Chinese Medicine for Palpitations

In Chinese medicine, palpitations—when the heart beats rapidly, irregularly, or with a feeling of unease—come from disharmony in the heart’s relationship with the rest of the body. The cause may lie in weak blood and energy, too much internal heat, or imbalance between the heart and kidneys. Each pattern has its own signs, causes, and treatments.

Simultaneous Deficiency of Energy and Blood

Common Signs

  • Pale face, lips, and nails

  • Dizziness or faint vision (seeing floating spots)

  • Low energy, low voice, or fatigue

  • Numbness in hands or feet

  • Trouble sleeping

  • Palpitations with an insecure or uneasy feeling

Treatment Principle
Tone the blood, strengthen energy, nourish the heart, and calm the spirit.

Herbal Formula: Gui-Pi-Tang

Helpful Foods: Abalone, asparagus, cuttlefish, chicken egg, duck egg, white fungus, beef liver, grape, mandarin fish, oyster, milk, beef, cherry, blood clam, longan nut, maltose, sweet rice, apple cucumber, bog bean, gold carp, carrot, chestnut, ham, hyacinth bean, Job’s tears, royal jelly, string bean, whitefish, yam, red and black dates, mutton, squash, rock sugar

Deficiency Fire

Common Signs

  • Palpitations with a miserable or uneasy feeling

  • Dry throat, mouth, or cough without sputum

  • Heat sensations in the body or night sweats

  • Chronic weakness and fatigue

  • Forgetfulness or sleeplessness

  • Ringing in the ears

  • Pain in the lower back

  • Seminal emission during dreams

  • Toothache or coughing blood

Treatment Principle
Nourish yin, reduce internal fire, strengthen the kidneys, and calm the heart.

Herbal Formula: Bu-Xin-Dan

Helpful Foods: Banana, bitter endive, black fungus, spinach, strawberry, bamboo shoot, cucumber, Job’s tears, liver, beet leaf, mung bean, peppermint, purslane, lily flower, cattail, chicken egg, duck egg, asparagus, royal jelly, pork, oyster

Kidney-Water Attacking the Heart

Common Signs

  • Chest congestion or fullness below the heart

  • Shortness of breath

  • Dizziness or swelling in the body

  • Blue-purple lips or fingertips

  • Trouble lying flat

  • Nervousness

  • Palpitations with heaviness in the chest

  • Cough or abdominal swelling

Treatment Principle
Warm the heart, strengthen energy, and promote water flow.

Herbal Formula: Ling-Gui-Zhu-Gan-Tang

Helpful Foods: Dried ginger, water spinach, cinnamon, longan nut, wheat, kidney, lobster, sardine, shrimp, sparrow, clove, dill seed, fennel, pistachio, sparrow egg, crab apple, raspberry, walnut

Palpitations in Chinese medicine are not only about the heart itself—they often reflect the state of the blood, energy, kidneys, and spirit. By restoring balance with herbs, nourishing foods, and calming the body’s systems, the heart can regain its natural rhythm and steadiness.