Rheum is a homeopathic remedy prepared from the root of rhubarb. It is best known as a children's remedy: in homeopathic practice it is traditionally associated with teething and dentition, marked irritability, and a distinctive sour smell to the whole body and the stools.
Below we look at Rheum's plant source, its classic homeopathic indications, the characteristic picture, and the forms and potencies available.
The short version: Rheum is the homeopathic rhubarb remedy traditionally linked to fretful teething children and a sour smell to the whole body.
What is Rheum and where does it come from?
Rheum is made from the root of rhubarb (Rheum officinale / palmatum), the same botanical family used traditionally for the digestion. Homeopathy prepares the root through dilution and succussion. Its picture is centred on infants and small children, particularly during the upheaval of teething.
What is Rheum traditionally used for in homeopathy?
Rheum's picture is compact and child-centred. It is associated with:
- Difficult teething with fretfulness and impatience.
- A sour smell to the whole child — the skin, sweat and stools all smell sour despite washing.
- Sour, pasty stools during dentition.
- Restlessness and crying, with the child demanding things then rejecting them.
- Sweating about the head, especially the scalp.
Who reaches for Rheum? The typical picture
The Rheum picture is a fretful, sour-smelling teething child — impatient, hard to please, and giving off a distinctly sour odour that washing does not shift. Symptoms may feel worse from uncovering and from teething, and the mood is one of irritable restlessness. The sourness is the thread that ties the whole picture together.
What forms and potencies does Rheum come in?
Rheum is available as pillules, tablets, liquid drops and ampoules, and is commonly used in low potencies such as 6C or 30C. It also features in combination remedies. Follow the pack directions or practitioner advice, and see a professional for an unwell infant.
Your natural toolkit — and which to reach for
You'll find Rheum-related ingredients within combination formulas such as this one, used within practitioner-guided programmes.
Neuralgo-Rheum-Injeel — reach for this if you prefer a ready-made combination in ampoule form.
Featured products
Explore the full United Remedies range — blending homeopathy from Heel, Guna and Sanum with Weleda’s plant-based topicals and Zooki’s liposomal supplements.
Common questions
What is Rheum used for in homeopathy?
It is traditionally associated with difficult teething, irritability, and a sour smell to the body and stools in infants and small children. It is not a treatment or cure for any condition.
What is the keynote of Rheum?
A pronounced sour smell to the whole child — skin, sweat and stools — that persists despite washing, alongside fretful teething.
How is Rheum usually given?
As pillules, tablets or drops in low potencies such as 6C or 30C. Follow the pack directions, and always see a health professional if a baby is unwell, feverish or not feeding.
Note: This page is for general education and is not medical advice. Homeopathic remedies are used within a tradition of self-care and are not a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment. If symptoms are severe, persistent or worsening, please speak to a qualified health professional.