Arsenicum album 30C: An Unlikely Source of Liver Toxicity

The AYUSH system of medicine continues to play an integral role in the management of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in India. Whilst several clinical research studies have indicated the possible beneficial effects of homeopathic Arsenicum album in COVID-19 infection, supporting the advisory for its use by the Ministry of AYUSH, India, the latter has faced a substantial amount of criticism from other systems of medicine based on biased observations and insufficient literature review.

Recently, the journal Cureus published a clinical case-series paper entitled “Dangerous Placebo during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Series of Homoeopathic Arsenicum Album-Induced Liver Injury.”[1] The article presents three cases of acute liver injury, including one patient with underlying non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) cirrhosis who later died, apparently due to the consumption of Arsenicum album 30C for COVID-19 prevention. We examined the data presented and the claims of the Cureus paper, identifying several discrepancies and concerns in its content.

Publication History

Received: 20 January 2023

Accepted: 22 March 2023

Article published online:
16 June 2023

• References

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