PlainPill

Capsaicin

The short answer. There isn't much data on Capsaicin yet — 5 mentions, 1 with a clear outcome — so treat these numbers as anecdotal. It is well studied — 170 meta-analyses on PubMed.

What users report
100%helped1 reports · few reports
1 helped0 mixed0 didn't help

From 5 mentions in total — the rest didn't say how it went and aren't counted.

Clinical research
AStrong research base
170
meta-analyses
562
RCTs
16,628
papers

What Capsaicin does, according to users

Of the people who reported each effect, the share who said it got better.

betterno changeworse

What the research says

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses from PubMed, with their published conclusions.

AStrong research base

3+ meta-analyses or systematic reviews and 10+ randomized controlled trials in humans. The grade measures how much human research exists — read the conclusions below for what it found.

Cochrane Database Syst Rev · 2023 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Pharmacological interventions for pruritus in adult palliative care patients

Conclusion: Different interventions (GABA-analogues, kappa-opioid receptor agonists, cromolyn sodium, montelukast, fish-oil/omega-3 fatty acids and topical capsaicin compared to placebo) were effective for uraemic pruritus. GABA-analogues had the largest effect on pruritus. Rifampin, naltrexone and flumecinol tended to be effective for cholestatic pruritus. However, therapies for patients with malignancies are still lacking. Due to the small sample sizes in most meta-analyses and the heterogeneous methodological quality of the included trials, the results should be interpreted cautiously in terms of gener

PubMed 37314034 ↗
Lancet Neurol · 2015 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Pharmacotherapy for neuropathic pain in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Conclusion: Our results support a revision of the NeuPSIG recommendations for the pharmacotherapy of neuropathic pain. Inadequate response to drug treatments constitutes a substantial unmet need in patients with neuropathic pain. Modest efficacy, large placebo responses, heterogeneous diagnostic criteria, and poor phenotypic profiling probably account for moderate trial outcomes and should be taken into account in future studies.

PubMed 25575710 ↗
Lancet Neurol · 2025 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Pharmacotherapy and non-invasive neuromodulation for neuropathic pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Conclusion: Our results support a revision of the Neuropathic Pain Special Interest Group recommendations for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Treatment outcomes are modest and for some treatments uncertainty remains. Further large placebo-controlled or sham-controlled trials done over clinically relevant timeframes are needed.

PubMed 40252663 ↗
Cephalalgia · 2022 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
A systematic review of treatment for patients with burning mouth syndrome

Conclusion: A more significant volume in terms of sample size, multi-centres, and multi-arm comparison of therapeutic agents with placebo and longitudinal follow-up studies is recommended to establish a standardised burning mouth syndrome treatment protocol. Further studies are required to assess the analgesic benefits of topical clonazepam and capsaicin, alternative medicines with neurodegenerative prevention capability and psychology support in treating burning mouth syndrome and reducing systemic adverse drug reactions.Registration International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO):Pro

PubMed 34404247 ↗

Dosage people report

As stated by users — not a recommendation. Follow the label or your doctor.

500mgas reported
50-100 mgdaily

Reported side effects

How often each side effect came up across all reports.

stomach issues ×1digestive irritation ×1

What users say

First-hand experiences, quoted verbatim. We show one positive and one negative where both exist.

Other options for weight loss

User data from public discussions; research from PubMed. Information only, not medical advice — talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. Data updated October 3, 2026. How we rate