What is Tellurium metallicum?

Tellurium metallicum is a homeopathic remedy. It is made from tellurium, a silver-grey metal. Homeopaths reach for it mostly for ring-shaped skin rashes and runny ears.

The metal is watered down again and again. Each step is shaken hard. At 30C, not one atom of the metal is left in the pill.

Trials do not show that it beats a dummy pill. Long use in one tradition is not proof of effect. This page gives you both facts side by side.

How does Tellurium metallicum work?

There is no known way for this remedy to act on the body. At 30C, none of the source metal is left.

Homeopathy rests on an old rule: like cures like. In full strength, tellurium can burn the skin and cause a foul, garlic-like breath. So homeopaths give the watered-down form for skin and ear complaints.

They also say the shaking passes on a trace of the metal. Tests have found no sign of that. Most of what people notice is likely the placebo effect (feeling better because you expect to).

What forms does Tellurium metallicum come in?

You will see it sold as pellets, small tablets, liquid drops and sometimes a cream.

Common strengths are 6C, 12C, 30C and 200C. The C means each step was a one-in-a-hundred dilution. The higher the number, the fewer atoms remain.

Low strengths such as 1X or 3X, and the mother tincture (the raw, undiluted liquid), can still hold real tellurium. Do not take these on your own.

Where it comes from:

Tellurium was found in 1782 in gold ore from Transylvania. Homeopaths began testing it on healthy people in the 1800s.

Constantine Hering wrote up what they reported. Later writers kept his notes. They used the remedy for ring-shaped rashes, ear discharge, and back pain that hurts when you cough or laugh.

It belongs to one tradition only: homeopathy. No other old healing system uses it.

What does Tellurium metallicum help with?

• Ring-shaped skin rashes, such as ringworm (a fungal skin infection): This is the best-known use in homeopathy, and it is based only on old case notes. No human trial has tested the remedy for it. Ringworm responds well to antifungal creams from a chemist, so ask for one.
• Itchy, cracked skin behind the ears: Old homeopathic books list weepy, itchy skin behind the ear as a lead sign for this remedy. There is no trial evidence. Skin that oozes, cracks or spreads needs a doctor's eye.
• Ear discharge with a bad smell: Homeopaths link the remedy to thin, smelly fluid from the ear. No trial supports this. Fluid or pus from an ear can mean an infection or a hole in the ear drum, so get it checked rather than treated at home.
• Low back pain and sciatica (pain running down the leg): Tradition gives it for back pain that gets worse when you cough, laugh or strain. This comes from case reports, not from studies. Nothing shows it works better than a dummy pill.
• A spine that feels sore to touch: Homeopathic texts name a tender spine as a keynote for this remedy. No human study has looked at it. New or sharp spine pain, or pain with numbness, needs a doctor.

Which foods are rich in Tellurium metallicum?

1. Garlic: holds tiny traces of tellurium from the soil
2. Onions: same trace amounts, far too small to matter
3. Mushrooms: take up traces of the element from the ground

Practical Tips:

Your body does not need tellurium, so no food is a useful source of it.

What are the side effects of Tellurium metallicum?

• Most people notice nothing at all
• A short flare-up of the rash or pain in the first days, which homeopaths call an aggravation
• Upset stomach if you cannot digest lactose (milk sugar), since pellets are often made with it
• Itch or redness from a cream, if your skin reacts to it
• Harm from waiting too long before you get treatment that works

Good to know:

At 6C and above there is almost nothing in the pill, so direct harm is very rare. The real risk is delay. A rash or ear discharge that is left alone can spread or scar.

How much Tellurium metallicum should you take?

• Recommended daily: There is no proven dose, because no trial has set one. In common homeopathic practice, people take three to five pellets of 6C or 30C, once or twice a day. Liquid drops are usually five drops in a little water.
• Best time of day: Morning and evening are the usual times. The timing has never been tested.
• With or without food: The usual advice is to take it on a clean mouth, about 15 minutes before or after food or drink. This is custom, not proof.
• Time to effect: Homeopaths speak of days to a couple of weeks. No trial backs any time frame. Skin and ear problems often settle on their own, which makes changes hard to read.
• How long to take it: Homeopaths suggest a short trial of a few days to two weeks, then a stop and a think. If nothing has changed, stop and get your symptoms looked at. Do not keep taking it for months on end.