What is Aurum muriaticum natronatum?

Aurum muriaticum natronatum is a single homeopathic remedy. It is made from sodium chloraurate, a salt of gold and table salt. Its Latin name is Auri et natrii chloridum.

Homeopaths pick it for people they read as sad, tense and driven. It has also been used for lumps in the womb, a swollen thyroid gland in the neck, and heart or blood pressure complaints.

The remedy is watered down again and again. This is called serial dilution. At the common 30C strength, none of the starting gold is left.

Trials do not show that it works better than a dummy pill (placebo). Long use in a tradition is not the same as proof. This page reports both, and keeps them apart.

How does Aurum muriaticum natronatum work?

No one has shown a way this remedy could work in the body.

Homeopathy rests on two ideas. The first is that a substance which causes symptoms in a well person can treat those same symptoms in a sick one. The second is that watering it down, with hard shaking at each step, makes it act more strongly.

Neither idea matches what we know about chemistry. At 30C, not one molecule of the gold salt is likely to remain. What is left is water, alcohol or sugar.

Some people do feel better after taking it. A caring visit, time, rest and hope can all lift how you feel. That is a real effect, but it does not come from the gold.

What forms does Aurum muriaticum natronatum come in?

You will most often see small sugar pills or pellets that melt under the tongue. Liquid drops in a water and alcohol base are also sold.

Common strengths are 6C, 30C and 200C. The letter C means each step dilutes the mix one part in a hundred. A higher number means more steps, and even less chance of any gold.

Low strengths such as 1X, 2X or 3X, and the mother tincture, are a different matter. These can still hold real gold salts. Do not use them on your own.

Where it comes from:

Homeopathy began in Germany in the 1790s with Samuel Hahnemann. Gold and gold salts were tested on healthy volunteers in the 1800s. These tests, called provings, are how homeopathic pictures were built.

Aurum muriaticum natronatum entered homeopathic books in the mid to late 1800s. Writers of that era linked it to the womb, the thyroid gland and low mood. It has stayed a minor but steady name in homeopathic guides ever since.

It is a recognised remedy within one tradition. It has no use in herbal medicine, Ayurveda or Chinese medicine.

What does Aurum muriaticum natronatum help with?

• Low mood and deep sadness: This is the best known use in homeopathic books. Those books describe a person who feels worthless, cannot sleep, and thinks of death. No trial has tested the remedy for low mood. If you feel this way, speak to a doctor. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, get help the same day.
• Fibroids (non-cancer lumps in the womb): Homeopaths have long named this remedy for womb lumps and for a heavy, dragging feeling low in the belly. There is no trial evidence that it shrinks a fibroid or eases one. Any new lump, pelvic pain or heavy bleeding needs a scan and a doctor's opinion first.
• Goitre (a swollen thyroid gland in the neck): Old homeopathic texts list this remedy for a swollen gland in the neck. No human trial has tested it. Thyroid problems are found with a simple blood test and treated well by doctors. Do not put off that test.
• High blood pressure and heart complaints: Homeopathic sources mention a hard, fast pulse and a heavy chest. There is no trial support for any effect on blood pressure. High blood pressure has no symptoms for years, then causes harm. Keep taking your prescribed pills and keep your check-ups.
• Heavy or painful periods: Traditional use covers heavy flow and pain linked with womb complaints. No trial evidence exists for this remedy. Heavy bleeding can drain your iron and leave you tired, so get it checked.
• Long-term sinus and nose trouble: Some homeopathic guides list it for long-standing nose and sinus problems, and for pain in the bones of the face. This comes from the old provings, not from trials. Lasting facial pain or a one-sided blocked nose should be seen by a doctor.

What are the side effects of Aurum muriaticum natronatum?

• A short flare of your own symptoms in the first days, which homeopaths call an aggravation
• Headache
• Mild stomach upset or loose stools, reported rarely
• Rash or itching, reported rarely
• Sugar from the pills, which matters if you have diabetes (high blood sugar)
• Alcohol in liquid drops, which matters if you avoid alcohol
• Kidney or blood problems if a very low strength or the raw tincture is used, since these can hold real gold salts
• Delay in getting real treatment, which is the biggest risk of all

Good to know:

Direct side effects from the 30C strength are very unlikely. There is no gold in it, so there is nothing to act on your body.

The real risks lie elsewhere. One is the raw gold salt, which is toxic and can harm the kidneys and blood. This only applies to very low strengths and the tincture, not to 30C.

The other is time lost. Fibroids, thyroid disease, low mood and high blood pressure all have treatments that work. Waiting can let them get worse.

How much Aurum muriaticum natronatum should you take?

• Recommended daily: There is no proven dose. Since the 30C strength holds no gold, no amount can be said to work. Homeopaths often suggest 3 to 5 pills, or a few drops, once or twice a day. Some give one dose and then wait for days. Strengths sold are mostly 6C, 30C and 200C. These are customs of the tradition, not results from testing. Never use low strengths like 1X to 3X, or the raw tincture, without medical advice. Those can still hold gold salts.
• Best time of day: Custom is to take it first thing in the morning, or at night before bed. Some homeopaths ask you to avoid strong tastes, such as coffee or mint, around the dose. There is no proof that timing changes anything.
• With or without food: The usual advice is to take it on an empty mouth. That means about 15 to 30 minutes before or after food or drink. Let the pills melt under the tongue rather than swallowing them whole.
• Time to effect: No time to effect can be given, as no effect has been shown in trials. People who report a change often do so within days. If you feel worse at any point, stop and get advice.
• How long to take it: Keep it short. A few days to a few weeks is the usual advice, then a review. If nothing has changed in two weeks, stop and see a doctor. Do not keep taking it for months while a lump, a swollen neck gland or low mood goes unchecked.