What is Chlorum?

Chlorum is a homeopathic remedy. It is made from chlorine gas. In homeopathy (a system that uses very dilute remedies), it has been given for breathing complaints such as a tight chest, a barking cough and a hoarse voice.

The remedy is made by diluting the source again and again, with shaking between each step. The common strength, 30C, means that step has been repeated 30 times. At that point essentially none of the original chlorine is left in the pellet or drop.

Here is the plain verdict on the evidence. Trials of homeopathic remedies do not show effects beyond placebo (a dummy treatment with no active drug), and no trial has tested Chlorum itself. Long use inside a tradition tells you what healers did; it is not proof that a remedy works.

How does Chlorum work?

There is no known way for Chlorum to act on the body, because there is no measurable chlorine left in it.

Homeopathy works from the idea of "like cures like". Chlorine gas irritates the airways, so homeopaths gave the diluted form for airway complaints. They also hold that shaking leaves an imprint of the source in the water or sugar.

That idea has not been shown to happen. No test has found such an imprint, and no body process is known that could respond to it. Any relief people report is best explained by placebo, by time, or by other treatment they are also taking.

What forms does Chlorum come in?

Chlorum is sold as tiny sugar pellets, as sugar tablets, and as liquid drops in alcohol and water.

Pellets are the most common form and are meant to melt under the tongue. Drops are usually taken in a little water.

Labels show a potency such as 6C, 30C or 200C. A higher number means more rounds of dilution, not a stronger drug.

Where it comes from:

Chlorine gas was first made in 1774 by the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele. It was later used to bleach cloth and to make water safe to drink.

Homeopaths took it up in the 1800s. They tested it on healthy volunteers, wrote down the symptoms, and listed it in their reference books for croup-like coughs and breathless spells.

Chlorum has always been a minor, rarely used remedy. It is far less used than staples such as Arnica or Belladonna.

What does Chlorum help with?

• Barking, croup-like cough: This is the classic reason homeopaths reached for Chlorum. No human trial has tested it for croup. Croup in a child can get worse fast, so a child who is struggling to breathe needs a doctor, not a remedy.
• Sudden tight chest and hard breathing: Old homeopathic books describe spasm-like chest tightness as a key picture for this remedy. There is no trial evidence behind that. Asthma and other breathing attacks need proven medicines and urgent care.
• Hoarse voice and raw throat: Tradition links Chlorum to a rough, hoarse voice with a raw feeling in the throat. This use rests on symptom notes from the 1800s. No study has tested it in people.
• Dry, irritated airways after breathing fumes: Because chlorine gas stings the airways, homeopaths gave the diluted form for that same picture. This is reasoning by likeness, not by test results. Real fume exposure needs fresh air and medical review.

Which foods are rich in Chlorum?

1. Table salt: holds chloride, a related but different and harmless form of the element
2. Tap water: treated with tiny amounts of chlorine to kill germs

What are the side effects of Chlorum?

• None expected from the diluted remedy itself
• Sugar load from pellets, which matters if you count carbohydrates
• Reaction to milk sugar in pellets, in people who cannot handle it
• Alcohol content in liquid drops
• A short flare of symptoms, which homeopaths call an aggravation and which has not been shown in tests
• Delay in getting real treatment, which is the main risk

Good to know:

Direct side effects are very unlikely. At 30C there is essentially nothing in the remedy that could act on you.

The real risk is not the pellet. It is using Chlorum for a breathing problem instead of medicine that works, or waiting too long to see a doctor.

How much Chlorum should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose has been set by any trial, because no trial of Chlorum in people has been done. Labels on homeopathic pellets usually suggest 3 to 5 pellets under the tongue, two or three times a day. Drops are usually 5 to 10 in a little water. Follow the label on the product you bought, and do not take more in the hope of a bigger effect.
• Best time of day: Any time of day. Homeopathic labels often say to keep it away from food, drink, strong mint and coffee by about 15 minutes.
• With or without food: Usually taken on its own, about 15 minutes away from food or drink. Let pellets melt under the tongue rather than swallowing them with water.
• Time to effect: No reliable time can be given, because no measured effect has been shown. People who report relief usually say it came within hours to a day or two.
• How long to take it: Homeopaths usually stop as soon as symptoms settle. If nothing has changed in two or three days, stop and rethink. Do not keep taking it for weeks for a breathing problem that is not getting better. Ongoing cough or breathlessness needs a proper check-up.