Sore Throat from drinking Kombucha?

I just started brewing. Just finished my 2nd batch ever. First batch I brewed for ten days and it was a bit sweet, but tasty, although no carbonation even after a second ferment with some ginger for flavor. Second batch I waited 2 weeks and it is much better with fizz too.

But... i seem to be getting sore throats from drinking it. I had never tried kombucha before so not sure how i react to it. I have read a lot about the yeast die-off effect in the body so I assume this could be it?? I just know that i love the taste but it gives me a sore throat about 3-5 hours after having 2-4 oz of the drink. It also seemed to make me very tired. My husband also reports a mildly sore throat but he also swears it has fixed his sinusitis.

I just want to be sure Im not poisoning us! I keep thinking maybe we are getting sore throats from bad pathogens in there or something... but there was no sign of mold... just the brown slime that I hear is normal. I even have a swollen gland in the right side of my throat, so that is strange, right?

I wonder if this is not a cleansing reaction? I have heard of kombucha causing that in some people...

Crys said:

I just started brewing. Just finished my 2nd batch ever. First batch I brewed for ten days and it was a bit sweet, but tasty, although no carbonation even after a second ferment with some ginger for flavor. Second batch I waited 2 weeks and it is much better with fizz too.

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I am sorry to hear that you are getting a sore throat. I hope its not related to drinking kombucha.

Would you be so kind as to describe your method for flavoring with ginger? I have a piece of root I'd like to use.

If you're just starting out drinking it, it may be the detox. The first time I drank it, I drank too much, and I felt pretty crappy. Now the fam goes through about 4 gallons a week out of a keg. I probably drink half of that.

Article
This may help a bit I was also extremley fatigued when i started drinking Kombucha. I also have a bit of a sore throat once in a while. there was a better article on this but i can't find it right now. If I find it I will post the link.

The detox stuff is pseudoscience. We have organs, the liver and kidneys, that take out toxic materials from our bodies. If they aren't doing that, we die. Whenever you see talk about some miracle substance that "removes toxins" (notice they never specify which toxins these supposedly are), you can be pretty sure that it's mumbo jumbo. Adjusting to a new food or combination of bacteria could be a problem. So can allergies to the yeasts. If you're brewing it yourself, there is also a possibility that some less-friendly organism has gotten into the mix.

People can react to kombucha, yeasts etc. in different ways. i cant drink cheap beer because compounds made by the yeasts from sugar give me migraines. A friend of mine drank kombucha for years, now he can't - he gets sick to his stomach within five minutes of drinking it.

What I would do is start fresh with a scoby from a good source or make your own from live kombucha, and see if you still have the problem.

I just had my first sample of my home brew buch a few days ago. Now I have strep throat... what's the likelihood it is from the buch? I don't want to throw it all away, but I don't want to be spreading strep.

Juanita said:

I just had my first sample of my home brew buch a few days ago. Now I have strep throat... what's the likelihood it is from the buch? I don't want to throw it all away, but I don't want to be spreading strep.

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0% chance. Strepoccocus, usually type A, causes strep throat and it is highly contagious.

I don't know much about biology, but I'm pretty sure nothing bad can survive a pH of 2.85 , which is where mine end up.

Crys said:

I just started brewing. Just finished my 2nd batch ever. First batch I brewed for ten days and it was a bit sweet, but tasty, although no carbonation even after a second ferment with some ginger for flavor. Second batch I waited 2 weeks and it is much better with fizz too.

But... i seem to be getting sore throats from drinking it. I had never tried kombucha before so not sure how i react to it. I have read a lot about the yeast die-off effect in the body so I assume this could be it?? I just know that i love the taste but it gives me a sore throat about 3-5 hours after having 2-4 oz of the drink. It also seemed to make me very tired. My husband also reports a mildly sore throat but he also swears it has fixed his sinusitis.

I just want to be sure Im not poisoning us! I keep thinking maybe we are getting sore throats from bad pathogens in there or something... but there was no sign of mold... just the brown slime that I hear is normal. I even have a swollen gland in the right side of my throat, so that is strange, right?

Click to expand...

I just read this last night after drinking store bought kombucha, now I have a soar throat! So I’m sure it’s normal

abdominousabel said:

I just read this last night after drinking store bought kombucha, now I have a soar throat! So I’m sure it’s normal

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I started drinking kombucha a few months ago, starting with a bottle of GTs and now primarily a ginger something or other from Costco. I’ve never experienced a sore throat. Makes me wonder if its an allergy to an ingredient or bad bugs

abdominousabel said:

I just read this last night after drinking store bought kombucha, now I have a soar throat! So I’m sure it’s normal

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Me too... How long it take for you to recover? So felt this sore throat like an hour afte i drank it. And now 10 hours later I start have a light fever. Wondering if I should take a medicine or wait..

Crys said:

I just started brewing. Just finished my 2nd batch ever. First batch I brewed for ten days and it was a bit sweet, but tasty, although no carbonation even after a second ferment with some ginger for flavor. Second batch I waited 2 weeks and it is much better with fizz too.

But... i seem to be getting sore throats from drinking it. I had never tried kombucha before so not sure how i react to it. I have read a lot about the yeast die-off effect in the body so I assume this could be it?? I just know that i love the taste but it gives me a sore throat about 3-5 hours after having 2-4 oz of the drink. It also seemed to make me very tired. My husband also reports a mildly sore throat but he also swears it has fixed his sinusitis.

I just want to be sure Im not poisoning us! I keep thinking maybe we are getting sore throats from bad pathogens in there or something... but there was no sign of mold... just the brown slime that I hear is normal. I even have a swollen gland in the right side of my throat, so that is strange, right?

Click to expand...

I am in no way offering medical advice or suggest that your reaction is allergic or otherwise. But if you could post your process from beginning to end, one of us may recognize an opportunity for infection or contamination.

Regarding the side effects you and your hubby are experiencing may be related to the very acidic beverage rather than an allergic reaction.

mia123 said:

Me too... How long it take for you to recover? So felt this sore throat like an hour afte i drank it. And now 10 hours later I start have a light fever. Wondering if I should take a medicine or wait..

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I make kombucha now and if I drink too much I still get the sore throat, it might be that the kombucha is just too acid for the throat of certain people? Not sure? But I remember I also kinda got sick. Medicine will only hide the symptoms. Kombucha is bateria and a frugal strain so maybe your body is just over reacting with the bacteria? Try taking vitamin C to up your immune system.

sazji said:

The detox stuff is pseudoscience. We have organs, the liver and kidneys, that take out toxic materials from our bodies. If they aren't doing that, we die. Whenever you see talk about some miracle substance that "removes toxins" (notice they never specify which toxins these supposedly are), you can be pretty sure that it's mumbo jumbo.

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Thank you for your right-on response. I joined this forum because I thought its members had a more scientific bent, and was distressed to see someone talking about "toxins" and someone else telling a member to take Vitamin C to "up your immune system." I have seen sites where one is told that scobies can be used for bandages, for facials, even for *****ing! I make and drink it because it tastes good and is refreshing on hot summer days. That's it.

Scientific hippie said:

Thank you for your right-on response. I joined this forum because I thought its members had a more scientific bent, and was distressed to see someone talking about "toxins" and someone else telling a member to take Vitamin C to "up your immune system." I have seen sites where one is told that scobies can be used for bandages, for facials, even for *****ing! I make and drink it because it tastes good and is refreshing on hot summer days. That's it.

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It is really good for the gut as well. I know that some of my friends who don't make or drink kombucha actually drink apple cider vinegar "shots", the kind with the mother, because of the probiotics. I rarely need antibiotics, but when I do I make sure to eat yogurt and drink some kombucha, and it seems that it helps with any gastrointestinal issues I get with antibiotics. Not 100%, but definitely a bit of a help. Without talking too much about personal GI issues, I have noticed a difference and that's important to me.

But it's definitely NOT a cure all, and it's not magic. I love that it is spritzy but low in sugar, so it is my refreshing drink instead of soda. I can't remember the last time I had a soda, but I have had kombucha just the other day. I suppose that if people stopped drinking soda and drank a natural (unsweetened) kombucha, they would likely be healthier and possibly lose weight. So from that point of view, it could be considered healthy if it's a replacement for a very unhealthy drink.

It certainly keeps me from guzzling wine on hot summer nights!

abdominousabel said:

I just read this last night after drinking store bought kombucha, now I have a soar throat! So I’m sure it’s normal

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Do you think you may have had a sore throat "anyway" even if you had not drunk kombucha?

Kombucha is composed of bacteria and yeasts of which the yeasts are largely in the Brettanomyces family well known to beer brewers. The finishing ph of kombucha is so low that most hostile bacteria cannot survive the acidity.

I have a buddy who is quite sensitive to yeast in beer and sneezes violently after consuming. It may be that you have an allergic reaction to something in the product. I drink a 16 oz bottle daily (half at a time) and feel quite energized afterwards. Never had a sore throat yet that I associated with Kombucha.

Everyone is different so I would humbly suggest that there are a range of experiences from eating or drinking different types of food and drinks. Some people are coeliac. Some people are allergic to strawberries. Etc, etc. For thirty plus years I have experienced irritable bowel syndrome. Which I have concluded is doctor-speak for “I don’t know what is wrong with your digestive system, I don’t have a cure and the problem is not going away any time soon”. What I have learned by reading widely and experimenting with different types of food and drink is that I have an intolerance to certain food types. Note that food intolerances are different to food allergies. Specifically for me, I have a significant intolerance of dairy products. They give me very loose bowels and voluminous flatulence and heavy mucous production in my nose, sinuses and throat. This is worst with milk (normal pasteurised and homogenised bottled from the supermarket). What I get from yoghurts, probiotic yoghurts and other fermented milk products such as kefir is constant mild headache, fatigue, throat infection, swollen glands under my jaw, shakiness, and a feeling that I am doing everything in warm wet concrete. All physical actions and movements require a concentrated effort. As for kombucha, I tried it as a probiotic alternative. I think that I react to it similarly to the yoghurts and fermented milk products. Having stopped drinking kombucha about a week ago, I am now starting to feel more normal and healthier. The symptoms are diminishing every day. The only way I can make an attempt to confirm the effect of kombucha on me is to drink it again. But I don’t really want to try that because I think that it made me quite unwell. Hope that this is informative and helpful for you. Good luck with solving your health problems.