My recent Monday Night Live on parasites (January 19, 2026) was unfortunately disrupted by an intermittent internet connection. It’s funny how much we’ve come to depend on miracles of modern technology, such as livestreaming. We tend to forget how many factors must align precisely to achieve our desired outcome.
Because that video turned out to be a little catch-as-catch-can, I wanted to circle back to the topic of parasites because I’m getting lots of interest — lots of questions — about it lately. So, here’s the blog post I promised, containing the information that was in that Monday Night Live.
What’s the number one question?
Does homeopathy address intestinal parasites?
Absolutely, it does. There’s no doubt about it.
However, let me be clear. Homeopathy is not like a vermicide drug that kills the parasites. That’s not its function.
Homeopathy doesn't kill in this situation any more than it does in other conditions. That's not the way it works. Instead, I like to think of it this way:
Homeopathy evicts the parasites. It makes the body inhospitable. Then, they leave on their own. Well, they either leave or they don’t propagate.
Consequently, sometimes we may be able to see, for example, pinworms “evicted” rectally.
This is simply one way we can observe that the medicine is acting.
Which parasites are we talking about?
Now, when I talk about parasites, I may not be talking about the ones some people may have in their minds. So, let me make it really clear.
Some people are worried about parasites that live in the brain. However, I'm talking about intestinal parasites: pinworms (sometimes called threadworms), liver flukes, roundworms and other intestinal parasites that live in the gastrointestinal region.
But I'm going to warn you, my friend, that when you look up pinworms, the search results are horrifying if you’re a mother. The precautions against your child acquiring pinworms will freak you out, so don't even get embroiled in that kind of thinking.
If you really look into it, you’ll find that pinworm eggs are on shopping cart handles and the handles of doors going into stores. They’re seemingly everywhere.
Obviously, we’re going to use a certain amount of intelligent care. We do want to keep the nails and the fingers clean. When we’ve been in the grocery store, we don’t put our fingers in our mouths. We go home and wash our hands. But we need not be paralyzed with fear.
We have a homeopathic medicine, should the need arise.
The standard internet advice on how to deal with pinworms is equally crazy making. Often, these resources require you to follow very specific, outlandish methods, such as scrubbing the heck out of the afflicted child’s fingernails with a brush, boiling the sheets the child slept in, wiping down the floor where the child may have walked to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and keeping that child away from other children. I mean, it will drive you out of your mind.
Again, not to worry. Homeopathy offers a powerful — yet gentle — medicine that has rarely failed me in eliminating intestinal parasites in my clinical experience.
1. Cina
In my experience with clients and students over the years — and even with my own family — the answer to parasites is almost always garden-variety Cina.
Cina (sometimes, shown as Cina artemisia or also known as Cina maritima) is the number one homeopathic medicine for intestinal parasites. I would even include it for liver flukes, which are not in the intestines but in the gastrointestinal area.
Additional keynotes for Cina, aside from the mere existence of the intestinal parasites are grinding of the teeth, itching of the nose, itching of the rectum, and there can also be a ravenous appetite.
However, all these keynotes do not need to be present. I want to remind you that you don't need to have every single keynote to choose this particular homeopathic medicine. You may not even need any additional keynotes. Indeed, all you have to know is that there are worms. That’s it.
You can generally find pinworms yourself; you can actually see them. I won't go into that here; however, you might want to look it up.
Now, one can use Cina in a mother tincture, and it’s quite effective. One could consider utilizing just a few drops of the mother tincture — two or three drops — diluted in water, twice daily, for three months or so.
However, an herbal mother tincture is generally suspended in alcohol. So, we would not give that to a baby, a pregnant woman or a recovering alcoholic. There’s another way we can use Cina for our babies and pregnant women, and that’s in potentized, pillule form. In my Good Gut, Bad Gut course, students learn to use Cina 6C twice daily, for approximately three months.
In my clinical experience, I have found that Cina is across-the-board amazing.
2. Teucrium marum
Okay. It’s very rare that Cina will not successfully act. However, if after giving it enough time (roughly three months or so), it doesn’t provide the desired results OR if the condition gets worse, let's talk about the next homeopathic medicine to consider, Teucrium.
Two of Teucrium’s keynotes are rectal itching and chorea.
If you’re not familiar with the term chorea, it means involuntary movements. In this condition, the chorea is almost like a shudder … like an involuntary shiver of the body. However, remember, not all of a medicine’s keynotes need to appear.
Now, the worm-related rectal itching, indicating the need for Teucrium, is intense. It's not an itch like a rash. It’s so intense; it’s more like what I would describe as a pinch itch, if there is such a thing.
In my practice, some sufferers have utilized Teucrium marum 200C twice daily for several months. (And before you ask, CK is used somewhat interchangeably with C.)
3. Spigelia
Again, our first consideration for intestinal parasites is Cina. However, if Cina hasn’t acted, nor has Teucrium (provided we allow them both their due time), a third consideration could be Spigelia anthelmia 200C, twice daily, for several months.
In all honesty, Spigelia doesn’t stand out much differently in its keynotes for parasites than Cina or Teucrium. However, it is noted to be more specific for worms.
4. Sulphur
If one has used the previous medicines for at least three months without resolution, then consider pivoting to Sulphur 30C, especially when there is itching accompanied by burning. If there's burning in the nose, burning rectally, burning in the stomach, burning in the bowels, then we know to consider Sulphur 30C, twice daily, for several months.
5. Santonine
I'm going to tell you about one more potential consideration called Santonine (also spelled Santonin or Santoninum). This medicine is only utilized when Cina and the other previously mentioned medicines have failed. In my clinical experience, I've actually only needed to pivot to Santonine once. In that case, Santonine 30C was used twice daily for several months until resolution.
6. Chelidonium majus
Now, if the parasite in question has been diagnosed as liver flukes, one might consider adding an additional remedy to the use of Cina.
Chelidonium has historically been recognized for liver conditions, in general. So, adding it to the same schedule as Cina may address liver flukes even more effectively.
Chelidonium 6C would be used twice daily (separated by about 15 minutes from the Cina), for several months until resolution.
While the first homeopathic medicine I mentioned, Cina, will most likely address the parasitic condition effectively, keep these other options in your homeopathic quiver. Should Cina not act as well as desired, read up on them in your materia medica to determine which might be the best consideration.
My friends, despite the internet’s scare tactics, parasites need not be the end of the world. We have homeopathy. To my way of thinking, the parasites should be the ones who are frightened. After all, we’re serving them with an eviction notice!
Pass on the good news of Practical Homeopathy®.
Warmly,
P.S. If you enjoy this content, please share it. Also check out my podcasts, Monday Night Lives, and connect with me on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
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I’m so grateful for all your care and wisdom. I’m using more homeopathy each day.
So happy to hear, Nancy.
Getting ready to start Cina for a parasite cleanse on my 6 year old. He is wetting the bed, grinding his teeth, dark circles and has an attitude. Do we need a binder to clear these out? If so, what do you recommend? Also, when is the best time to take Cina and the best time to take the binder?
Binders are superfluous.
But given his age, be certain that he indeed has them.
And this is not what I’d consider a cleanse. Homeopathics are medicine.
I am starting Lisas class this Thursday and i am beyond excited!
Kann ich das vidio auch in Deutsch sehen
Not yet.
Noch nicht.
Allerdings wird meine Gateway to Homeopathy Study Group bald auch auf Deutsch verfügbar sein
Although my Gateway to Homeopathy Study Group will soon be available in German.
Can this be used if you think you have parasites? Or is this just specifically if you know you have pinworms? Can this be used to detox possible parasites? Also, is it safe if breastfeeding a toddler? Thanks!
Homeopathy is medicine.
Its always better to know that a condition is present before using a homeopathic.
Thank you so much for your help via emails, podcasts and your classes of which our daughter has availed herself, thus us as well.
can i take Cina and Chelidonium along with 0ther anti parasitics, like Fenben, Nitazoxamide, and Ivermectin? Just added protection, and I have been taking those every month for about the last 7 months.
Homeopathic remedies are medicines. Its always better to use them because they’re called for, not just in case.
Thank you for the very helpful recommendation. If the get evicted, which is great, what modalhties are then suggested to them remove from the body?
Nothing more needs to be done. The homeopathic does it all.
How exactly do they leave the body? Through stool or do you find them randomly?
For many it appears they probably die off while with others they’re expelled.
Would not being able to fall asleep warrant a run of Cina when nothing else is helping ? What other diagnostic tools do we need to justify the use of these meds ie if we have not actually seen them in the toilet etc.
No, I would not use only one symptom such as insomnia to determine the use of this medicine.
Pin worms can be seen but not unless you’re carefully looking for them but there are tests that may be purchased from most pharmacies. The test involves using tape. The other alternative is get a test from a family practitioner.
If you go online and look at the list of symptoms associated with parasites, you’ll bet a more in depth understanding of what’s involved. You
Do the same remedies apply to skin parasites?
This is specific to GI parasites.
Would Cina 6x (or MT), be a correct choice if candida of the gut is present but is not worms? Since candida can act as a parasite when it overgrows, and inhabits the microbiome causing Severe bloating (as in 9 mo pregnant). Or is there a better suited remedy? Materia Medica is not specific for yeast/candida etc not even in generals, or female (or I missed it).
This is specific for parasites; not yeast or bloat.
Instead of assuming this is a yeast infection, because I wonder how the microorganisms have been identified, simply use the symptoms. And what are they? GI bloat.
Then look up Joette Calabrese Bloating.
What dose is recommended for Cina 200 and Chelidonium 200?
Where are you purchasing a mother tincture of Cina from?
Helios Homeopathic and Ohm Pharma.
What is your recommended dosage for a 6 month old, 30c cina?
And dosage for breastfeeding mother
What is your recommended dosage for 6 month old, Cina 30c ?
And for a breastfeeding mother?
If you’re asking how many pills are in one dose, that information is printed on the side of the bottle.
Okay, it says 3-5 pills and that would be safe for 6 month old twice daily for 3 months?
Its confirmed that your 6 month old has parasites?
I for sure do, and I highly suspect that he does also based on his difficulty sleeping and discomfort throughout the night for the past month and a half. We’re trying to safely treat the whole family as that was advised by a doctor. We took the Reese’s pyrantel pinworm medicine and it hasn’t worked for me.
I can’t tell you that anything I teach is safe for all but I’ll share that I used Cina 6 for one of my children at the age of 1 year and it was successful.
I’ve read that with parasite cleanses you need to take a binder like charcoal for the symptoms caused by the parasites dying. Do you need a binder taking Cina?
no need.
If I only currently have cina 30c, can I start giving that to a child and then switch to 6 when I can get it?
They’re somewhat interchangable but it can be case dependent.
And, should one potency act, I’d not switch to another.
Having said this, Amazon will have it at your door tomorrow.
Thank you for this, Joette!
Looking for clarification: is there any reason to avoid any of these for parasites while breastfeeding? I know there are concerns about treating for parasites in integrative and functional medicine due to the biproducts of parasites potentially making their way to the baby/child. Finding a way to treat parasitic infection safely while breastfeeding would be a game changer!
Thank you in advance for any observations/insight you can share on that!
Historically there is no fallout from using homeopathics for parasite conditions. One caution: don’t use homeopathy for perceived or assumed parasite infections, only for obvious or diagnosed ones.
Hi Joette, my children have been suffering almost severely with pinworms. And it’s been going on for some time I now realize. Major discomfort and visible infestation. I’ve been treating them with 200c 2-3 times a day for almost 4 weeks now and it seems to be helping. Also using teucrium 30c some days. Evenings are much more comfortable to say the least. We are still seeing them however less. I also have them now. Is it normal that it takes time to be completely rid of them?
A better choice would be Cina 30 or 6, 2-3 daily for a minimum of 3 months and carried on even longer should the condition persist.
Additionally, I recomend a ketogenic diet.
That is, no carbs and sweets/carbs especially at the 1st meal.
can I use 6c 2x a day for my cat and is it the standard 3 tabs per dose.? thanks so much!
yes and yes.
Great post!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise.
I hope it helps you and yours.
Please share it with others who need it.
Hi Joette,
I’m learning more and more about homeopathy and it is so amazing! I’m a little confused on the Cina for pinworms… we have 7 kids living at home, and found them on one of them tonight. Suspect some others may have but haven’t verified yet. Do you suggest treating everyone or no? J thought some comments said to treat the household, and some said not to use it as preventive. So just wanting to clarify! Thank you!
-Pearl
Generally, I don’t encourage using a homeopathic medicine prophylactically unless a certain amount of evidence can be noted for each person. The way to do this is to read up on what symptoms are associated with the condition (pinworm infestation) and assess each person individually. If however, its pretty clear that nearly everyone has the same infection that’s when a sweeping decision may be considered.
I keep seeing conflicting dosages for Cina used for parasites
—> 3c, 6c, 30c and some (on the Banerji Protocol FB group) even say it should be 200c.
(On the Banerji FB group they also say to add Teucrium Mar 200, two doses daily from the start vs only months later if the Cina doesn’t work) From what you wrote in this blog I trust you think that is not necessary as a rule.
But what would influence whether to choose 3c vs 6c vs 30c vs 200c?
Is there a nuance to each potency that influences which one is best for a person?
Thank you!!
I wouldn’t call them conflicting. They’re choices.
The decision can be based on the severity of the condition, the person’s well-being, whether it’s a herd of animals or a person, the person’s age, and the practitioner’s experience and preference.
Having said this, without specific knowledge, 6x or 6c is often a good place to start.
Thank you – this is helpful. Do you go into these choices/variables related to choosing a parasite potency in the Good Gut Bad Gut class?