What is Radium bromatum?

Radium bromatum is a single homeopathic remedy. Its Latin name is Radii bromidum, and it is also called Radium bromide. Homeopaths have used it mostly for itchy skin rashes and for aching joints.

The raw source is radium bromide, a salt that is radioactive (it gives off radiation). To make the remedy, that salt is watered down again and again, with shaking at each step. By the time you reach 30C, it is very unlikely that even one atom of the salt is left in the pill.

So what you take is a sugar pill, or a drop of alcohol and water. No human trials of Radium bromatum have been published. Its place comes from homeopathic tradition, and long use is not the same as proof that something works.

How does Radium bromatum work?

There is no known way this remedy could act on the body, because at normal strengths there is nothing of the source left in it.

Homeopathy (a 200-year-old system of very dilute remedies) works from an idea called "like cures like". The idea is that a substance which causes signs in a well person can, once made very dilute, ease those same signs in a sick person. Homeopaths also say the shaking step leaves an imprint in the water.

That imprint has never been shown to exist in any test. Chemists and physicists do not accept it. When people feel better after taking it, the likely reasons are placebo effect, time, and the care and attention of the visit.

What forms does Radium bromatum come in?

Radium bromatum is sold in the usual homeopathic forms:

- Small sugar pills or pellets that melt under the tongue - Liquid drops in alcohol and water - Powders or crushed tablets, mainly for children

Common strengths are 6C, 12C, 30C and 200C. The letter C means the dilution was repeated in steps of one part in a hundred. A higher number means more steps and less chance that any source material is left.

Where it comes from:

Radium was found in 1898 by Marie and Pierre Curie. Within a few years, doctors were testing it on skin growths and sore joints.

American homeopaths then gave radium bromide to healthy people and wrote down what they felt. Homeopaths call this a proving, and it is how the remedy got its list of uses. The reported signs included itching, burning skin and night-time joint pain.

The remedy entered homeopathic books in the early 1900s. It is known but not much used. It has no place in herbal medicine, Ayurveda or Chinese medicine.

What does Radium bromatum help with?

• Itchy skin rashes: This is the best-known traditional use. Homeopaths pick it for burning, itchy skin that feels better after a hot bath. No human trial has tested it for any skin rash, so this rests on tradition alone.
• Skin ulcers and slow-healing sores: Old homeopathic texts list it for sores that are slow to close. There is no trial evidence for this. An ulcer that does not heal needs a doctor, since it can be a sign of poor blood flow, diabetes or skin cancer.
• Acne and rosacea (a red facial rash): Some homeopaths use it for red, blotchy facial skin. No study has tested it against a dummy pill. Proven treatments for these skin problems exist, and a doctor or pharmacist can point you to them.
• Joint pain and stiffness: The proving notes describe aching joints that hurt more at night and ease with gentle movement. That pattern is why homeopaths choose it. No trial has measured whether it changes pain scores in real people.
• Low back pain: Traditional use covers a dull, stiff lower back that feels better once you get moving. Again, this comes from the proving notes, not from research. Most short-term back pain settles on its own in a few weeks.

What are the side effects of Radium bromatum?

• No direct effects are expected at 30C, since nothing of the source is left
• A short flare of symptoms in the first days, which homeopaths call an aggravation
• Stomach upset or wind in people who cannot digest lactose (milk sugar)
• A problem for anyone avoiding alcohol, since the liquid drops contain it
• Delay in getting a diagnosis or treatment that would have helped

Good to know:

Direct harm from the pills themselves is very unlikely. The real risk is what you do not do while you take them.

A rash, ulcer or joint pain can be the first sign of something that needs proper treatment. Putting off that visit is the main way this remedy can hurt you.

How much Radium bromatum should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose has been set by research, because no trial has tested this remedy in people. In practice, homeopaths suggest amounts like these: - 30C: two to three pellets, up to three times a day, for short-term use - 6C or 12C: two to three pellets, two or three times a day - 200C: a single dose, repeated only on a homeopath's advice Follow the label on the pack you bought, and do not use any strength below 12C.
• Best time of day: Any time of day. Homeopaths usually say to take it about 15 minutes away from food, drink, toothpaste or strong-smelling things such as coffee and mint. There is no test showing this matters.
• With or without food: On an empty mouth, not with food. Let the pellets melt under your tongue rather than swallowing them with a drink.
• Time to effect: There is no reliable answer, because the remedy has not been tested in people. Homeopaths often expect a change within a few days. Any change you notice may simply be the problem running its normal course.
• How long to take it: Keep any trial short. Two weeks is enough to see whether you feel any different. If nothing has changed by then, stop and see a doctor about the problem. Do not keep taking it for months in place of care that has been shown to work.