What is Cina?

Cina is a homeopathic remedy made from wormseed, a plant whose Latin name is Artemisia cina. It is a single remedy, not a mix. Homeopaths choose it most often for cross, restless children who grind their teeth, pick at the nose and seem hungry all the time.

The remedy is made by diluting the plant over and over, with shaking at each step. At 30C the mix has been thinned so far that no plant matter is left in the pill. Trials do not show it doing more than a placebo (a dummy pill).

Cina has a long record of use in homeopathy. A long record of use is not proof that something works. Read this page as history plus a plain look at the evidence.

How does Cina work?

There is no known way a 30C pill could act on the body, because no wormseed is left in it.

Homeopaths hold that a substance which causes symptoms in a well person can settle the same symptoms in a sick one. They also hold that shaking at each step leaves an imprint of the plant in the water. Chemistry and physics do not support this idea.

If a child seems calmer after taking it, time, rest, care and placebo (feeling better because you expect to) are the likely reasons.

What forms does Cina come in?

Cina is sold as small sugar pellets, as liquid drops, and as tablets that melt under the tongue. Pellets are the usual choice for children.

Labels show a strength such as 6C, 30C, 200C, 6X or 30X. The number and letter tell you how many times the plant was diluted. A higher number means more dilution and less plant, not a stronger dose of plant.

Mother tincture and low X forms hold real wormseed. Treat those as a herbal product, not as a homeopathic pill.

Where it comes from:

Wormseed was a worm treatment in Greek, Persian and Arabic medicine long ago. Its dried flower buds were still sold across Europe for gut worms into the 1800s.

Santonin, drawn from the plant, was a common worm drug until poisonings and safer drugs pushed it aside. Doctors stopped using it in most countries by the mid 1900s.

Homeopaths took Cina up in the early 1800s and wrote it into their children's remedy lists. It has stayed a staple of homeopathic texts ever since.

What does Cina help with?

• Crossness and tantrums in children: This is the classic homeopathic picture for Cina: a child who wants to be carried, then pushes you away. No human trial has tested Cina for mood or behaviour in children. Sudden changes in a child's behaviour deserve a doctor's look first.
• Teeth grinding at night: Homeopathic texts list night-time teeth grinding as a lead sign for Cina. No published trial supports this use. A dentist can check for worn teeth and jaw pain, which is the useful step.
• Itchy nose and nose picking: Old texts linked an itchy, rubbed nose with gut worms, and so with Cina. There is no trial evidence for this. An itchy nose is far more often hay fever or dry air.
• Restless, twitchy sleep: Homeopaths use Cina for a child who tosses, calls out and wakes often. No study has tested it against a placebo for sleep. Steady bedtimes and a dark, cool room have better support.
• Big appetite with a rumbling belly: Hunger soon after eating is part of the traditional Cina picture. No trial has looked at this. Constant hunger with weight loss needs a doctor, not a remedy.
• Belly cramps in children: Cina is listed for cramps around the navel that make a child double over. Evidence for this is tradition only. Bad or lasting belly pain needs to be checked in person.
• Bedwetting: Some homeopathic texts name Cina for bedwetting linked with restless nights. No trial supports it. Most bedwetting settles with time, and a doctor can rule out infection or constipation.
• Dry, spasm-like coughing fits: Older homeopathic books used Cina for coughing fits that end in a gag. There is no trial evidence here. A cough with whoops, vomiting or blue lips is urgent and needs care the same day.

What are the side effects of Cina?

• Nothing at all, which is the usual result with a 30C pill
• Belly gas or loose stools in people who cannot handle lactose (milk sugar)
• Rash or itch if you react to daisy-family plants
• A short flare of symptoms, which homeopaths call an aggravation
• Choking, if a whole pellet is given to a very young child
• Delay in getting real care, which is the biggest risk of all
• From the raw plant or low dilutions: sick stomach and vomiting
• From the raw plant: things looking yellow, then headache and fits (seizures)

Good to know:

A 30C pill is sugar and water. On its own it very rarely upsets anyone.

The real dangers sit elsewhere. Raw wormseed and low dilutions can poison a child. Waiting on pellets while a true worm infection or a bad belly pain goes untreated can also cause harm.

Stop and call a doctor if any new symptom shows up after taking it.

How much Cina should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose has been set by research, because no trial has found a real effect to dose for. In practice, homeopaths suggest 3 to 5 pellets of 30C, or about 5 drops, taken two or three times a day. Some stop after a single dose and wait. Follow the pack label or your practitioner, and never treat the pack as a medical dose.
• Best time of day: Any time of day. Homeopathic labels often say to take it away from strong tastes like mint, coffee or toothpaste, by about 15 minutes.
• With or without food: Usually taken between meals, on a clean mouth. Food does not change how a 30C pill works, since there is no plant left in it.
• Time to effect: Homeopaths expect a change within hours to a couple of days. No trial has shown a change beyond what a placebo gives. Judge by the symptoms, not by the clock.
• How long to take it: Most homeopaths use it for a few days at most, then stop and look again. If nothing has changed in about three days, stop and see a doctor. Do not keep giving it for weeks while a problem carries on.