Try xylitol. It is available as a sugar substitute from health food stores but it is expensive. For quicker relief you can get chewing gums or sugar-free sweets. In Oz the brand for these is Extra. The sweets are called Extra Drops, but just look at the ingredients and make sure that xylitol is included.

My hubby & I first found out about xylitol in the New Scientist magazine a couple of years ago. It is related to the well known home remedy of using cranberry juice to reduce urinary tract infections, because the main active ingredient is xylitol. The amazing thing (apart from the usual response from most scientists re home remedies, i.e. initial response: "it doesn't work", then: "it does work but we don't know why", then: "amazing new scientific discovery, blah blah!") is that it's molecular structure provides a receptor for the bacteria to latch onto so that they don't latch onto cell membranes in the body and do their mischief.

I bought a large packet of xylitol and use it (sparingly, i.e. 1/4 teaspoon dissolved in water, sipped slowly) for tummy-bugs, sore throats, etc etc. It is definitely worth a shot for your laryngitis.


Xylitol

"1. Xylitol is one of bacteria's natural enemies. When certain harmful bacteria enter the body, they attach to the membranes of the nose and throat. They begin to culture and grow, causing infection and sickness.

"When exposed to Xylitol (specifically Strep pneumo and H Flu), these harmful bacteria lose their ability to adhere to infected membranes and are not able to grow. Unlike most antibiotics, which kill the majority of bacteria and leave the resistant "super bacteria" behind, Xylitol merely flushes harmful bacteria away. "

Helen