Although a variable heart rate or “cardiac arrhythmia” usually doesn’t produce noticeable symptoms, you might experience anxiety, dizziness, fainting and palpitations. Few herbs are recommended for helping to treat arrhythmias or a variable heart rate. Consult your doctor before taking any herbal remedy to treat cardiac arrhythmias to discuss possible side effects, health risks and proper dosage.
Hawthorn
Taking the herb hawthorn might help to reduce your experiences of arrhythmias. Hawthorn has been used in traditional medicine to treat arrhythmias, but little scientific evidence supports its use. A 1999 study published in the journal Basic Research in Cardiology found that hawthorn extract substantially decreased arrhythmias induced in rats, according to the University of Michigan Health System. A 1995 study in Germany determined that hawthorn had mild anti-arrhythmia effects on guinea pig hearts, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Talk to your doctor about hawthorn’s potential health risks or drug interactions, as well as the proper dosage, before you take the herb.
Corydalis
Corydalis might help prevent or treat heart arrhythmias. Corydalis contains the main constituent dl-tetrahydropalmatine, or dl-THP, which appears to offer anti-arrhythmic actions. A 1998 preliminary clinical trial in China of people with cardiac arrhythmias found that taking corydalis containing 300 to 600mg of dl-THP daily substantially reduced arrhythmia occurrences, says the University of Michigan Health System. Little other evidence exists to support corydalis’ use in treating arrhythmias, however. You might take the typical daily dosage of 5 to 10g of corydalis extract, but ask your physician about the dose that’s right for you, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Corydalis also poses some serious health risks due to its dl-THP content, including severe liver damage and central nervous system suppression in children, both of which are potentially fatal.
Rhodiola
Rhodiola contains flavonoids and organic acids that offer antioxidant properties, which could provide cardioprotective effects, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Two studies conducted in Russia in 1997 and 1998 found that rhodiola extract had anti-arrhythmic actions. Few other studies have been performed on rhodiola’s potential for treating cardiac arrhythmias, however. Although no health risks or negative effects have been reported in the clinical trials involving rhodiola, no comprehensive safety studies have been performed either, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Ask your health-care provider about the proper dosage of rhodiola.
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