The digestive juices of the Homarus genus of lobster are used to make the homeopathic remedy known as homarus. This remedy may be recommended for constipation alternating with diarrhea, nervousness, burning of the throat, and urticaria, among others. Homarus is also suggested for people who have eye pain upon standing, generalized weakness, and pain, as well as shaking chills. There is very little scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of this homeopathic remedy.
To make homeopathic homarus, digestive juices from lobsters are diluted with alcohol, distilled water, or powdered lactose. One part of the dilution is then mixed with more alcohol, distilled water or powdered lactose. This dilution process is repeated until the desired potency is reached. At that point, the mixture is bottled or made into small, white pills. The remedy is usually prescribed in the sixth potency, or 6x.
Homeopathic practitioners may prescribe this remedy to people who feel frightened, nervous, and too afraid to move. A patient may need homarus if he or she has a generalized sick feeling, weakness, and complains of a rather nondescript odd feeling when trying to use a doorknob. Another indication that homarus may be the proper homeopathic remedy is that whenever the patient eats or drinks anything, the symptoms disappear. The patient also feels better when he or she opens his or her mouth and breaths in cold air.
Other tell-tale signs that a patient may need this preparation include complaints of throat pain, redness, and a burning sensation that begins on the right side of the throat and moves to the left. The patient may also experience sticky mucus, dry veins, swelling of the larynx, prolonged sexual arousal in men both in the morning and at night; pain in the right shoulder blade or elbow, hot feet, and itchiness also indicate a need for homarus.
There are no solid clinical studies that indicate this remedy is effective. All of the evidence is anecdotal or based on the experience of the patient or doctor. Many people are skeptical of the claims made by homeopaths. Skeptics believe that the placebo effect is responsible for any apparent cures. Homeopathic physicians and other advocates strongly dispute this. Although homarus is thought to be safe with no known side effects, anyone considering its use may want to seek medical advice prior to taking it, especially pregnant, nursing women, those with chronic health conditions, or children.