Histamine is an organic nitrogen compound produced by the body’s immune system when a person is exposed to an allergen, meaning a substance causing an allergic reaction. Histaminum hydrochloricum is a kind of histamine used as a homeopathic remedy. It is primarily used to treat various allergies, including those caused by food, insect bites and pollen, and allergy symptoms such as skin irritations, nasal congestion and breathing difficulties. Histaminum hydrochloricum is also sometimes used as a remedy for non-allergic conditions like bronchitis, gastric pain, muscular pain and joint pain. Scientific studies have been done on this homeopathic remedy, but there is no firm evidence supporting its effectiveness.
Histaminum hydrochloricum is commonly sold in the form of tablets, pellets, oral sprays and nasal sprays, and homeopathic practitioners often recommend it as a treatment for problems like asthma, eczema, hay fever, runny nose, hives and itchy eyes. It is used both to alleviate immediate allergy symptoms and to reduce future allergic reactions. In homeopathic medicine it is believed that an illness can be cured by the same substance that causes it, and that ingesting minute amounts of that substance gradually strengthens the body’s resistance to it. In this way, histaminum hydrochloricum is thought to work by decreasing the amount of histamine released during an allergic response and thereby reducing the effects of that histamine.
Histaminum hydrochloricum is identical to a substance known as histamine dihydrochloride that is known to have several effects on the body, including stimulating gastric secretion, relaxing blood vessels and narrowing the bronchial airways. It is used in mainstream medicine to treat certain forms of cancer as well as other conditions. As a homeopathic remedy, the substance is used in much smaller doses and is also prepared differently than in regular medicine.
Homeopathic remedies like Histaminum hydrochloricum are produced by diluting the active ingredient with water until the remedy contains a very small, even infinitesimal, amount of the active substance. This is done because homeopathic medicine teaches that the lower the dose, the more effective the remedy. Homeopathic remedies are also shaken during manufacturing, a process called dynamization that is thought to enhance their potency and healing properties.
Histaminum hydrochloricum can be bought in natural food stores, on the Internet and from homeopathic practitioners. Pregnant and nursing women should not take this remedy. If one is suffering from allergies or other medical conditions, it is advisable to consult a physician before using homeopathic remedies.