What is Lycopodium clavatum?

Lycopodium clavatum is a homeopathic single remedy. It is made from the spores of club moss, a low creeping plant. Homeopaths give it most often for gas, bloating and stomach upset.

The remedy is made by diluting the plant again and again, with hard shaking at each step. At 30C, the strength most shops sell, the plant has been diluted so far that none of it is left. What you swallow is a sugar pellet or a drop of alcohol and water.

Trials have not shown that it works better than a dummy pill. It does have a long and steady place in homeopathy. Long use in a tradition is not proof that something works, so we report the two apart on this page.

How does Lycopodium clavatum work?

The honest answer is that no one has shown a way it could work. At 30C there is nothing of the plant left to act on your body.

Homeopathy rests on two ideas. The first is "like cures like": a substance that causes a symptom in a well person is said to treat that symptom in a sick person. The second is that water keeps a trace of what was once in it.

Neither idea fits what we know about chemistry. When people feel better, the likely reasons are the placebo effect (feeling better because you expect to), the long talk with the practitioner, and time passing.

What forms does Lycopodium clavatum come in?

You will see it sold in a few simple forms:

Sugar pellets or pills you let melt under the tongue. Liquid drops in a water and alcohol base. Tablets made with lactose (milk sugar).

Strengths are marked with a number and a letter, such as 6C, 30C or 200C. The higher the number, the more it has been diluted. Homeopaths call higher numbers "stronger", but there is less source material, not more.

Where it comes from:

Club moss spores have a long record in Europe. The fine powder was dusted on skin sores and used to stop pills sticking together.

Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, tested the remedy in the early 1800s. It became one of the tradition's main remedies, used by homeopaths worldwide ever since. That standing sits inside one tradition only.

What does Lycopodium clavatum help with?

• Gas and bloating: This is the classic reason homeopaths reach for it. The picture they look for is a swollen belly in the late afternoon and early evening. No trial has shown it beats a dummy pill for gas or bloating.
• Indigestion and early fullness after eating: Homeopaths use it when a person feels full after only a few bites. This comes from case notes and old texts, not from trials. If your indigestion is new, keeps coming back, or comes with weight loss, get it checked.
• Constipation: Traditional homeopathic texts list it for hard, difficult stools. There is no good trial evidence to support this use. Simple steps like more fibre, more water and more walking have far better support.
• Nerves before an event, such as a speech or exam: Homeopaths give it to people who dread an event but cope once it starts. This is a remedy picture, not a tested effect. Nothing in trials shows it calms nerves better than a dummy pill.
• Mild urinary complaints: Old homeopathic texts list it for slow or difficult passing of urine. There is no trial support. Burning, blood in the urine, fever or back pain need a doctor, not a home remedy.
• Low mood with poor confidence: The remedy picture describes someone who feels small inside but acts sure outside. This is tradition only. Low mood that lasts more than two weeks needs proper care.

Which foods are rich in Lycopodium clavatum?

1. Not found in food: club moss spores are not eaten as a food

Practical Tips:

There is no food source. Homeopaths also suggest keeping doses away from coffee and mint, though this is custom, not tested.

What are the side effects of Lycopodium clavatum?

• At 30C, no direct side effects are expected, because no plant material is left
• Upset stomach or wind in people who cannot digest lactose (milk sugar), if the tablets are lactose based
• Alcohol in liquid drops, which matters for children and for people avoiding alcohol
• A short flare of symptoms, which homeopaths call an aggravation; this has not been shown to be real in trials
• Delay in getting real care, which is the main risk with any unproven remedy

Good to know:

The pellets themselves are very unlikely to harm you. The main risk is not the remedy but what you might skip while you take it.

If your symptoms are new, severe, or not getting better, see a doctor. Do not use this in place of a treatment your doctor has given you.

Crude club moss powder and very low dilutions are not the same product as 30C pellets, and should not be taken on your own.

How much Lycopodium clavatum should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose has been proven to work, because no strength has been shown to beat a dummy pill. Shop packs usually tell you to take 3 to 5 pellets, two or three times a day. Homeopaths who see you in person often give one dose and then wait. Follow the label on the pack you bought, and do not take more in the hope of a faster result.
• Best time of day: Homeopaths usually suggest a clean mouth, so away from food, drink, coffee, mint and toothpaste. Spread doses through the day as the label says.
• With or without food: Take it away from food and drink, about 15 to 30 minutes either side. Let pellets melt under the tongue rather than swallowing them whole.
• Time to effect: There is no reliable answer, since no effect beyond a dummy pill has been shown. Homeopaths say hours to days for sudden problems, and weeks for long-standing ones.
• How long to take it: Keep any self-care trial short. A few days to two weeks is enough to judge. If nothing has changed by then, stop and think again. If your symptoms are getting worse at any point, stop and see a doctor.