What is Gnaphalium polycephalum?

Gnaphalium polycephalum is a homeopathic remedy. It is made from a small plant called sweet everlasting, or cudweed. Its Latin name is Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium.

Homeopaths reach for it most often for sciatica. That is a nerve pain that runs from the low back down the back of one leg. It is also used when leg pain comes with numbness or a dead feeling.

The remedy is made by diluting the plant over and over. At 30C, one of the usual strengths, none of the plant is left. Trials do not show that homeopathic remedies work better than a placebo (a dummy pill).

Long use in a tradition is not proof that a remedy works. This page reports the two things on their own: what tradition says, and what studies show.

How does Gnaphalium polycephalum work?

No one has shown how it works, or that it works at all.

Homeopathy rests on an old idea called "like cures like". A plant that might cause a symptom is given in a tiny dose to treat that same symptom.

The plant extract is diluted and shaken many times over. Makers say this leaves a trace of the plant in the water. Known chemistry does not support that idea.

At 30C there is no plant matter left in the pill. So any relief you feel is most likely a placebo effect, which means feeling better because you expect to.

What forms does Gnaphalium polycephalum come in?

You will most often see small sugar pellets that melt under the tongue.

Other forms are liquid drops in alcohol and water. Some sellers also offer the mother tincture, which is the plain plant extract with little or no dilution.

Strengths are printed as a number and a letter, such as 6X, 6C or 30C. A higher number means more dilution and less plant. At 30C, none of the plant is left at all.

Where it comes from:

Sweet everlasting grows across eastern North America. Native American groups and early settlers used the dried plant as a folk herb. They made teas and steam from it for coughs, colds and sore muscles.

Homeopaths began using the remedy in the United States in the 1800s. It kept a small but steady place in their books for sciatica and low back pain.

It is a single drug in homeopathy. That means it is made from one source plant, not a blend.

What does Gnaphalium polycephalum help with?

• Sciatica (nerve pain down the back of the leg): This is the classic use in homeopathic books. Writers describe pain down the back of one leg that swaps back and forth with numbness. No human trial has tested the remedy for sciatica.
• Low back pain: Homeopaths use it when low back pain is worse when you sit and better when you walk or lie down. This is a tradition-based picture, not a tested one. Back pain also gets better on its own in most people within a few weeks.
• Leg or hip pain that comes with numbness: Numbness mixed with pain is the main clue that homeopaths use when picking this remedy. There is no laboratory or trial evidence behind that clue. New numbness in a leg should be checked by a doctor.
• Cramps in the calf or thigh: Older homeopathic texts list night cramps in the calves. The evidence here is only the written tradition. Simple causes, such as low fluid or a side effect of a medicine, are worth ruling out first.
• Period cramps: Some texts list cramping period pain that spreads into the thighs. This use is less common and has not been studied in people.

Which foods are rich in Gnaphalium polycephalum?

This is a prepared remedy, not a nutrient, so no food contains it.

What are the side effects of Gnaphalium polycephalum?

• No effects are expected at 30C, since no plant matter is left
• Mild stomach upset or wind if you cannot handle lactose (milk sugar) in the pellets
• Rash or itching if you are allergic to daisy family plants, mainly from the mother tincture or low dilutions
• A small amount of alcohol from liquid drops
• A short flare of symptoms, which homeopaths call an aggravation; this has not been shown to be real
• Delay in getting care for a problem that needs treatment, which is the main risk

Good to know:

Direct harm is very unlikely at common strengths, because there is nothing in the pill but sugar. The bigger risk is time lost. Using this instead of care for pain that is severe, spreading or new can let a treatable problem get worse.

How much Gnaphalium polycephalum should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose has been set by research, because no trials have tested it. Labels on shop-bought remedies usually say to take 3 to 5 pellets, at 6C or 30C, two or three times a day. Let the pellets melt under the tongue rather than chewing them. Adults and children are often given the same count, since the pellets carry no measurable plant. Ask a pharmacist or doctor before giving any remedy to a child under 2.
• Best time of day: Any time of day. Doses are usually spread out, such as morning, afternoon and bedtime.
• With or without food: Homeopaths usually say to take it on a clean mouth, about 15 minutes before or after food, drink, coffee or toothpaste. This is custom, not a tested rule.
• Time to effect: No time to effect has been shown, because the remedy has not been proven to work. Homeopaths often say to expect a change within a few days.
• How long to take it: Keep it short. Most homeopaths suggest a few days and then a stop to see what happened. If your pain has not eased in one to two weeks, see a doctor. Go sooner if the pain is getting worse.