What is Staphylococcinum?

Staphylococcinum is a single homeopathic remedy. It is made from Staphylococcus aureus, a common germ that can cause boils, styes and skin sores. Remedies made from germs or diseased tissue are called nosodes.

The germ culture is killed and then diluted again and again in water or alcohol. At the usual 30C strength, almost none of the source is left. In most 30C doses, not even one molecule of the germ remains.

Homeopaths offer it to people who keep getting boils, styes or spots. No human trial has shown that it works better than a dummy pill. Long use in a tradition tells you what people have done, not what has been proven to work.

How does Staphylococcinum work?

No way for it to act on the body has been shown. The source germ is diluted so far that there is nothing left to measure.

Homeopaths say that water keeps a kind of trace of what was once in it. Chemists and physicists have looked for such a trace and have not found one.

Any change people notice is best explained by the body healing on its own, by the time and care given by the practitioner, and by placebo (feeling better because you expect to).

What forms does Staphylococcinum come in?

Most people take it as small sugar pellets that melt under the tongue. Liquid drops in alcohol are also sold.

The strength is written as a number and a letter, such as 30C or 200C. A higher number means more dilution steps, so even less of the germ is left.

Some homeopaths give a single dose in the clinic. Others send you home with a small tube of pellets.

Where it comes from:

Nosodes go back to the 1830s and the German homeopath Constantine Hering. He was the first to prepare remedies from disease products.

Bacterial nosodes such as this one became more common in British and French homeopathy in the early 1900s. They were offered to people with repeat skin or chest infections.

It has never been a front-line homeopathic remedy. It sits at the edge of the repertory, used by some practitioners and not by others.

What does Staphylococcinum help with?

• Boils that keep coming back: This is the main use in homeopathic books. There are no trials in people to back it up. Repeat boils often point to a staph germ living on the skin or in the nose, and that is something a doctor can test for and treat.
• Styes on the eyelid: Homeopaths have offered it to people who get stye after stye. No trial has tested it. Most styes clear on their own with warm compresses; one that does not clear needs a doctor.
• Acne and infected spots: Some practitioners use it when spots turn into pus-filled lumps. No study supports this. Proven acne treatments exist, so do not put them aside for this.
• Folliculitis (sore, red hair roots): Used in tradition when shaving or heat brings out red, sore bumps. There is no trial evidence at all. Keeping the skin clean and changing how you shave often helps more.
• Slow-healing infected cuts: Homeopathic texts list it for wounds that ooze and heal slowly. This has not been tested in people. A wound that will not heal needs to be seen by a doctor or nurse.
• Carbuncles (a cluster of joined boils): Old texts mention it here, but a carbuncle is a serious skin infection. It often needs antibiotics or draining. Treat this as a reason to see a doctor, not to self-treat.

Which foods are rich in Staphylococcinum?

Some homeopaths tell you to avoid coffee, mint or strong smells near a dose. There is no proof that any of this changes the result.

What are the side effects of Staphylococcinum?

• No side effects have been proven in trials
• A short flare of skin symptoms that some homeopaths call an aggravation
• Rarely, an upset stomach or loose stools from the sugar pellets
• Rarely, a reaction in people who cannot handle lactose (milk sugar)
• Extra sugar from the pellets, which matters if you have diabetes
• The biggest real risk is delay: a true infection left alone can get worse

Good to know:

Direct harm from the pellets is very unlikely. At 30C there is nothing left of the germ, so what you swallow is basically sugar.

The risk that matters is time. A staph infection can move fast, and a boil that is treated late can turn into a deep abscess or a blood infection.

Use this remedy, if you use it at all, alongside proper care. Never use it in place of care.

How much Staphylococcinum should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose has been set by research, because no trial has tested it. Homeopaths most often use 30C. A common pattern is three to five pellets under the tongue, once a day or once a week. Some give one dose only and then wait. Follow the label on the tube or the plan your practitioner gives you.
• Best time of day: Any time of day works. Many people take it away from meals, often first thing in the morning or at bedtime.
• With or without food: Usually taken on its own, about 15 minutes before or after food or drink. This is a custom of the tradition, not a rule based on testing.
• Time to effect: No effect has been proven, so no honest time frame can be given. Homeopaths often talk about days to a few weeks. A true staph infection can get worse in a day or two, so do not wait it out.
• How long to take it: Give it two to four weeks at most, then take stock. If nothing has changed, stop. Do not keep taking it while a skin infection spreads or gets more painful. That is a reason to see a doctor, not to keep dosing.