What is Kali arsenicosum?

Kali arsenicosum is a homeopathic remedy. It is made from potassium arsenite, an arsenic salt. The same salt was once sold as a medicine called Fowler's solution.

Homeopaths give it for dry, itchy, scaly skin and for restless worry at night. It is a minor remedy in homeopathy, not a leading one.

It is made by serial dilution. One drop of the starting liquid is mixed with water or alcohol, shaken, then diluted again and again. At 30C that step has been done 30 times, and essentially none of the arsenic is left.

The verdict: no human trials of this remedy have been published, and trials of homeopathy as a whole do not tell it apart from a dummy pill (placebo). Long use by homeopaths is not proof that a thing works. Arsenic itself is a poison, so low dilutions and old arsenic products are a real safety matter.

How does Kali arsenicosum work?

There is no known way for this remedy to act on the body. At 30C no arsenic is left to act.

Homeopathy works from a rule called 'like cures like'. Real arsenic can burn the skin and leave it dry and scaly. So homeopaths give a tiny dilution of it for skin that looks that way.

Some say the water keeps a 'memory' of what was in it. Lab work has not shown this to be true. Chemistry and physics offer no accepted route for plain water or a sugar pellet to carry an effect.

Any change people notice is best explained by time, by care and attention, and by the placebo effect (feeling better because you expect to).

What forms does Kali arsenicosum come in?

It comes in the usual homeopathic forms:

Sugar pellets or tiny pills that melt under the tongue. Liquid drops in water and alcohol. Powders or tablets.

Low dilutions such as 3X or 6X may still hold arsenic. Common strengths sold to the public are 6C, 30C and 200C.

It is also found in mixed skin creams. Some 'combination' pills hold several remedies at once.

Where it comes from:

Fowler's solution was made in 1786 by Thomas Fowler, an English doctor. Doctors used it for more than a century for fever, asthma, skin disease and leukaemia (a blood cancer).

It was later dropped. Long use caused skin damage, skin cancer, nerve damage and other harm.

Homeopaths added the same salt to their remedy lists in the 1800s. It has stayed a small, second-rank remedy in that one tradition, used mainly for stubborn dry skin.

What does Kali arsenicosum help with?

• Dry, itchy, scaly skin rashes: This is the main use homeopaths claim. The picture they look for is dry, rough skin that itches and burns, and feels worse at night and in cold air. No human trial has tested this remedy for skin rashes, so the claim rests on homeopathic practice only.
• Psoriasis-type scaling: Some homeopathic texts list it for thick, dry, scaling patches. There is no trial evidence for it in psoriasis (a long-term scaling skin disease). Psoriasis has treatments that are known to work, so see a doctor rather than treat it alone.
• Eczema that burns and itches more at night: Homeopaths pick the remedy partly from the timing of the itch. This comes from case notes and remedy books, not from trials. Eczema that keeps you awake or looks infected needs real medical care.
• Restlessness and worry that get worse after midnight: Old homeopathic texts describe a person who wakes in the early hours feeling anxious and cannot keep still. No study has tested this. Ongoing anxiety is treatable, and talking to a doctor is the better first step.
• Deep tiredness and weakness: Homeopaths list it for people who feel worn out and chilly. Lasting tiredness can be a sign of anaemia (low iron in the blood), thyroid trouble or other illness. Get it checked rather than treated with a remedy.
• Burning pains that feel better with warmth: This is a classic homeopathic 'keynote' for arsenic remedies. It guides the choice of remedy in that tradition. It has not been tested in any published human trial.

Which foods are rich in Kali arsenicosum?

1. Rice and rice cereals: rice takes up arsenic from soil and water
2. Fish and shellfish: hold mostly a less harmful form of arsenic
3. Well water in some areas: can carry arsenic from the rock
4. Apple and grape juice: may carry small traces

Practical Tips:

These foods are not a source of the remedy. They matter only because arsenic from all sources adds up over time.

What are the side effects of Kali arsenicosum?

• In most cases, nothing at all: a 30C pellet is sugar or water
• A short flare of the rash or symptoms, which homeopaths call an 'aggravation'
• Stomach upset or gas from the milk sugar in pellets, if you cannot handle lactose
• Mouth or throat burning from the alcohol in liquid drops
• Allergic rash or swelling, which is rare
• From low dilutions that still hold arsenic: sickness, vomiting, belly pain, loose stools
• From low dilutions: pins and needles, numb hands or feet, or muscle weakness
• From low dilutions over time: dark or rough skin patches, and a raised risk of cancer
• From low dilutions: changes in heart rhythm
• Harm from putting off care that works

Good to know:

At 30C there is no arsenic left. So drug-type side effects are not expected, and most people report nothing.

The real risks are two. First, low dilutions such as 3X or 6X may still hold arsenic, which is a poison. Second, people may delay care that works while they wait for a remedy to act.

If you get sick while taking any arsenic product, stop it and speak to a doctor or a poison centre.

How much Kali arsenicosum should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose has been set by evidence, because no trial has shown this remedy to work. In common practice, people take 3 to 5 pellets of a 6C or 30C strength, two or three times a day. Drops are used in the same way. Homeopaths stop once things improve. Do not buy or take low dilutions such as 3X or 6X, which may still hold real arsenic. Never take Fowler's solution or any arsenic product that is not a high homeopathic dilution.
• Best time of day: Homeopaths usually say to take it away from meals, often first thing in the morning and again at bedtime. No timing has been shown to matter.
• With or without food: By custom, taken on an empty mouth. Many people wait 15 minutes either side of food, drink, coffee or toothpaste. This is tradition, not a tested rule.
• Time to effect: Homeopaths often say hours to a few days for sudden problems, and weeks for long-term skin trouble. Since trials do not tell homeopathy apart from a dummy pill, any change may simply be the problem settling on its own.
• How long to take it: Short use only. If nothing has changed after one to two weeks, stop and see a doctor. Do not keep taking it for months for a skin problem that is not getting better. A rash that spreads, weeps or hurts needs proper treatment.