According to homoeopathic theory, symptoms provoked by the homoeopathic remedy in a pathogenetic trial (PT) make up the remedy picture, serving as the basis for the homoeopathic treatment. But do the symptoms produced by the remedy differ from symptoms produced by placebo? The distinctiveness of homoeopathic symptoms and placebo symptoms was explored in a three-armed, randomised PT pilot study. A blinded materia medica expert identified symptoms with regard to their number and specificity. Twenty-one healthy homoeopathic practitioners noted symptoms produced after remedy intake. Patients were randomly assigned to receive (i) Calendula officinalis, (ii) Ferrum muriaticum or (iii) placebo. After a 7-day baseline symptoms recording period, proving substances were taken until symptoms occurred. In daily supervision phone calls, symptoms were verified by the supervisor. Total number of symptoms produced and number of specific symptoms produced were recorded. The results showed that both remedies ‘produced’ significantly more symptoms than placebo. With regard to the specificity, the Calendula officinalis group displayed more remedy-specific symptoms than placebo. However, in the Ferrum muriaticum group more Calendula symptoms than placebo were also recorded.