What is Uranium nitricum?

Uranium nitricum is a homeopathic remedy. It is a single drug, not a mix. Its Latin name is Uranii nitras, and it is also called Uranium nitrate.

It is made from uranium nitrate, a salt of the heavy metal uranium. Homeopaths have used it for strong thirst, passing a lot of urine, weight loss and stomach bloating. It is made by watering the salt down step by step, with shaking between steps.

At the common 30C strength, none of the source material is left. Trials do not show that homeopathic pills work better than dummy pills. Long use in a tradition is not proof that a remedy works, so please see a doctor about the symptoms listed here.

How does Uranium nitricum work?

Homeopathy is built on two old ideas. First, a thing that causes symptoms in a healthy person can treat those same symptoms in a sick person. Second, shaking a dilution makes it act more strongly.

Neither idea fits what we know about chemistry or the body. At 30C there is no source material left in the pill to act on you.

Trials that compare homeopathic pills with dummy pills find no clear difference. Any relief is best explained by placebo (feeling better because you expect to), by time, or by other care you get.

What forms does Uranium nitricum come in?

Most shops sell it as small sugar pellets, usually at 30C or 6C. Some sell liquid drops made with alcohol and water.

You may also see 200C, 1M and other very high strengths. All of these hold no uranium at all.

Avoid mother tincture and low X strengths such as 1X, 2X and 3X. These may still contain the metal salt.

Where it comes from:

Uranium nitricum came into homeopathy in the mid-1800s, in Europe and the United States. Lab work of that time showed that uranium nitrate harmed the kidneys of animals and made them pass sugar in the urine.

Homeopaths took that as their cue to use it, in watered-down form, for thirst and heavy urination. It appears in old homeopathic handbooks, such as Clarke's. It has always been a minor remedy rather than a staple.

What does Uranium nitricum help with?

• Strong thirst with passing a lot of urine: This is the main use named in old homeopathic books. No trial has tested Uranium nitricum for it. Thirst plus heavy urination can mean diabetes, so ask a doctor for a blood sugar test first.
• Weight loss and weakness even when eating well: Homeopathic texts pair this with the thirst picture above. There is no trial evidence for it. Losing weight without trying always needs a doctor's check.
• Bloating, wind and burning in the stomach after meals: Old books list bloating and burning as part of the remedy picture. No study has tested this. Simple diet changes, and a doctor's advice, have far better support.
• Swelling of the legs, feet or belly from fluid: Homeopaths linked this to the kidney effects seen in early animal work. No human study backs the use. New swelling can come from the heart, kidneys or liver, so get it checked quickly.
• Bedwetting and poor bladder control: Some homeopathic lists mention it here. There is no trial support. Bladder trouble in adults and children has treatments that are known to work.

Which foods are rich in Uranium nitricum?

Tiny traces of uranium turn up in some well water and soil, but that has nothing to do with this remedy.

What are the side effects of Uranium nitricum?

• Nothing at all: at 30C the pill is only sugar and water
• A short flare-up of your symptoms, which homeopaths call an aggravation; there is no proof this is a real drug effect
• Stomach upset from the milk sugar (lactose) in the pellets, if you cannot digest it
• A rare rash or itch from the pellet base or from the alcohol in drops
• Nausea, vomiting and kidney damage: only if a low strength or the raw salt is taken, because uranium is toxic
• Harm from waiting, if a real illness gets worse while you treat it with this

Good to know:

At 30C, direct harm is very unlikely, because the pill holds no uranium. The bigger risk is using this in place of care that works. A second risk is low strengths, which may still hold uranium salt.

Uranium is a toxic heavy metal and gives off radiation. The raw salt is not something to keep or handle at home.

How much Uranium nitricum should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose has been shown to work, so none can be set. In practice, homeopaths give 3 to 5 pellets of a 30C strength, once or a few times a day, or as a single dose. Never use a mother tincture or a low strength such as 1X, 2X or 3X. Those can still hold real uranium salt.
• Best time of day: By custom, it is taken on its own, about 15 to 30 minutes away from food, drink, coffee and toothpaste. There is no proof that timing changes anything.
• With or without food: Between meals, with a clean mouth, is the usual custom. Food is not known to affect it.
• Time to effect: No honest time can be given, because trials do not show an effect beyond placebo. People who report a change usually report it within a few days.
• How long to take it: Keep any use short — days, not months. If nothing has changed in two weeks, stop and see a doctor. Never put off real care for thirst, weight loss, swelling or heavy urination while you try this.