Does Caffeine Cause Heart Palpitations?
Because caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, it can speed up the heart rate and cause the heart to flutter or palpitate. Most people describe palpitations as “fluttering” or a “skipped heartbeat,” or simply the sudden feeling of one’s own heartbeat. It can be quite alarming and doctors see many patients complaining of heart palpitations. There is no pain associated with the palpitations, but anything dealing with the heart is always a cause for concern. Cutting down on caffeine is one sure way to find out if it’s the culprit causing the heart palpitations. If you consume a lot of caffeine daily, cut down slowly rather than simply stopping cold turkey, because you will certainly feel the effects of caffeine withdrawal, which include a nasty headache. Sometimes just cutting down to a nominal level is enough for the palpitations to subside.
