# Trope: Hot chilli peppers "burning" twice **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 26, 2025, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428 "2025-01-26T11:50:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428/1 "2025-01-26T11:50:32Z")
You probably all have heard the saying “_this pepper is so hot its gonna burn you twice … once today and then again tomorrow_” [nudge-nudge]… meaning it will be spicy when leaving your GI-tract (and your rectum reckoning this fact). true / false? Looking for both factual answers as anecdotical-personal evidence. I for one, am user of hot peppers, but have never had any secundary burns in my GI-tract… _(however: possibly TMI-episodes of capsaicine-on-hands to follow)_ So, ONE burn or TWO burns for you? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428/2 "2025-01-26T13:02:01Z")
I only experience it with pepperoncinis, even though they are neither that hot in an absolute sense nor _that_ hot compared to other hot things I eat. I think that either I do not chew them well enough or, like corn, they can go all the way through the GI tract and still be semi-intact. At any rate, they must still be intact enough to burn my rectum. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428/3 "2025-01-26T14:05:48Z")
Most typically only one burn. I’d say like 95% of the time. One in twenty I’ll get a residual burn. It seems to happen more often with pickled peppers. Like two days ago I had some blistering hot dried Trinidan Scorpions (or maybe it was Carolina Reapers – they were homegrown, dried, and thrown in whole in a jar) and no issues on the other side. Meanwhile, I’ve had something as mild as pickled jalapeno slices with my nachos or whatnot, and have felt it the next day. It’s really a bit of a throw of a 1d20. Vinegary or otherwise acidic salsa will also sometimes have that effect on me, but not that often. I don’t know if there’s an actual correlation there between vingar+capsaicin that gets me, or if that’s mainly the time I notice. And, yes, I think every hot pepper aficionado has gotten a burn on their private parts and/or eyes after forgetting to wash their hands thoroughly. My worst was getting habanero residue in my eyes. That sucked for about ten minutes. Stil, to this day, I never wear gloves handling any type of pepper. It doesn’t irritate my skin and I usually remember to wash. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428/4 "2025-01-26T14:24:32Z")
I also never wear gloves when handling hot peppers. I can feel it in sensitive areas but even with habaneros it isn’t that bad unless it’s the eyes. Then again, I’ve also pepper sprayed myself in the eyes accidentally and it also didn’t hurt that bad so take that with a grain of salt. My eyes were literally closing due to the spray but there wasn’t a lot of pain per se. So possibly not everyone would have that same reaction. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428/5 "2025-01-26T14:32:33Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Most typically only one burn. I’d say like 95% of the time. One in twenty I’ll get a residual burn. This is my experience too. Maybe it is different for other people but I do not have this problem (and I like spicy food). ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428/6 "2025-01-26T14:38:08Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > I also never wear gloves when handling hot peppers. I rarely wear gloves when dealing with hot peppers unless they are REALLY HOT peppers. Scotch Bonnets and others I absolutely wear gloves (although I rarely cook with such hot peppers). I am religious about washing my hands after though. I made that mistake once…once. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428/7 "2025-01-26T14:47:06Z")
I have definitely experienced the secondary burning ring of fire. It’s no trope or myth, at least as far as my experience. I used to be a “spicier the better” guy, doing stuff like eating a raw habanero just to see if I could (I could). But nowadays, really spicy food messes with my digestive tract in more ways than just the afterburn, so I’ve toned it down. My wife’s and my favorite Thai place takes spice seriously, to the point they warned us when we first ate there and ordered our food ‘Thai hot’. They weren’t kidding. I have actually gone to the embarrassing step of ordering my meal “medium plus” now when we eat there. Though most other Thai restaurants I’m still fine with ‘hot’. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428/8 "2025-01-26T14:58:28Z")
Yeah, every once in a blue moon your find that gem of a Thai place that actually serves “Thai hot” when you order it. Typically, on a first or second visit, I had to beg and plead to get certain dishes as hot as I want them (like I like my gai pad grapao blazing), but, even then, it’s more like a medium plus to low-end hot to me. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428/9 "2025-01-26T15:32:26Z")
> [@solost](#): > > But nowadays, really spicy food messes with my digestive tract in more ways than just the afterburn, so I’ve toned it down. I’ve noticed I only have the afterburn when the spicy food has messed with my digestion in other ways. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428/10 "2025-01-26T16:40:50Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > > [@Ludovic](#): > > > > I also never wear gloves when handling hot peppers. > > I rarely wear gloves when dealing with hot peppers unless they are REALLY HOT peppers. I don’t eat all that many hot peppers; but I grow some. And, on a couple of varieties, I save my own seed; so I have to clean the seed out of the peppers (Gold Cayenne, and a small variety called Pretty in Purple.) I’ve learned to wear gloves while doing this – and to do it where there’s good air circulation; ideally outside, especially if the peppers are already dry at the time. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428/11 "2025-01-26T16:42:46Z")
Anecdote, but I’ve absolutely had the second day problem. It depends entirely on capsaicin volume. Last night I went to a taco joint, had regular table salsa, some pickled jalapeños in the queso dip, and a couple of tacos with their house “fire” size. Nothing crazy and I won’t feel it today. Went to a schezuan place a few weeks ago and had a hot pot with some incredible spicy sides. Everything on the table was _pervasively_ hot. I cried the next day. I knew it was coming and I regret nothing, but I did cry. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428/12 "2025-01-26T17:20:35Z")
I think a lot more people experience this, than notice that they’re experiencing it. The speed of digestive systems varies, but can reasonably be about two days from end to end, and most people, when they’re at the bottom end, aren’t stopping to think about what they were eating two days prior. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428/13 "2025-01-26T17:31:20Z")
It’s never happened to me. I eat plenty of hot peppers. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428/14 "2025-01-26T17:57:28Z")
I would never eat a habanero pepper knowing how hot they are. A plate of nachos with Jalapenos on the upper end of their heat range (8000 scovilles) will cause intestinal pain as if I had some kind of flu bug. And the pain hits about mid range. So there are pain receptors in a very specific location along the way and nowhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428/15 "2025-01-26T18:01:03Z")
My roommate after college called this “wolf ass.” Because you howl on the toilet… ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428/16 "2025-01-26T18:47:25Z")
When I used to eat the whole peppers in Kung Pao Chicken they would burn on the way out, and would be very insistent they needed to exit my body immediately. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428/17 "2025-01-26T18:48:31Z")
This makes no sense. If your ass is on fire, you feel it on fire. Doesn’t take much to realize it might be something you ate two days before. Like what’s the logic? Oh, my ass is burning. Must have been the chicken soup? The capsaicin burn is pretty obvious what it is. My ass doesn’t burn for other reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428/18 "2025-01-26T18:57:40Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > It’s never happened to me. I eat plenty of hot peppers. Ditto and ditto. I’m of course aware of the trope and have heard others discuss it, but I’ve literally never once experienced it. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428/19 "2025-01-26T19:07:23Z")
[Minor Warning for what MAY be TMI, but I think it’s honestly fine.] I think (and anecdotal evidence for myself) that the trope is _most likely_ to occur when eating capsicums AND having a watery discharge. For myself, I eat a lot of medium-hot peppers and derivatives. Rarely I’ll get some upset from eating them, or eating something else (for me, capsicums and too much dairy can be dangerous!) and it is only then that the secondary flame arises! It may _also_ be linked in part to the fact that absent illness, unfortunate combinations, or medical issues, your _average_ defecation isn’t _too_ long, and doesn’t linger the same way an extended bout of the runs can be. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428/20 "2025-01-26T19:30:04Z")
[Been there, all about Wolf Ass](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-serious-wolf-ass/62233) by the Venerable Scylla and others [been there, discussed more on Wolf Ass here](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-seem-like-my-anus-has-become-more-tolerant-to-capsaicin-than-my-mouth/938375) Oh and here’s a scholarly article about how [consumption of capsaicin increases the pain of anal fissures](https://annaliitalianidichirurgia.it/index.php/aic/article/view/1279). If you go to Google Scholar and enter "Capsaicin’ and ‘anus’ you will be AMAZED by the number of research papers published on this topic, i.e. about 2,470. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trope-hot-chilli-peppers-burning-twice/1013428.md?page=2)