What is Kali bromatum?

Kali bromatum is a homeopathic remedy made from potassium bromide, a salt of potassium and bromine. Its Latin name is Kalium bromatum. It is also called bromide of potash.

It is a single drug remedy, not a mix. Homeopaths give it most often for acne, for restless hands and feet, and for a busy, anxious mind at bedtime.

The evidence verdict is simple. No good human trial shows that this remedy works better than a dummy pill (placebo). Long use in a tradition is not the same as proof that something works, and that holds for every claim on this page.

How does Kali bromatum work?

There is no proven way that this remedy acts on the body.

Homeopathy rests on two old ideas. The first is "like cures like": a substance that causes a symptom in a well person is given in tiny amounts to a sick person with that symptom. Potassium bromide in large doses can cause acne and dullness, so the remedy is given for those states.

The second idea is that shaking and diluting a substance makes it act more strongly. This runs against what chemistry tells us. At 30C, essentially none of the starting salt is left in the pill, so any effect you feel is most likely the placebo effect, the real lift people get from taking something and being cared for.

What forms does Kali bromatum come in?

The most common form is small sugar pellets that melt under the tongue. Liquid drops in a water and alcohol base are also sold. Some brands offer tablets or lactose granules.

Potencies you will see on the label include 6X, 3C, 6C, 12C, 30C and 200C. A higher number means more dilution, not more drug.

Low "X" potencies matter most for safety, since those may still contain real bromide.

Where it comes from:

Potassium bromide entered medicine in the 1850s as a sedative and seizure drug. Doctors soon saw its side effects, including a heavy acne rash and mental dullness.

Homeopaths tested it on healthy people in the 1800s and wrote up the symptoms. It has kept a steady place in homeopathic materia medica books, such as Boericke's, ever since.

What does Kali bromatum help with?

• Acne and pimples on the face, chest and back: This is the best known homeopathic use, based on the fact that real bromide drugs caused a bad acne rash. No human trial supports the homeopathic remedy for acne. If your acne is deep, painful or scarring, see a doctor, because proven treatments exist and scars do not come back once formed.
• Trouble falling asleep with a racing mind: Homeopaths pick it for people who lie awake with busy, worried thoughts. This mirrors the calming and dulling effect of bromide in drug doses. There is no trial evidence for the diluted remedy in insomnia (trouble sleeping).
• Restlessness and constant fidgeting of the hands: Old homeopathic texts describe a person who cannot keep still and keeps picking at things. This is a traditional picture only. No study has tested the remedy for restlessness.
• Anxiety with a sense of dread: Tradition links the remedy to fear, low mood and a feeling that something bad will happen. That comes from symptom records in healthy volunteers, not from trials in anxious patients. Ongoing anxiety deserves a proper assessment from a doctor or therapist.
• Night terrors in children: Some homeopaths use it for children who wake screaming at night. Evidence is absent. Do not give it to a child instead of getting the sleep problem checked.
• Boils and skin lumps: A minor traditional use, tied again to the skin eruptions seen with bromide drugs. There are no human studies. A hot, spreading or fevered boil needs medical care, not a remedy.

Which foods are rich in Kali bromatum?

1. Sea fish and seaweed: naturally contain small amounts of bromide from seawater
2. Bread made with brominated flour: a food additive still used in some countries
3. Some soft drinks with brominated vegetable oil: now banned or phased out in many places

Practical Tips:

These food sources are tiny and are not a reason to change your diet.

What are the side effects of Kali bromatum?

• No physical effect at all from 30C and higher, which is what the chemistry predicts
• A short flare of the original symptoms, which homeopaths call an aggravation
• Upset stomach or bloating from the sugar pellets
• Reaction to lactose (milk sugar) in some pellets if you cannot digest it
• With low potencies taken often: drowsiness or feeling dull
• With low potencies taken often: an acne-like rash
• With low potencies taken often: headache, nausea or low mood
• With prolonged bromide build-up: confusion, slurred speech, unsteady walking

Good to know:

At 30C and above, side effects are very unlikely, because there is essentially nothing in the pill.

The real risk sits with low potencies such as 3X and 6X, which can hold small amounts of bromide. Bromide leaves the body very slowly and can build up over weeks. That build-up is called bromism, and it causes rash, dullness, confusion and unsteady walking.

The bigger everyday risk is delay: using this instead of care that is known to work.

How much Kali bromatum should you take?

• Recommended daily: There is no established dose, because no trial has found a dose that works. Homeopaths do not dose by body weight or strength the way drugs are dosed. A common label direction for pellets is 3 to 5 pellets under the tongue, up to three times a day. Liquid drops are usually 5 to 10 drops in a little water. Follow the label on the product you bought, and do not take extra hoping for a bigger effect.
• Best time of day: Most people take it on waking and at bedtime. If it is being used for sleep, the evening dose is the usual one.
• With or without food: Usually taken between meals, about 15 minutes before or after food or drink. This is a tradition of the practice, not a proven rule.
• Time to effect: Homeopaths often claim a change within a few days. Nothing has been measured in a trial, so no honest time frame can be given.
• How long to take it: Homeopaths usually suggest a short course of a few days to two weeks, then a review. Stop and reassess if nothing has changed after two weeks. Do not take low potencies such as 3X or 6X for long stretches, since those may still contain real bromide, which builds up in the body over weeks.