What is Aurum iodatum?

Aurum iodatum is a homeopathic remedy made from gold iodide. Its Latin name is Auri iodidum, and it is also known as Gold iodide. It is a single drug (Homeopathy), which means one source, not a mix.

The remedy is made by serial dilution. A tiny amount of the salt is mixed with water or alcohol, shaken, then diluted again and again. At 30C there is essentially no gold or iodine left.

Homeopaths have used it for stiff, narrowed arteries, swollen glands, and long-term nose and sinus trouble. Trial evidence does not tell it apart from a placebo (a dummy pill with no drug in it). Long use in a tradition is not proof of effect, and this page says that once.

How does Aurum iodatum work?

There is no known way for this remedy to act on the body. Homeopathy holds that a shaken, heavily diluted substance leaves behind some kind of pattern. Chemistry and biology give no support to that idea.

At 30C the source is thinned so far that likely not one molecule is left. So people who feel better are most likely seeing placebo, the passage of time, or the care they got.

Low strengths such as 1X to 3X are a different case. They can still hold real gold and iodine. Read the label to see which one you have.

What forms does Aurum iodatum come in?

Most brands sell it as small sugar pills. You can also find liquid drops in alcohol and lactose (milk sugar) tablets. The usual strengths are 6C, 12C, 30C and 200C.

A few makers sell low strengths such as 1X or 3X. These hold more of the raw salt. Pick a brand that prints the strength on the box.

Where it comes from:

Gold iodide came into homeopathic use in the 1800s. Writers such as John Henry Clarke and William Boericke listed it in their remedy guides. They linked it to hard arteries, swollen glands, and old nose and sinus catarrh (thick, lasting discharge).

It has always been a minor remedy, not a first choice. Its standing rests on old case notes and symptom lists, not on trials.

What does Aurum iodatum help with?

• Hardening of the arteries (stiff, narrowed blood vessels): This is the classic use in old homeopathic remedy guides, often in older people with high blood pressure. No human trial has tested Aurum iodatum for it. Hardened arteries raise your risk of heart attack and stroke, so this needs proper medical care, not a remedy.
• High blood pressure: Homeopaths have paired it with raised blood pressure alongside artery changes. There is no trial evidence that it lowers blood pressure. Keep taking any blood pressure medicine you have been prescribed.
• Swollen glands in the neck: Old texts list it for hard, lasting gland swellings. This rests on case notes only, with no trials. A lump or gland that stays swollen for more than two weeks should be checked by a doctor.
• Long-term nose and sinus catarrh (thick, lasting discharge): Remedy guides describe thick, sticky discharge and a blocked, sore nose. No human study supports this use. Most long-term sinus problems have a cause a doctor can find and treat.
• Goitre (a swollen thyroid gland in the neck): The iodine in the source material is why old writers linked it to the thyroid. That link is historical reasoning, not tested benefit. Low strengths could make a thyroid problem worse, so do not self-treat a goitre with it.
• Aching, stiff joints: Joint aches appear in the traditional symptom picture for gold remedies. There are no human trials for Aurum iodatum in joint pain. If joints stay swollen, hot or stiff in the morning, get a diagnosis.

Which foods are rich in Aurum iodatum?

1. Seaweed and kelp: the richest iodine sources in the diet
2. Iodised table salt: a main everyday iodine source
3. Cod and other sea fish: good iodine sources
4. Milk, yoghurt and cheese: steady iodine sources
5. Eggs: a moderate iodine source

Practical Tips:

These foods matter only if you use a low strength that still holds iodine; gold is not a nutrient found in food.

What are the side effects of Aurum iodatum?

• At 30C and above, no direct effects beyond those of a plain sugar pill
• Mild stomach upset in people who react badly to lactose (milk sugar)
• Stinging in the mouth from the alcohol in liquid drops
• A short flare of your symptoms, which homeopaths call an aggravation
• With low strengths only: metallic taste, sore mouth, runny nose or headache from iodine
• With low strengths only: an acne-like rash from iodine
• With low strengths only: thyroid changes, seen as weight change, feeling hot or cold, or a fast heartbeat
• Gold salts in medicine-sized doses have caused kidney damage, mouth ulcers and low blood counts; this is a risk of the raw material, not of high dilutions
• The main harm reported with any homeopathic remedy is delay in getting real treatment

Good to know:

Side effects from 30C pills are uncommon and mild, and mostly come from the sugar or alcohol base. The real concern sits with the raw material. Gold salts can harm the kidneys and blood counts, and iodine can upset the thyroid, so low strengths need medical advice before you start.

How much Aurum iodatum should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose is set by research, because no trials have tested this remedy. In everyday homeopathic practice, people take 3 to 5 pills of 30C once or twice a day, or a single dose once a week. Low strengths such as 1X to 3X still contain gold and iodine, so do not choose those on your own; ask a pharmacist or doctor first.
• Best time of day: Homeopaths usually suggest doses between meals, often on waking or at bedtime. This is tradition, not a tested schedule.
• With or without food: Tradition is to take it with an empty mouth, about 15 to 30 minutes away from food, drink, coffee and mint toothpaste. There is no evidence that food changes the result. Let the pills melt under your tongue rather than swallowing them with water.
• Time to effect: No honest time can be given, since trials show nothing beyond placebo. Homeopaths often expect some change within a few days to a few weeks.
• How long to take it: Custom is to stop as soon as you feel better, and to think again within 2 to 4 weeks. If nothing has changed in a month, stop and see a doctor. Do not keep taking it for months for a problem that is not improving.