What is Dulcamara?

Dulcamara is a homeopathic remedy made from bittersweet, also called woody nightshade (Latin name Solanum dulcamara). It is a single remedy, meaning one source plant rather than a blend. Homeopaths give it most often for colds, coughs, aching joints and itchy rashes that start after cold, wet weather.

The source plant is poisonous, but the remedy is serially diluted. The plant extract is diluted again and again, with shaking at each step. At the common 30C strength, essentially none of the original plant is left — you are taking water, alcohol or a sugar pellet.

The honest verdict: trials do not show that Dulcamara works better than placebo (a dummy treatment). Its use within homeopathy is long-standing, but long use is not proof that something works. That point is made here once and is not repeated in every section below.

How does Dulcamara work?

There is no accepted explanation for how Dulcamara could work at normal homeopathic strengths, because no measurable plant material is left in the pill.

Homeopathy teaches "like cures like". The idea is that a substance which causes certain symptoms in a well person can, once diluted, help a sick person with similar symptoms. Bittersweet was chosen because handling and eating it can cause rashes, stomach upset and drowsiness.

Homeopaths also say the diluting and shaking leave an imprint of the plant in the liquid. Physics and chemistry do not support that idea, and it has not been shown in the laboratory. Any benefit people report is best explained by placebo, by time, or by natural recovery.

What forms does Dulcamara come in?

Dulcamara comes in a few standard homeopathic forms. Most are sold over the counter in pharmacies and health shops.

Common forms include sugar pellets or tablets that dissolve under the tongue, liquid drops in an alcohol and water base, and creams or gels for the skin. Pellets are often made with lactose (milk sugar) or sucrose.

Strengths are printed as 6C, 30C, 200C or as 6X and 12X. Higher numbers mean more dilution and less source plant, not more power.

Where it comes from:

Bittersweet has a long folk record in Europe for skin complaints, warts and chest problems, and it appears in old herbal books. It was never a safe home herb, because the plant is toxic.

Samuel Hahnemann and his followers brought it into homeopathy in the early 1800s. It was tested in "provings", where healthy volunteers took it and wrote down what they felt.

From those notes came the picture homeopaths still use today: complaints that flare when warm weather turns cold and damp. It is a well-known remedy inside homeopathy, and not used elsewhere in that form.

What does Dulcamara help with?

• Colds and blocked nose that start after getting chilled or wet: This is the classic homeopathic picture for Dulcamara: a streaming or blocked nose that begins after a soaking or a sudden cold snap. Most ordinary colds clear on their own in a week or so. No trial has tested Dulcamara for colds against placebo.
• Cough that is worse in damp weather: Homeopaths pick it for a loose, rattling cough that gets worse in cold, wet air. There is no human trial evidence for this use. See a doctor if a cough lasts more than three weeks or you cough up blood.
• Joint and back stiffness that flares in cold, wet spells: Traditional homeopathic texts describe stiffness that eases with movement and warmth. This tradition is well established, but it has not been tested in trials of Dulcamara. Ongoing joint pain needs a proper diagnosis.
• Hives (an itchy raised rash) brought on by cold or damp: Dulcamara is a standard homeopathic choice for hives that appear after a chill. There is no trial evidence for it. Hives with swollen lips, tongue or throat is an emergency — call for help at once.
• Eczema and weeping skin rashes: The old herbal use of bittersweet for skin problems fed into this homeopathic use. Evidence is limited to that tradition, not to trials. Do not stop prescribed eczema creams to try it.
• Warts: Dulcamara is one of several remedies homeopaths suggest for warts, often thick or flat ones on the hands or face. No published human trial supports this. Many warts fade on their own over months.
• Diarrhoea during cold, wet weather: Homeopathic texts link Dulcamara to watery stools that come on in wet, changeable weather. There is no trial evidence. Diarrhoea that lasts more than two days, or comes with blood or signs of dehydration, needs medical care.

Which foods are rich in Dulcamara?

Never eat bittersweet berries, leaves or stems, and teach children not to pick them.

What are the side effects of Dulcamara?

• Usually nothing at all at 30C, since no plant material is left
• Stomach upset or nausea (feeling sick): mainly with tinctures or very low strengths
• Burning in the mouth or throat from low-strength liquids
• Wind, bloating or loose stools if you are lactose intolerant (cannot digest milk sugar) and take lactose pellets
• A short flare of your symptoms, which homeopaths call an aggravation
• Rash or itching if you are allergic to a pellet ingredient
• Drowsiness, vomiting, a fast heartbeat or confusion: only from the raw plant or strong tinctures, which is poisoning and needs urgent care

Good to know:

At 30C and above, side effects are very unlikely, because there is nothing in the pill but sugar or alcohol and water.

The real risk sits at the other end of the scale. The bittersweet plant itself is poisonous, so mother tinctures and very low strengths deserve care, and the raw plant must never be eaten.

The other common risk is delay. Using any remedy instead of proven treatment for a serious problem can let that problem get worse.

How much Dulcamara should you take?

• Recommended daily: There is no scientifically established dose, because there is no measurable active ingredient at normal strengths. Labels on retail packs of 30C usually suggest three to five pellets, taken two or three times a day, or as directed by a homeopath. Follow the pack, and do not exceed it. Stay away from the mother tincture and very low strengths such as 1X to 3X unless a qualified practitioner is guiding you. Those can still contain plant poisons.
• Best time of day: Any time of day. Homeopathic advice is usually to take it at least 15 minutes away from food, drink, coffee, mint toothpaste or strong-tasting things.
• With or without food: Take it on a clean mouth, away from food and drink. Let pellets dissolve under the tongue rather than swallowing them with water.
• Time to effect: Homeopaths claim a response within hours to a few days for sudden complaints. Controlled trials do not show an effect beyond placebo, so treat any timeline as a claim, not a fact.
• How long to take it: Homeopaths usually say to stop as soon as you feel better, and to rethink if nothing has changed in two or three days for a sudden complaint. For a long-running problem, review it with a doctor within a few weeks. Do not keep taking it for months in the hope of a delayed effect.