What is Kali chloricum?

Kali chloricum is a homeopathic single remedy. It is made from potassium chlorate, a white salt once used in mouth washes, gargles and match heads. Homeopaths have given it mainly for a raw, sore mouth and for sore, bleeding gums.

The remedy is made by diluting the salt over and over. At common strengths such as 30C, none of the starting salt is left. Trials have not shown that homeopathic remedies work better than a dummy pill (placebo).

So this page gives you two separate things. One is what people have long done with the remedy. The other is what tests in people show, which here is very little.

How does Kali chloricum work?

There is no known way this remedy could act in your body once it is fully diluted.

Homeopathy works from an old idea called "like cures like". The idea is that a substance which causes symptoms in a well person can ease the same symptoms when given in a tiny, shaken-down dose. Each step dilutes the salt and shakes the liquid hard.

After about 12 rounds of this, no molecules of the salt remain. At 30C there is nothing left to measure. Any change you feel is most likely placebo effect, or your body getting better on its own.

What forms does Kali chloricum come in?

You will mostly see these forms: - Small sugar pellets or pillules that melt under the tongue - Liquid drops in water and alcohol - Tablets that dissolve in the mouth

Common strengths sold to the public are 6C, 12C and 30C. Low strengths such as 3X and 6X are also made; these are the ones that may still hold traces of the raw salt. Homeopaths sometimes use a very dilute mouth rinse, but plain salt-water rinses are far better studied for a sore mouth.

Where it comes from:

Potassium chlorate was first made by the French chemist Claude Berthollet in the late 1780s. Doctors of the 1800s used it as a mouth wash and gargle for mouth sores. Reports of poisoning, kidney damage and deaths ended that use.

Homeopaths tested the salt in the 1800s and wrote it up in their reference books, such as Clarke's Dictionary. They listed it for a raw mouth, for mouth sores linked to old mercury medicines, and for kidney trouble. It has always been a minor remedy, not a first-choice one.

What does Kali chloricum help with?

• Sore, raw mouth and mouth ulcers (stomatitis): This is the classic use in homeopathic books. Those books describe a red, raw mouth with grey or white patches and a lot of saliva. No trial in people has tested Kali chloricum for mouth ulcers.
• Sore, bleeding or spongy gums: Homeopaths have used it when gums bleed easily and feel puffy. There is no trial evidence for this. Bleeding gums often mean gum disease, so a dentist should look at them.
• Bad breath linked to mouth sores: Old texts mention a foul taste and smell in the mouth. This is tradition only, with no tests in people. Bad breath that will not go away needs a dental check.
• Sore throat and tonsil pain: Some homeopathic guides list it for a raw throat with white patches. No trial supports this. White patches with fever can mean an infection that needs a doctor.
• Mouth soreness after old mercury-based medicines: This use comes from the 1800s, when mercury drugs were common and damaged the mouth. It is a piece of history rather than a modern use. No trial evidence exists.

What are the side effects of Kali chloricum?

• Most people notice nothing at all
• A short flare of your symptoms in the first day or two, which homeopaths call an aggravation
• Loose stools or an upset stomach from the sugar in the pellets
• Wind or bloating if you cannot digest lactose (milk sugar)
• Rash or itching, which is rare, from the pellet base
• From low-strength products that still hold traces of the salt: feeling sick, stomach pain, or skin that turns brown or blue-grey
• From the raw salt, which you must never swallow: damage to red blood cells, kidney damage, and death

Good to know:

Side effects from the diluted remedy are rare and mild. At 12C and above there is no salt left, so the pellets are mostly sugar.

The real risk lies in the raw chemical, not the remedy. Potassium chlorate turns the blood brown so it carries less oxygen. It also breaks open red blood cells and can shut down the kidneys.

The main day-to-day risk is delay. Using pellets while a real infection grows can let a treatable problem get worse.

How much Kali chloricum should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose has been proven to work in people, because the trials have not been done. Makers usually print something like this on the label: - Adults: 3 to 5 pellets under the tongue, up to 3 times a day - Children: fewer pellets, and only with a doctor's advice Follow the label on the box you bought, or the advice of a qualified practitioner. Never make up your own mixture from raw potassium chlorate. The raw salt is a poison.
• Best time of day: Any time of day. Many people take it on waking and at bedtime. Homeopaths often suggest keeping it about 15 minutes away from food, drink, toothpaste and strong mints, though this is custom rather than proven.
• With or without food: Away from food. Let the pellets melt under your tongue on an empty mouth, not with a drink.
• Time to effect: There is no reliable answer, because it has not been tested in people. Homeopaths expect a change within hours to a few days for a short-term problem. Mouth ulcers often heal on their own in 7 to 14 days anyway.
• How long to take it: Homeopaths usually stop once symptoms ease. A common plan is a few days at most for a short problem. If your mouth or throat is no better after about 3 days, stop and see a doctor or dentist. Do not keep taking it for weeks in place of a check-up.