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This homeopathic remedy comes from a toxic plant. Though it’s been used for cuts, surgical wounds, depression, and UTI treatment, there is little human research supporting any real health benefit.

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Staphysagria is a homeopathic remedy made from the stavesacre plant.

It’s used for various problems but most often used to reduce pain, help heal cuts and surgical wounds, and possibly even help with depression or urinary tract infections (UTIs).

However, little modern clinical research supports staphysagria’s effectiveness. The plant is also toxic, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cautions against the use of this type of remedy. Additionally, although some homeopathic remedies are often used outside of modern healthcare, there’s little evidence that they are more effective than placebos.

This article reviews staphysagria, including its potential benefits, downsides, and effectiveness.

What is staphysagria?

Staphysagria is primarily marketed as a homeopathic remedy for surgical wounds and cuts. It’s also used to treat anxiety, tooth problems, and genitourinary disorders affecting the urinary and genital organs.

It’s made from tiny amounts of the Staphisagria macrosperma plant, or stavesacre, formerly known by the scientific name Delphinium staphisagria.

All parts of S. macrosperma are extremely toxic and should not be consumed.

According to manufacturers’ labels, the homeopathic remedy made from the plant is heavily diluted and thus presents minimal risk of harm when properly prepared and used correctly.

The key principle of homeopathy is similarity — if large amounts of the toxic S. macrosperma cause certain problems, then small amounts should heal the same problems.

Some homeopathic practitioners may believe that the more a remedy is heavily diluted and shaken, the more effective it is in treating the targeted problems.

Often, homeopathic remedies are so heavily diluted that on a molecular level, they’re indistinguishable from whatever they’re diluted with, which is usually alcohol or water.

It’s important to note that homeopathy is highly controversial, and there’s little evidence that homeopathic remedies work beyond the placebo effect.

Potential benefits

There’s little evidence to support any of the purported benefits of staphysagria.

But historically and in animal and test tube research during the 20th century, staphysagria was noted for possible use for various purposes:

• Cuts and surgical wounds: With its potential as an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever, staphysagria is often used to treat cuts and surgical wounds. But there’s no scientific evidence to support this use.
• Immune system: Other older research noted that a protein extract found in staphysagria could possibly support a healthy immune system, but that study had limitations and wasn’t supported by other research.
• Depression: A 2020 study focused on animals, researchers found that staphysagria may relieve depression as effectively as the drug escitalopram in rodents, but this effect has not been observed in humans. A 2021 case study suggests that it may be beneficial for those with depression if other treatments are not working, but the findings have not been validated in larger clinical studies.
• UTIs: Some have used staphysagria to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs), but modern research does not support that claim. A small 1974 study found that staphysagria might have helped reduce bladder inflammation after sex, but a small 2018 test-tube study concluded that staphysagria will not stop the spread of UTI-related bacteria.
• Hair loss: A 2016 test tube study found that staphysagria seeds might help with hair growth, but no other research validated that finding.

You should always consult your healthcare team about using possible alternative treatments to address any health conditions or concerns you might have.

Downsides

The staphysagria plant is toxic, and there’s a lack of evidence to support its use. Product manufacturers and proponents say that remedies made from it are so heavily diluted that they should not be harmful if properly prepared and used.

Another downside is that there’s simply a lack of evidence to support the use of staphysagria for any reason, much less the most prevalent marketing claim that it can help heal surgical wounds or cuts.

Forms and dosage

Homeopathic remedies, including staphysagria, most often come in quickly dissolving pellets meant to be dissolved under your tongue.

The most common doses are 6C and 30C, and they provide inconsequential amounts of the staphysagria plant — if any at all.

The “C” stands for the number of times the key ingredient is diluted by a factor of 100, and the number represents how many times this process of dilution is repeated. For example:

• A 1C dilution, which is extremely uncommon, would be 1 part key ingredient diluted in 100 parts water or alcohol.
• A 2C solution would be 1 part of the 1C solution diluted into 100 parts water or alcohol, twice.
• A 1M dilution is equivalent to 1,000C.

The takeaway

Staphysagria is a homeopathic remedy made from the toxic S. macrosperma plant.

While human research does not validate the science behind this remedy, it has been used to heal cuts and surgical wounds and as a possible treatment for UTIs.

There are no FDA-approved products labeled as homeopathic, which means that any product labeled as such, including staphysagria, may not meet modern standards for safety, effectiveness, and quality.