then suffering merrily. “Idiots,” you say. And you might be wrong. The scientific world has long been eyeing all kinds of thermonuclear chili and jalapenos and is finding more and more health benefits in them.

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Healthy foods

Nutrition

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Cancer story

“The surgeons had to put a brace in my sinuses to keep my brain in place while they removed all that tissue,” Ed Curry shares the details. He is 51 years old, he is one of those who almost everyone likes at first sight. He was a bank worker and now grows chili peppers. He owns a minivan with the company name PuckerButt Pepper Co. on board and an eternal smile on his face: he is happy that he survived.

The operation he is talking about was done in 2007. After months of headaches and nosebleeds, Curry finally figured out that he had a suspicious mass in his head that tripled in size in a few weeks. Curry, to put it mildly, was concerned: he had already been diagnosed with cancer in the past. At one time, a malignant tumor on his arm was removed, and later he had an operation for thyroid cancer and three types of skin cancer. In general, so-so history.

Curry thought that he would not survive the last operation. But when the doctors sent samples of the scraped tissue to the laboratory, it turned out that the tumor was benign. Why? There are a dozen varieties of super-hot chili peppers in the refrigerator compartment of his minivan. One of them, called the Carolina Reaper, entered the Guinness Book of Records as the most evil pepper on Earth – 1,569300 Scoville units (it is 157 times hotter than jalapeno). “I believe the reason is that I have been eating eight to ten of these peppers daily for more than a decade,” says Ed.

Where did it come from

Sharp fashion today. It is estimated that about a quarter of all mankind consumes chili peppers daily. In the United States, for example, chili imports have grown by 1,200% since the 1960s. Yes, and here you have probably noticed: bottles of Tabasco on tables in cafes are no longer a rarity. Shelves with all sorts of sriracha and other chili sauces can be found in any large grocery store. Well, real gourmets are offered a choice of more than 150 burning mixtures – on the Internet you can find a decent number of companies that grow hellish, mouth-rending types of peppers and successfully sell them. And all this suggests a unique feature of a person.

ADVERTISING – CONTINUED BELOW

Most mammals avoid hot peppers because of the inevitable pain. And only we, people, got hooked on spicy, inventing more and more hot seasonings. Why? A possible root cause is that pepper helped (and helps) preserve food. Before the invention of the refrigerator, indigestion due to fungi and bacteria growing in food was common.

However, according to Paul Sherman, an evolutionary biologist at Cornell University (USA), already early civilizations, especially in warm climates, noticed that spicy ingredients could neutralize these bacteria. Chili, cumin, garlic and a number of other tongue-burning spices kill up to 75% of the most common food poisoning pathogens. Thus, people got a bunch of “acute – safe”, although this implied some unpleasant sensations.

Modern science is discovering new biochemical properties of pepper, which can lead to the emergence of specialized remedies for such ailments as chronic pain, obesity, depression, diabetes, cancer. “Pharmaceutical companies have spent billions developing these drugs,” says Arpad Shallazi of the Monmouth University Medical Center (USA), author of almost a hundred papers on the use of capsaicin for medical purposes. “In my estimation, research in this area has become perhaps the most expensive in the history of pharmacology.”

Slum perzologist

In the distant past, Ed Curry ate poorly and took very little care of himself despite a family history of cancer. And about 20 years ago, he generally sank to the very bottom: he lived in Michigan, was a latent alcoholic and more than once got caught drunk driving. Divorce, depression, fast food, 170 kg. He tried to lose weight by drinking SlimFit with vodka. And when an angel and a devil came to visit him in the middle of the night, Ed packed his things and went to the nearest rehabilitation center.

After he was discharged, he lived with one dream: to move to warmer climes and do the only thing he liked more than alcohol – growing chili peppers. Well, he once had such a hobby. Three years later, when the course of treatment ended, Curry left for South Carolina (it is warmer there than in Michigan). By 2001, he had lost 84 kg. At one of the meetings of the group of anonymous alcoholics, he met Linda and fell head over heels in love.

Today they are raising two children in a house surrounded by several hectares of fields where experimental varieties of peppers are grown. Curry regularly gives the fruits of his work to scientists from a number of laboratories with whom he has signed non-disclosure agreements. And generally happy.

Healthy peppers

Pharmacists come up with more and more hot medicines to… nerve, relieving concomitant headache.

scorch sinusitis: at the University of Cincinnati (USA) found that capsaicin sprays help relieve pressure in the sinuses, bringing relief from sinusitis.

Burning panacea

Why pepper burns, chemists began to figure out as early as the beginning of the 19th century. And whatever the cause, the scientists knew it was concentrated in yellow, oily droplets oozing from the walls of the pepper where the seeds were attached. They tried in different ways to isolate the purest form of the unknown substance, and in the end, in 1846, the British chemist JC Thresh managed to obtain crystals without impurities, which he called capsaicin.

Capsaicin is an alkaloid, a close relative of other substances isolated from plants: caffeine, nicotine, morphine, etc. Already by the beginning of the 20th century, pharmacists invested quite a lot in researching the properties of such alkaloids – in the hope of patenting medicines based on them. And in line with all this scientific work, an employee of the pharmaceutical giant Parke-Davis, Wilbur Scoville, was tasked with assessing the hotness of different varieties of pepper. In 1912, he introduced his famous stinging scale, which showed the number of dilutions required so that the tongue no longer feels any burning sensation. The first record was set by the habanero pepper, which received 350,000 units.

Well, then off we go. The first cream containing capsaicin to massage aching muscles. The first “sharp” warming ointment (moreover, the mechanism of their action was not yet fully understood at that time). The first theory is about the presence in humans of a receptor that reacts to capsaicin as something hot. Discovery of this receptor (TRPV1) and explanation of how it works. And endless attempts to use the physiological effects of capsaicin to treat a variety of diseases. Today it is known that hot peppers can potentially fight these unpleasant things.

1. Pain

In a nutshell: capsaicin binds to pain receptors on the nerves, constantly stimulating them (“burning”) until they are “expired” (later numbness). So, in an experiment with dogs suffering from bone cancer, scientists injected animals with resiniferatoxin (an alkaloid similar to capsaicin, but more powerful) in the hope of blocking the transmission of pain impulses to the brain. It worked: after a brief period of extreme arousal, the dogs’ TRPV1 receptors burned out. And the dogs, which could not get up because of the pain, ran again.

A few years ago, a program was launched in the United States to test resiniferatoxin as a pain blocker for cancer patients. And although the study is not completed, it is already clear that resiniferatoxin can selectively affect the channels that transmit pain signals. And this means that people with chronic pain are waiting for deliverance.

2. Sadness

Attacked by capsaicin, TRPV1 receptors cause a rush of pain-relieving (and at the same time mood-enhancing) endorphins. Which gives scientists a reason to consider it as a potential remedy for depression. In one study, subjects were asked to nibble on a jalapeno and say when the burning would stop. “At that moment,” says Paul Bosland, head of the Institute for the Study of Chili Pepper Properties at the University of New Mexico (USA), “they were injected with an endorphin blocker, and the burning sensations instantly returned. ”
Thus, the connection between capsaicin and the production of endorphins was proved. Bosland suspects that endorphins are responsible for the spiciness in guys like Ed Curry. “It looks like Pavlov’s dog,” he concludes. “You’re about to eat something spicy—the body releases endorphins in anticipation.”

3. Obesity

Capsaicin activates metabolism, making it easier to get rid of extra pounds. In South Korea, they conducted an experiment: three dozen obese women twice a week for eight weeks were injected into the stomach with either capsaicin or a placebo. In the ladies from the first group, the body mass index, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio decreased more than those in the second group.

Metabolic rates are known to decrease with weight loss, as demonstrated by those who received placebo. But those who got capsaicin avoided such a nuisance. Moreover, in laboratory mice, capsaicin neutralizes chronic inflammation provoked by fat cells (this knowledge will help fight not only obesity, but also associated diseases). However, all this is just a hypothesis, which has yet to be adequately applied in practice. In the meantime, doctors recommend maintaining the rate of metabolism during weight loss primarily through physical activity.

4. Diabetes

“Epidemiological studies confirm that countries with high consumption of capsaicin have fewer cases of diabetes,” says Andrew Dillin, professor in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California at Berkeley (USA). Scientists are close to unraveling the cause. Last year, Dillin published the results of a study confirming the link between capsaicin, diabetes and life expectancy. Helped, as usual, mice.

Scientists have bred rodents without TRPV1 receptors (it can be said that mice were forever in the state that occurs when the “burn” from spicy food passes, that is, when the nerves “exhausted”). The result: the organisms of this brood produced much less of the substance CGRP, which prevents the pancreas from producing insulin. Mice without TRPV1 appeared to be immune to diabetes and obesity; their life expectancy was 14% higher.

5. Cancer

Not so long ago, a group of scientists from the University of Toronto proved that taking capsaicin before radiation makes cancer cells more sensitive to radiation (we were talking about prostate cancer). Relatively speaking, it “softens” them, making them easier to destroy. (Why Curry’s new tumor turned out to be benign is not yet clear.) In 2014, scientists from the University of Alcala (Spain) found that capsaicin successfully helps fight other types of cancer, including colon, pancreas, liver, breast, although in each case it acts differently (in some cases it causes cell suicide, in others it breaks the mechanism of tumor growth).

Capsaicin is thought to be a powerful adjunct to other treatments, but not everyone agrees. Biologist Paul Sherman cautions that capsaicin is not a double-edged sword: for example, mice whose skin was treated with capsaicin cream had a higher risk of developing cancer in the presence of an additional factor (ultraviolet light). This is us to the fact that you should treat all this with caution. If capsaicin is indeed as powerful as scientists believe, then – like all drugs – it can be harmful if used incorrectly. Overdosing is a no-brainer.

Tears of joy

How about Ed Curry? The old peppermaker drives around in his minivan to television studios, where he is invited to talk about his household and hot news. For example, about the experimental variety HP 56 (high power, super sharp, and the number is the ordinal number of the variety; in total, Ed cultivated more than 70 of them). HP 56 is almost twice as sharp as the Carolina Reaper, which means it will soon be in the Guinness Book. The culmination of any such TV show is when Ed pops the whole pod into his mouth and chews it unabashedly. Only tears come out in Ed’s eyes – but no one has any doubts that these are tears of joy.

Why does it burn

An exhaustive answer to a question that you have probably asked yourself more than once.