Your healthcare provider will help you decide how to treat your arrhythmia.
Lifestyle Changes
Lifestyle changes can help control troublesome symptoms and help prevent an arrhythmia from getting worse. These include:
- Losing weight if the person is overweight
- Quitting smoking
- Decreasing use of caffeine or alcohol
- Stopping drug use
- Avoiding some over-the-counter medications, such as decongestants, and certain herbal remedies, such as cola nut, ephedra, or guarana
- Increasing foods that restore the balance of minerals in your body (such as potassium or magnesium)
Medication Changes
Certain prescription medications can also cause arrhythmias. If you are taking any of these medications, notify your healthcare provider if you have arrhythmia symptoms:
- Antidepressants
- Antipsychotics (used to manage symptoms in severe dementia, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression)
- Anticonvulsants (used to treat seizures or epilepsy)
- Diuretics ("water pills")
- Migraine medications
- Antiviral medications (including medications used to treat HIV/AIDS)
Make sure your provider knows about all the medications you are taking, even over-the-counter medications, herbs, and supplements, even if you only take them sometimes.
Always check with your healthcare provider before you start or stop taking any prescription or non-prescription medication.
Last Updated February 2023