Calcarea carbonica is a preparation utilized in homeopathy. In homeopathy, compounds introduced to the body for the purpose of effecting medical treatment are known as “remedies,” and Calcarea carbonica is one of the most commonly used remedies. This drug is available from practitioners of homeopathy, and also directly through stores which stock homeopathic remedies.

Homeopathy is a form of alternative medical practice based on the premise that “like cures like.” Accordingly, when a patient arrives at a homeopath's office for treatment, the homeopath will conduct a detailed patient interview to learn about the patient's general physical condition and the specific symptom, and prescribe a drug which is linked with the emergence of such conditions. The remedy, however, is greatly diluted, so that only small amounts are introduced into the body.

In the case of Calcarea carbonica, the remedy is made from an inner lining in shells which has been prepared in a process known as trituration, which involves grinding something into a very fine powder for the purpose of purifying it. The remedy is provided in small pills which are placed under the tongue and allowed to dissolve slowly.

Calcarea carbonica is what is known as an antipsoric, meaning that it acts against a particular “miasm” or mechanism of disease known as psora. The theory of miasms was proposed by Samuel Hahnemann, the “father of homeopathy,” and it has been greatly debated by members of the conventional medical community. Hahnemann believed that many conditions were traceable to psora, making Calcarea carbonica, also known as calc or calc carb, a critical medication in the cabinet of any homeopathic practitioner.

This drug is usually used to treat conditions which involve complaints of cold, such as patients who experience a worsening of symptoms in cold weather, or experience cold sensations. Candidates for calc may also be tired and sluggish, with swollen lymph nodes and a lethargic attitude. Some treatments for which Calcarea carbonica is prescribed can include: teething, bronchitis, asthma, high blood pressure, ulcers, gallstones, and infections. This remedy can also be used in conjunction with other remedies to treat specific conditions.

While people can medicate themselves with homeopathic remedies, it is better to attend a session with a practitioner of homeopathy who can conduct a detailed patient interview and determine the best remedy to use. Patients may opt to meet with a practitioner of complementary medicine, a doctor who integrates both traditional and alternative medicine into medical practice for the purpose of approaching patients and conditions from a variety of perspectives.