What is Calcarea caustica?

Calcarea caustica is a homeopathic single remedy made from quicklime. Its Latin name is Calcii oxidum (calx viva), and it is also called quicklime or slaked lime. Homeopaths have used it for ear complaints, hearing loss with noises in the ear, and aching joints.

The raw material is a caustic mineral. Quicklime burns skin, eyes and the throat on contact. The remedy you buy is not that material: it is the mineral put through repeated dilution and shaking, so at 6C and above little or nothing of the starting substance is left, and at 30C essentially none remains.

The evidence verdict is simple. There are no human trials of Calcarea caustica for any condition, and trials of homeopathy as a whole do not separate it from placebo (a dummy treatment). It has a place in homeopathic tradition, but traditional use is not proof that something works, and that caution applies to everything on this page.

How does Calcarea caustica work?

There is no accepted way this could work in the body. Homeopathy rests on two ideas: that a substance causing symptoms in a well person can treat those symptoms in a sick person, and that heavy dilution makes a remedy stronger rather than weaker.

Neither idea matches what chemistry and biology show. Once a liquid is diluted past about 12C, the odds of a single molecule of the starting material being left are near zero. A 30C pill is sugar and water residue.

People do sometimes feel better after taking it. The likely reasons are placebo effect (feeling better because you expect to), natural recovery, and the time and attention of a long consultation. Those effects are real, but they are not caused by the quicklime.

What forms does Calcarea caustica come in?

Common forms you will find:

- Sugar pellets or pillules, usually 6C, 30C or 200C - Liquid drops in water and alcohol - Soft tablets that melt on the tongue - Combination products where it is one of several remedies

Potency is shown on the label as a number plus C, X or M. A higher number means more dilution steps, not a higher dose of anything.

Where it comes from:

Quicklime has been made by burning limestone for thousands of years. Builders use it in mortar and plaster, farmers use it on soil, and cooks use slaked lime to treat corn for masa.

Its homeopathic use is much newer and much smaller. It appears in nineteenth century homeopathic materia medica as a minor remedy, well behind the better known calcium remedies such as Calcarea carbonica. The written records of its use are thin, and it has never been a front-rank remedy in the tradition.

What does Calcarea caustica help with?

• Hearing loss with ringing or roaring in the ear: This is the use most often listed in old homeopathic texts for this remedy. No trial has tested it in people with hearing loss. Hearing loss needs a proper check. Sudden loss of hearing in one ear is an urgent matter and should be seen within a day or two.
• Earache and ear pressure: Homeopaths have used it for a full, blocked feeling in the ear. There is no trial evidence for this remedy in ear pain. Ear pain with fever, discharge or pain behind the ear needs a doctor, not a remedy.
• Aching, stiff joints: Traditional notes describe joint aches that feel worse in cold, damp weather. No human study has looked at this remedy for joint pain. Joint pain that keeps you awake, or a hot swollen joint, should be checked.
• Sore throat with a raw, burning feeling: The burning quality of raw quicklime is the reason old texts linked it to burning throat pain. That is a reasoning style, not a test result. No trial supports it. A sore throat that makes swallowing or breathing hard is an emergency.
• Burning pains in the skin: Some repertories list it for burning skin sensations. Again, this comes from the nature of the raw mineral, not from testing in people. Do not put the remedy, or anything containing lime, on a burn or an open wound.

Which foods are rich in Calcarea caustica?

1. Masa and corn tortillas: the corn is soaked in slaked lime to soften it
2. Some canned vegetables and mineral waters: food-grade lime is used as a firming agent or additive (E529)
3. Calcium supplements: a different, food-safe calcium salt, not quicklime

Practical Tips:

Food-grade lime used in cooking is not the same thing as taking the homeopathic remedy, and eating these foods has nothing to do with it.

What are the side effects of Calcarea caustica?

• No side effects at all, in most people
• Gut upset from the milk sugar in the pills, if you cannot digest lactose
• A short flare of symptoms, which homeopaths call an aggravation
• Mouth or throat burning if a very low potency or raw lime is swallowed
• Rare rash or itch from something else in the product

Good to know:

Side effects from a 6C or higher remedy are very rare, because the pills hold no active mineral. The main risk is not the pills themselves.

The real risk is delay. Using pellets for an ear infection, sudden hearing loss or a hot swollen joint can let a treatable problem get worse while you wait.

Raw quicklime is a different matter. It burns skin, eyes and the gut. Never handle or swallow the raw mineral.

How much Calcarea caustica should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose has been proven to do anything, because no trial has found an effect to dose for. Common practice in homeopathy is: - 6C or 30C pellets, two to five pellets per dose - One to three doses a day for a short-term problem - Single doses days apart for higher potencies such as 200C Follow the label on the pack you own. Do not use very low potencies such as 1X or 3X on your own, as these can still hold a trace of the raw mineral.
• Best time of day: Any time of day. Homeopathic habit is to take it away from meals and strong tastes, but no study shows that timing changes anything.
• With or without food: Usually taken on a clean mouth, about 15 minutes away from food, drink or toothpaste. Let the pellets melt on your tongue rather than swallowing them whole. This is custom, not proven practice.
• Time to effect: No reliable time frame exists, because no effect beyond placebo has been shown. People who report a change usually describe it within hours to a few days.
• How long to take it: Keep any self-directed trial short. A few days is enough for a short-term complaint. If nothing has changed after about a week, stop and think again. Ongoing ear, joint or throat problems need a diagnosis rather than a longer run of pellets.