Berberis vulgaris
The great kidney and gallbladder remedy. Radiating pains from a central point. Renal colic. Biliary colic. Pains that change location rapidly. Bubbling sensation in kidneys.
Source
Tincture of the bark of the root of Berberis vulgaris (Berberidaceae).
Available Potencies
Get Personalized Safety Info
Sign in and complete your health profile to see safety warnings personalized to your age, sex, medications, conditions, and allergies for this remedy.
Keynote Symptoms
Radiating pains — pains shoot from one point in all directions like spokes of a wheel. Renal colic with pains radiating from kidneys down ureters. Biliary colic. Bubbling sensation in region of kidneys. Pains change location constantly — wandering, stitching, tearing. Sallow, earthy complexion with sunken cheeks.
Mind & Emotional Symptoms
Indifferent, apathetic. Mental exertion aggravates. Listless, poor memory. Despondency.
General Symptoms
Radiating pains are the hallmark. Affects kidneys, bladder, liver, and joints. Gouty and rheumatic diathesis. Arthritic conditions with urinary complaints. Rapid change of symptoms — pains shift and wander. Fistulous openings. Acts on all mucous membranes.
Physical Symptoms
Head
Frontal headache. Heavy feeling. Chilly sensation in scalp or alternation of heat and cold on scalp.
Stomach
Nausea before breakfast. Bilious disturbances. Sticking pains in region of gallbladder.
Abdomen
Gallstone colic. Sharp, pinching pains in liver region radiating outward. Stitching pains.
Urinary
Renal colic — cutting, tearing pains radiating from kidney down ureter to bladder and urethra. Bubbling sensation in kidneys. Urine thick, turbid, with reddish sediment. Frequent urging.
Back
Stiffness and lameness in lumbar region. Bubbling sensation at costovertebral angle (kidney area). Aching, sore kidneys aggravated by stooping.
Extremities
Gouty, rheumatic pains in joints. Pain in heels. Tearing, stitching pains that change location.
Skin
Eczema of anus and hands. Itching and burning. Pigmented spots. Fistulae.
Modalities
Better From
Motion. Standing. Stretching.
Worse From
Motion (some pains). Standing (some). Jarring. Fatigue. Urinating.
Constitutional Type
Sallow, earthy complexion with sunken cheeks and dark circles. Persons with gouty or lithemic diathesis. Tendency to form calculi. Often seen in middle-aged persons with combined kidney and joint complaints.
Clinical Indications
Renal colic. Kidney stones. Gallstone colic. Biliary calculi. Gout. Lumbago. Cystitis. Fistulae. Rheumatic conditions with urinary symptoms.
Comparative Materia Medica
Compare Lycopodium (right-sided renal colic with red sand in urine), Calcarea carbonica (tendency to stone formation), Chelidonium (liver remedy but fixed right-sided pain). Berberis is distinguished by its radiating pains from a central point and bubbling sensation in kidneys.
Safety Information
Camphor. Belladonna.
Berberis vulgaris contains berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid. In material doses, berberine can cause uterine contractions and should be avoided in pregnancy. May interact with some medications. Mother tincture contains significant berberine levels.
Find the Right Remedy
Not sure if Berberis vulgaris is the best match? Our Remedy Finder can help you compare remedies based on your specific symptoms, modalities, and constitutional type.