Calcarea Carbonica Materia Medica: Keynotes, Mind, Organ-by-Organ Symptoms, Uses and Evidence
Calcarea carbonica (Calc carb) is a homeopathic remedy made from calcium carbonate taken from the middle layer of oyster shells. Classical materia medica describes it as the remedy of the chilly, easily exhausted, sweaty person with swollen glands, sour digestion and anxiety, whose symptoms worsen in cold, damp weather and with effort. These are traditional descriptions: clinical evidence that calcarea carbonica treats any condition has not been established.
How to read this guide: Everything in the symptom sections below is the traditional picture recorded in classical homeopathic literature, mainly William Boericke's Materia Medica (1901). It is written in our own words and organised by body system. It describes how homeopaths have understood the remedy, not what modern medicine has proven. Evidence and safety sections are marked separately.
Calcarea Carbonica in 60 Seconds
| Also known as | Calc carb; Calcarea carbonica ostrearum; carbonate of lime |
| First described by | Samuel Hahnemann, in Chronic Diseases |
| Preparation | Calcium carbonate does not dissolve in water or alcohol, so the first dilution steps are made by grinding it with lactose (trituration) |
| Common forms and potencies | Pellets, tablets and liquid dilutions; 6C, 30C, 200C, 1M |
| US regulatory status | Marketed as an unapproved homeopathic drug; the FDA does not evaluate effectiveness |
| Evidence status | No established clinical efficacy; preliminary laboratory studies only |
Calcarea carbonica is not the same as a calcium supplement. At potencies of 12C and higher, the dilution is so great that, statistically, none of the original substance is expected to remain. Lower potencies such as 1X or 6X can still contain measurable material.
Related Reading: Homeopathic Materia Medica: Complete Remedy Encyclopedia. Browse other remedy profiles and compare them with calcarea carbonica.
The 12 Classical Indicators of Calcarea Carbonica
Homeopaths match a remedy to the whole pattern, not to one symptom. When several of these traditional indicators appear together, classical texts consider calcarea carbonica for comparison.
Chilly and clammy
Sensitive to cold in every form, with cold, damp feet that feel as if wearing wet stockings.
Head sweats
Profuse sweat on the head and neck, especially at night. In children, the pillow gets soaked.
Eggs and sour digestion
A craving for eggs, sweets and salt, dislike of fat and boiled food, sour belching and heartburn, and milk that disagrees.
Breathless on effort
Gets out of breath easily and must stop or sit when climbing stairs or going uphill.
Apprehension
Fear of losing reason, of misfortune or of contagious disease, worse towards evening.
Overwork exhaustion
A jaded mental or physical state after overwork, with a hot head from slight mental effort.
Swollen glands
Enlarged neck, tonsil and abdominal glands, and goitre, in the traditional glandular picture.
Slow-healing skin
Skin that ulcerates easily and heals small wounds slowly, with warts, boils or chilblains.
The child picture
Large head, open fontanelles, big belly, late teething and late walking, with a tendency to diarrhoea.
Early, heavy periods
Periods that come early, run heavy or long, often with cold damp feet and chilliness before the flow.
Worse in cold damp
Symptoms aggravated by wet weather, washing, standing and effort, and during the full moon.
Better in dry weather
Relief in dry climate and, in the classical text, when lying on the painful side.
The Calcarea Carbonica Constitution
Boericke calls calcarea carbonica a "constitutional remedy par excellence". Its action is centred on the "vegetative sphere", the body's nutrition and growth, with the glands, skin and bones most affected. Classical texts describe impaired nutrition, increased perspiration, swollen glands and the old "scrofulous" and "rachitic" states (see the glossary below).
- Grows fat, with a large head, a large belly and a pale, chalky look
- Open fontanelles, with the scalp sweating heavily
- Late teething and late walking
- Craves eggs and may eat dirt or other non-food items
- Prone to diarrhoea and to catching cold
- Described as "fat, fair, flabby and perspiring", cold, damp and sour
- Takes cold at every change of weather
- Tires easily and has partial sweats
- Relapses easily and convalesces slowly
- Illness after working in water or in damp places
These body-type descriptions are a historical generalization. Many people who match the symptom pattern do not match the body type, and many people with the body type do not need the remedy. Modern homeopaths treat the old "leuco-phlegmatic temperament" as a descriptive shorthand rather than a diagnostic rule.
Mind and Emotions
- Apprehensive, worse towards evening.
- Fears loss of reason, misfortune and contagious disease.
- Forgetful, confused and low-spirited.
- Anxiety with palpitation.
- Obstinate, and averse to work or exertion.
- Hot head from slight mental effort.
Boericke's mental picture is short and centred on apprehension, forgetfulness and low spirits. Persistent anxiety, low mood or fear of losing control needs professional assessment, whatever remedy is being considered.
Calcarea Carbonica Symptoms by Organ and Body System
This guide follows the head-to-foot order used in classical materia medica. Items with a red note describe symptoms that should be assessed by a doctor before any remedy is considered.
Head
- Weight on top of the head
- Headache with cold hands and feet
- Vertigo on climbing or turning the head
- Headache from overlifting or mental effort, sometimes with nausea
- Hot, heavy head with a pale face; icy coldness in the head, especially on the right
- Large head with open fontanelles and sweat that wets the pillow
- Itchy scalp, scratching on waking
Eyes
- Sensitive to light; tires easily
- Watering in open air and early morning
- Blocked tear ducts after cold exposure
- Itchy, swollen, scurfy lids; far-sightedness
- Spots and ulcers on the cornea; misty vision; cataract; long-dilated pupils
Ears
- Throbbing, cracking and stitching; pulsating pain as if something would press out
- Deafness from working in water; hardness of hearing
- Bleeding polyps; discharge with enlarged glands
- Eruption on and behind the ear
- Sensitive to cold about the ears and neck
Nose
- Dry, sore, ulcerated nostrils
- Blocked nose, sometimes with a fetid yellow discharge
- Polyps; swelling at the root of the nose
- Nosebleeds; colds at every change of weather
- Catarrh alternating with colic
Face
- Pale face with deep-set eyes and dark rings
- Swollen upper lip
- "Milk crust" (infantile eczema) with itching and burning after washing
- Swollen submaxillary glands; goitre
- Pain from the right chin along the lower jaw to the ear
Mouth and Teeth
- Persistent sour taste; mouth fills with sour water
- Dry tongue at night; bad breath
- Bleeding gums
- Difficult and delayed teething
- Toothache triggered by air, cold or heat
Throat and Glands
- Swollen tonsils and neck glands
- Stitching pain on swallowing; difficult swallowing
- Frequent hawking of mucus
- Goitre
Stomach and Appetite
- Craves eggs, salt and sweets, and sometimes chalk or coal
- Aversion to meat, fat, boiled food and hot food; milk disagrees
- Sour belching, sour vomiting, heartburn
- Cramps worse from pressure and cold water
- Ravenous hunger, yet appetite lost when overworked
- Swelling over the pit of the stomach, like an upturned saucer
- Thirst for cold drinks; worse while eating
Abdomen and Liver
- Tender to the slightest pressure; cannot bear tight waistbands
- Liver region painful on stooping
- Swollen, hard abdomen with trapped wind
- Swollen groin and abdominal glands
- Gall-stone colic; umbilical hernia
Stool and Rectum
- Large, hard stool; or whitish, watery, sour stool
- Constipation: hard first, then pasty, then liquid
- Diarrhoea with undigested food and ravenous hunger; children's diarrhoea
- Crawling and constriction in the rectum
- Burning, stinging piles; rectal prolapse
Urine and Bladder
- Dark, brown, sour, fetid urine in abundance, with a white sediment
- Irritable bladder
- Bed-wetting (enuresis) in children
Female System
- Before periods: headache, colic, chilliness, leucorrhoea
- Periods too early, too profuse or too long, with cold damp feet
- Cutting uterine pains during menses
- Milky leucorrhoea; itching and burning of the genitals, even in little girls
- Breasts hot, swollen and tender before periods
- Too much milk, or poor lactation with distended breasts
- Uterine polyps; sterility with copious menses
Male System
- Frequent emissions
- Increased desire; semen emitted too soon
- Weakness and irritability after intercourse
Respiratory System
- Tickling cough, troublesome at night; dry at night, loose in the morning
- Cough triggered by eating or playing the piano
- Painless hoarseness, worse in the morning
- Thick, yellow, sour sputum, only in the daytime
- Tight, burning, sore chest; worse on slight ascent, must sit down
- Sharp chest pains from front to back; chest sensitive to touch
- Longing for fresh air; suffocating spells
Heart
- Palpitation at night and after eating
- Palpitation with a feeling of coldness and restless oppression of the chest
- Anxiety with palpitation
Back and Neck
- Sprain-like pain after overlifting; can scarcely rise
- Pain between the shoulder blades that impedes breathing
- Weak lumbar region with rheumatic pain
- Stiff, rigid nape of the neck; curved upper spine
- Renal colic
Limbs and Joints
- Rheumatic pains as after getting wet; wrenched or sprained feeling
- Swollen joints, especially the knees; arthritic nodes
- Cold, damp feet; sour foot sweat; cold knees; calf cramps
- Burning or raw soles; feet cold and "dead" at night
- Sweaty hands; weakness; old sprains
Sleep
- Crowding ideas prevent sleep
- Startles at every noise; fears going crazy
- Drowsy early evening; frequent waking at night
- The same unpleasant thought wakes from light sleep
- Night terrors; horrid visions on opening the eyes; dreams of the dead
Fever and Sweat
- Chill about 2 pm that begins in the stomach region
- Fever with sweat; hectic fever
- Partial sweats and night sweats on head, neck and chest
- Heat at night during menstruation, with restless sleep
Skin
- Unhealthy, flaccid skin that ulcerates readily
- Small wounds heal slowly
- Nettle rash, better in cold air
- Warts on the face and hands; boils; chilblains
- Petechial eruptions (tiny red or purple spots)
Modalities: What Makes Calcarea Carbonica Symptoms Better or Worse
- Physical or mental exertion
- Ascending, climbing stairs
- Cold in every form
- Water, washing, moist air and wet weather
- The full moon
- Standing
- Dry climate and dry weather
- Lying on the painful side
- Sneezing (for pain in the head and nape)
Remedy Relationships
Boericke lists the following relationships. They are historical clinical impressions and practice varies between homeopaths.
| Relationship | Remedies and notes |
|---|---|
| Antidotes | Camphor, Ipecacuanha, Nitric acid, Nux vomica |
| Complementary | Belladonna, Rhus toxicodendron, Lycopodium, Silicea |
| Follows well | Described as useful after Sulphur where the pupils remain dilated |
| Incompatible | Bryonia; Boericke states Sulphur should not be given after calcarea carbonica |
| Related calcium preparations | Calcarea caustica (back and heel pain, influenza symptoms), Calcarea bromata (irritable, nervous children), Calcarea picrata (recurring boils), Calcarea muriatica (boils, scalp scaling), Calcarea phosphorica, Calcarea lactica |
Calcarea Carbonica vs Similar Remedies
| Remedy | Shared features | Traditional distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Lycopodium clavatum | Digestive complaints with bloating; often grouped with calcarea carbonica and Sulphur as major constitutional remedies | A plant remedy with a different mental profile, centred on lack of confidence |
| Sulphur | Skin complaints | Boericke notes it differs by being worse from heat, with hot feet; calcarea carbonica has cold damp feet |
| Silicea | Chilly, with head and foot sweating, slow healing | Described as more nervous and fastidious, with slow suppuration |
| Pulsatilla | Changeable, tearful states, especially in girls and children | Warm-blooded and better in open air, unlike the chilly calcarea carbonica picture |
| Chamomilla | Irritable children with teething problems | Described as acutely irritable and demanding rather than slowly developing |
| Calcarea phosphorica | Calcium-based, linked to growth and bones | Described as more restless and dissatisfied, with a wish for change or travel |
| Rhus toxicodendron | Joint stiffness worse in damp weather | Restless, with stiffness that eases with continued movement |
Potency, Notation and Label Directions (30C, 200C)
Boericke's 1901 text recommends the sixth trituration or the thirtieth and higher potencies, and advises against repeating the remedy too often in elderly people. This is a historical homeopathic statement, not a modern recommendation.
Product labels use several dilution scales:
- X (decimal): each step dilutes 1 part in 10. Potencies such as 1X or 6X can contain measurable amounts of the original material.
- C or CH (centesimal): each step dilutes 1 part in 100. "CH" is common on French and Indian products, and 200 CH means the same as 200C.
- LM or Q (50-millesimal): each step dilutes 1 part in 50,000. Some Indian retailers list calcarea carbonica in LM potencies such as 0/29.
Label directions also differ between brands and countries:
| Product (market) | Label directions as listed |
|---|---|
| Boiron Calcarea carbonica 30C pellets (US) | Dissolve 5 pellets under the tongue 3 times a day until symptoms are relieved. |
| Weleda Calc. Carb. 30C tablets (UK) | Adults 2 tablets, children 1 tablet, sucked or chewed. Unless otherwise directed, 1 dose every 2 hours for the first 6 doses, then 1 dose when required; stop with improvement. Consult a doctor if symptoms worsen or persist for more than 7 days. The label calls it a homeopathic medicinal product without approved therapeutic indications. |
The two labels differ in dose, frequency and wording. The UK label states no approved therapeutic indications, while the US labels cited in this article carry symptom claims. These differences are why this article does not recommend a dose. The label on the product, or a qualified practitioner, is the source for how to use it.
Old Terms in Classical Texts, Decoded
Boericke wrote in 1901, and several terms in the classical description no longer match modern medical language.
| Old term | Meaning today |
|---|---|
| Antipsoric | Hahnemann's historical term for remedies aimed at "psora", his theory of an underlying chronic disease tendency. Modern medicine does not accept this theory. |
| Scrofulous | Historically, tuberculous swelling of the neck lymph glands. Persistent swollen glands today need medical diagnosis. |
| Rachitic | Related to rickets, a childhood bone-softening condition linked to vitamin D and calcium deficiency. |
| Phthisis | An old name for pulmonary tuberculosis. |
| Leuco-phlegmatic | An old humoral description of a pale, puffy, sluggish constitution. |
| Crusta lactea (milk crust) | Old term for scaly infantile skin conditions such as cradle cap or infantile eczema. |
| Exostoses | Bony outgrowths. |
| Polypi | Polyps: soft growths on mucous membranes such as the nose, ear or uterus. |
| Hyperchlorhydria | Excess stomach acid. |
| Otorrhoea / leucorrhoea | Ear discharge / vaginal discharge. |
| Enuresis | Bed-wetting. |
| Epistaxis | Nosebleed. |
What Does the Research Show?
High-quality evidence for calcarea carbonica in people is lacking. The research that exists is preliminary laboratory work.
| Claim | Evidence status | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Homeopathy works for health conditions | Authoritative review A 2015 review by Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) found no health condition for which there was reliable evidence that homeopathy was effective. | Covers homeopathy as a whole, not calcarea carbonica specifically. |
| Calcarea carbonica affects cancer cells | Preliminary lab study A 2013 study in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine tested calcarea carbonica in tumor-bearing mice and in cell cultures. | Animal and cell study. It does not show that calcarea carbonica treats cancer in people. |
| Calcarea carbonica reduces inflammation | Preliminary lab study A 2020 study in the Journal of Integrative Medicine examined calcarea carbonica in human mononuclear cells exposed to lipopolysaccharide in the laboratory. | Cell-culture study. It does not show an anti-inflammatory effect in patients. |
| Calcarea carbonica treats the symptoms listed in the organ guide above | Traditional Described in classical materia medica, manufacturer labels and patient libraries. | No high-quality clinical trial establishing these uses was identified in the sources reviewed. |
The 2013 study also reported that calcarea carbonica did not cause significant cancer cell death on its own in laboratory conditions without immune cells, which is one reason it is regarded as preliminary.
The NHMRC conclusion is disputed. An analysis by the Homeopathy Research Institute, published in the journal Homeopathy in 2018, notes that only 5 of the 176 trials the NHMRC reviewed met its definition of reliable, and argues that the report misrepresented the evidence base. The NHMRC's own conclusion, that no health condition has reliable evidence of effectiveness, remains the position of an official health research body, and it also advises that homeopathy should not be used for chronic or serious conditions.
Cradle cap: label claims versus medical facts
A US drug label for a 30C tablet product (Bestmade Natural Products, listed on DailyMed) states that it temporarily supports the body when dealing with crusty or oily scaly patches on the scalp and overwork. According to the NHS, cradle cap is a harmless skin condition in babies that is not itchy or painful and usually goes away on its own within a few months, so an improvement after any product cannot be attributed to that product. The NHS advises seeing a GP if it does not get better after a few weeks of treatment or covers the whole body.
Safety and Red Flags
Homeopathic products are not a substitute for medical care. Do not stop prescribed medication or delay assessment of serious, persistent or worsening symptoms in order to use calcarea carbonica.
| Symptom in the classical text | Why a doctor should assess it first |
|---|---|
| Bloody sputum, severe breathlessness, suffocating spells | These can signal serious lung or heart disease and may be emergencies. |
| Palpitations with chest pain or fainting | These can signal a heart rhythm or heart disease problem. |
| Persistent or growing neck swellings, goitre, "pituitary and thyroid" symptoms | Glandular and thyroid conditions require blood tests and examination. |
| Blood in the urine | It needs investigation for infection, stones or other causes. |
| Very heavy or prolonged periods, uterine polyps | They can cause anaemia and may have structural causes. |
| Delayed walking or teething, craving non-food items in a child | They can have nutritional, hearing, vision or developmental causes. |
| Eye pain, vision loss, hearing loss, ear discharge | They can threaten sight or hearing if untreated. |
| Severe abdominal pain, gall-stone colic, hernia | They can need urgent or surgical treatment. |
- Ingredients: some calcarea carbonica labels list lactose and sucrose as inactive ingredients.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding: product labels advise asking a health professional before use.
- Regulatory status: in the US, homeopathic products are marketed as unapproved drugs, and the FDA does not evaluate them for effectiveness.
- Babies and children: speak to a pediatrician before giving any remedy to an infant.
- Chronic or serious conditions: the NHMRC advises that homeopathy should not be used to treat chronic or serious conditions, or conditions that could become serious, and that prescribed treatment should continue.
- Symptom sections: a paraphrased, reorganised summary of William Boericke's Materia Medica with Repertory (1901), labelled as traditional.
- Evidence sections: published studies (PubMed), the NHMRC Information Paper, and the NHS.
- Label information: manufacturer and DailyMed pages, quoted as examples and not as recommendations.
- Labelling: traditional statements, laboratory findings and authoritative reviews are marked separately throughout.
Frequently Asked Questions About Calcarea Carbonica
References
- Boericke W. Materia Medica with Repertory (1901), "Calcarea carbonica". Public-domain text available at materiamedica.info. The symptom sections above are a paraphrased, reorganised summary of this source.
- Hahnemann S. Chronic Diseases (introduction of calcarea carbonica into homeopathic practice).
- Saha S, et al. Calcarea carbonica induces apoptosis in cancer cells in p53-dependent manner via an immuno-modulatory circuit. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2013;13:230. doi:10.1186/1472-6882-13-230. PMID 24053127. PMC3856502
- Kumar S, et al. Calcarea carbonica treatment rescues lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory response in human mononuclear cells via downregulation of inducible cyclooxygenase pathway. Journal of Integrative Medicine. 2020. PMID 32732109.
- National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia). NHMRC Information Paper: Evidence on the Effectiveness of Homeopathy for Treating Health Conditions. March 2015. apo.org.au · National Library of Australia
- Homeopathy Research Institute. The Australian Report: An In-Depth Analysis of the Highly Influential 2015 Overview Report on Homeopathy. Homeopathy. 2018;107(S 01):55-78. doi:10.1055/s-0038-1633302.
- NHS. Cradle cap. nhs.uk/conditions/Cradle-cap
- DailyMed. Calcarea carbonica 30C tablets (Bestmade Natural Products) drug label. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- Weleda UK. Calc. Carb. 30C 125 tablets, product information and label directions. weleda.co.uk
- Boiron. Calcarea carbonica 30C pellets, directions and inactive ingredients, as listed by a US retailer.
EcoHomeo is a free homeopathic encyclopedia with remedy guides and materia medica references. Each guide separates traditional homeopathic descriptions from what scientific research shows.
Browse All Remedies → Read More Articles⚕️ Medical Disclaimer: The information in this article is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Calcarea carbonica and the other homeopathic remedies discussed on EcoHomeo are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any new health treatment, and do not stop prescribed medication on the basis of this article.
Written by: EcoHomeo Editorial Team · Published: October 7, 2026 · Last updated: October 7, 2026