What is Arsenicum metallicum?
Arsenicum metallicum is a homeopathic remedy. It is made from metallic arsenic, a toxic element. Homeopaths pick it for people who feel cold, weak, restless and afraid, often with burning pains.
It is made by serial dilution. A tiny amount of arsenic is mixed into a lot of liquid, shaken, then watered down again and again. At the common 30C strength, no arsenic is left in the final pill.
Here is the short verdict. Trials do not show that this remedy works better than a placebo (a dummy pill). Long use inside a tradition is not proof that a remedy works, and that point is made here once.
How does Arsenicum metallicum work?
No one has shown a way this remedy could act in the body. At 30C there is no arsenic left, so there is nothing to act on your cells.
Homeopathy rests on the idea of "like cures like". A thing that causes symptoms in a well person is said to ease the same symptoms in a sick person, once it is watered down. Homeopaths also say shaking at each step leaves a print of the drug in the water.
Chemistry and physics do not back these ideas. Water does not hold a lasting print of what was once in it.
When people feel better after a remedy, the likely reasons are time, kind attention, and the placebo effect (feeling better because you expect to).
What forms does Arsenicum metallicum come in?
Most often you will see small white pills that melt under the tongue. They are made of lactose (milk sugar) or sucrose (cane sugar).
Other forms are liquid drops in water and alcohol, and larger tablets.
The strength is printed as a number and a letter, such as 6X, 30C or 200C. The letter and number tell you how many dilution steps were used. A higher number means more steps, not a bigger dose of arsenic.
Where it comes from:
Homeopathy began in Germany in the late 1700s with Samuel Hahnemann. He and his followers gave substances to healthy people and wrote down what those people felt.
Metallic arsenic was one of those substances. It is a minor remedy, used far less than Arsenicum album, which is made from arsenic trioxide (white arsenic).
You will find it in homeopathic reference books from the 1800s onward. It has no role outside homeopathy.
If this is an emergency
Some reactions to Arsenicum metallicum need urgent care. Call your local emergency number or go to an emergency department straight away — do not wait to see whether it passes.
Who should avoid Arsenicum metallicum?
- Do not use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, because arsenic can harm a baby
- Do not use if you want to give it to a baby or a young child, unless a doctor has checked the product first
- Do not use if you are offered a strength below 12C or 24X, such as 6X or 6C, because it can still hold real arsenic
- Do not use if you are taking arsenic trioxide, a cancer drug made from arsenic
- Do not use if you have an uneven or fast heartbeat, or take drugs for heart rhythm, unless your doctor agrees
- Do not use if you have kidney disease or liver disease, unless your doctor agrees
- Do not use if you plan to stop, skip or cut down a prescribed medicine in order to try it
- Do not use if you have a serious or fast-moving illness, such as chest pain, trouble breathing, a high fever that will not settle, or a bad head injury
- Do not use if you cannot see a clear strength, batch and maker on the label
When should you see a doctor?
Get emergency help straight away if, after taking any arsenic product, you have bad stomach pain, repeated vomiting, watery diarrhoea (loose, watery poo), tingling or numb hands and feet, or a fast and uneven heartbeat. These can be signs of arsenic poisoning. Take the packet with you.
See a doctor soon if your symptoms last more than a few days, come back again and again, or get worse while you take the remedy.
See a doctor first, not the remedy, for chest pain, trouble breathing, a fever that will not settle, blood in your vomit or stools, a new lump, sudden weakness on one side, or any illness in a baby.
Tell your doctor and pharmacist about every remedy you take, even ones sold as harmless.
4.8
