Kali Iodatum

Potassium iodide, traditionally used in homoeopathy for streaming, burning colds with pain over the sinuses, swollen glands and aches that are worse at night.

Kali iodatum is potassium iodide, a white salt of potassium and iodine. It is one of the forms of iodine used to iodise salt, and in older conventional medicine it was given in large amounts for chronic swellings and to loosen phlegm.

In homoeopathy it is traditionally associated with catarrh and the glands. The guiding picture is a profuse, hot, watery cold that burns the nose, with pain over the eyes and the root of the nose, which may spread to the chest as a cough. Swollen glands and rheumatic aches that are worse at night and in cold, damp weather also belong to it.

• Watery, burning cold
• Sinus pain
• Swollen glands
• Night-time aches
• Chesty cough