Q: Can taking lots of vitamins/other supplements cause palpitations?
A: It certainly is possible for supplements to cause palpitations. Some supplements are made from plants that contain ingredients that stimulate the heart. A good source for learning about side effects of common herbs found in supplements is http://nccam.nih.gov/health/herbsataglance.htm. Excess vitamin intake can also cause problems. To learn more about vitamins click here.
The link to info on vitamins is typical American dogma.
Vitamin D is sort of well covered – but we ARE profoundly deficient in it – but vitamin K2 is distinctly different from vitamin K1 and this is unknown in the US but known well in Japan, Italy and the Netherlands. The difference is HUGE. K2 if found in animal organ meat and is made by bacteria in fermentation. It is not K1. It used to be in our diets, but now we have eliminated it or largely eliminated it. Too bad, because K2 “tells” calcium where to go in the body. The EPIC study of Germany found that CVD risk was lessened by eating “meat and cheese” and this is because K2 is found in cheese (not stupid American cheese, but REAL cheese) and in sausage, which often contain animal organ meat. It’s interesting how we have been incorrectly told to avoid these two healthy foods in the US. Our experts are pretty uninformed about nutrition.
Seek info on “menaquinone” or “vitamin K2” on PubMed or use a search engine…you’ll add it to your repertoire ASAP when you understand this.
My doctor recommended trying saw palmetto for my enlarged prostrate. About 3 months later I began to experience horrible palpitations. I did a search on the internet and found that is a possible side effect. I quit taking it and about 2 weeks later the majority of the palpitations disappeared.
The fact is, that anti-hypertension drugs are far more likely to be the cause of arrhythmias than any of the helpful, natural supplements you can take for heart and blood pressure health!
I recently consulted a bioquimist expert in vitamins, and he says that about 75% of the vitamins that are sold out there in the stores are “junk”, meaning that they have more toxics than quality nutrients.
Omega-3’s can increase the blood-thinning effects of blood thinners…antiplatelet drugs and NSAID’s.
Some of the blood pressure meds can also cause palpations. Check out Hydralazine –a prescription drug. Why does this “doc” blame all negative side effects on supplements. Check out the PDR of drugs and you shall see pages of negative side effects for our “life saving” drugs. We just keep making Big Pharma rich.
Hydralazine
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The following adverse reactions have been observed, but there has not been enough systematic collection of data to support an estimate of their frequency.
Common: Headache, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, palpitations, tachycardia, angina pectoris.
Less Frequent: Digestive-constipation, paralytic ileus.
Cardiovascular-hypotension, paradoxical pressor response, edema.
Respiratory-dyspnea.