Cardiovascular
Medicines for Palpitations
The sensation of being aware of your own heartbeat — racing, pounding, fluttering or skipped beats — which is very common and usually harmless, but is occasionally a sign of an irregular heart rhythm or other problem worth checking.
Education and reference only. This explains which medicines are used and why, in plain language — it deliberately contains no doses and is not a substitute for advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Always discuss your own treatment with a qualified clinician, and check the BNF and the product labelling for prescribing detail.
Quick answer
What is Palpitations?
Palpitations are the feeling of being aware of your own heartbeat when you would not normally notice it. People describe them in different ways: a racing or pounding heart, a fluttering in the chest, a thumping sensation, or the feeling of a missed, skipped or extra beat.
- How it is treated: The aim is to find out what is causing the palpitations and to reassure or treat accordingly.
- Self-care: Cutting back on caffeine, alcohol and nicotine, getting enough sleep, managing stress and anxiety, and noticing and avoiding personal triggers often reduce harmless palpitations considerably — and for many people identifying and easing these triggers is all the treatment that is needed.
- When to seek help: See your GP if palpitations are new, frequent, last a long time, are getting worse, or are interfering with your daily life, so the cause can be looked into.
What it is
Palpitations are the feeling of being aware of your own heartbeat when you would not normally notice it. People describe them in different ways: a racing or pounding heart, a fluttering in the chest, a thumping sensation, or the feeling of a missed, skipped or extra beat. They may last a few seconds or come and go over longer periods, and they are often felt in the chest, throat or neck. Palpitations are extremely common and, in most people, completely harmless — they frequently come from everyday things such as caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, stress and anxiety, vigorous exercise, lack of sleep, hormonal changes, fever, or simple harmless extra beats that almost everyone has from time to time. Less often, palpitations are caused by an abnormal heart rhythm, such as atrial fibrillation or supraventricular tachycardia, or by another problem such as an overactive thyroid or anaemia. Because they are usually benign but occasionally signal something that benefits from treatment, the value of assessment is in working out which is which.
How it is treated
The aim is to find out what is causing the palpitations and to reassure or treat accordingly. Assessment starts with the story — when they happen, how long they last, how they feel, what brings them on, and whether there are other symptoms such as chest pain, breathlessness or fainting — together with an examination and often a heart tracing (ECG). Because palpitations frequently do not happen during a brief recording, a longer recording with a wearable monitor over hours or days may be arranged to try to capture the rhythm while symptoms occur, and simple blood tests may check for things such as thyroid problems or anaemia. If the cause turns out to be everyday triggers or harmless extra beats, the most important step is explanation and reassurance, along with reducing triggers — and that is often all that is needed. Where an underlying problem is found, treatment is directed at that cause. For people whose palpitations are troublesome and symptom-driven, a beta-blocker can help by easing the awareness of the heartbeat and reducing the impact of extra beats.
For this condition, these medicines
Medicine classes used for Palpitations
Each links to a full, dose-free guide — what it is, how it works, who can and cannot use it, side effects, interactions and FAQs.
Symptom checker
Symptoms that can point to Palpitations
Palpitations can be one cause of these symptoms. Each guide explains the other possible causes and the red-flag warning signs that mean you should get urgent help:
Beyond medication
Lifestyle and self-care
Cutting back on caffeine, alcohol and nicotine, getting enough sleep, managing stress and anxiety, and noticing and avoiding personal triggers often reduce harmless palpitations considerably — and for many people identifying and easing these triggers is all the treatment that is needed.
When to get help
When to see a doctor
See your GP if palpitations are new, frequent, last a long time, are getting worse, or are interfering with your daily life, so the cause can be looked into. Call 999 if palpitations come with chest pain, severe breathlessness, fainting or feeling that you might pass out, or if a very fast or pounding heartbeat is sustained and will not settle — these need urgent assessment. Occasional brief flutters or skipped beats with no other symptoms are usually harmless, but it is still worth mentioning them to your GP or pharmacist if you are worried.
Not sure how urgent it is? It is always OK to call NHS 111 for advice, day or night.
Answers
Palpitations: frequently asked questions
What medicines are used for palpitations?
In many cases no medicine is needed at all — when palpitations come from everyday triggers or harmless extra beats, explanation, reassurance and cutting back on triggers such as caffeine and alcohol are usually enough. Where palpitations are troublesome and symptom-driven, a beta-blocker can help by easing the awareness of the heartbeat and reducing the impact of extra beats. If the palpitations turn out to be caused by an underlying problem, such as an abnormal heart rhythm or an overactive thyroid, treatment is aimed at that specific cause. Your GP can advise what, if anything, is needed.
Are palpitations a sign of something serious?
Usually not. Palpitations are very common and most often harmless, coming from things like caffeine, alcohol, stress, exercise, tiredness, hormones or simple extra beats. Sometimes, though, they signal an irregular heart rhythm such as atrial fibrillation or SVT, or another problem such as an overactive thyroid or anaemia, which is why it is worth getting them checked if they are new, frequent, prolonged or worsening. Palpitations together with chest pain, severe breathlessness or fainting always need urgent assessment, but most people who get them are found to have nothing dangerous.
How are palpitations investigated?
Assessment usually starts with the story of when and how the palpitations happen and whether there are other symptoms, along with an examination and a heart tracing (ECG). Because palpitations often do not occur during a brief recording, you may be given a wearable monitor to record your heart rhythm over hours or days, with the aim of capturing what is happening when you feel the symptoms. Simple blood tests can also check for things such as thyroid problems or anaemia. Together these help work out whether the palpitations are harmless or due to an underlying rhythm or other problem that would benefit from treatment.
Can anxiety cause palpitations?
Yes, very much so. Stress and anxiety are among the most common causes of palpitations — when you are anxious, your body releases adrenaline, which can make the heart beat faster and harder and make you more aware of it. This can become a cycle, where noticing the heartbeat increases anxiety, which in turn makes the palpitations more noticeable. Such palpitations are usually harmless. That said, it is still worth having new or troublesome palpitations checked to rule out other causes, and where anxiety is the driver, managing the anxiety itself is often the most helpful approach.
Sources
Where this is drawn from
- NICE CKS: Palpitations.
- British Heart Foundation: Palpitations.
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