Arrhythmia can be categorized as “palpitation” in traditional Chinese medicine, and the herbs used to treat palpitation include longan meat, jujube nut, cinnamon stick, licorice, danshen, and gansong.
1. Longan meat and sour jujube nut are used for heart blood deficiency. Symptoms include panic and shortness of breath, dizziness, insomnia and forgetfulness, fatigue and poor appetite. Longan meat nourishes the heart and spleen, nourishes blood and calms the mind, and sour jujube kernel nourishes the heart, calms the heart and calms the mind. Longan meat should not be used by those who are full of dampness (too much dampness leading to fullness and discomfort in the spleen and stomach) or those who have stopped drinking (water stays in the body), phlegm or fire.
2. Gui Zhi and Licorice for Heart-Yang deficiency. Symptoms include panic and shortness of breath, fear of cold, and cold limbs. Gui Zhi warms the heart yang and licorice tonifies the heart qi. Gui Zhi is contraindicated in external heat illness, yin deficiency and fire exuberance, and blood-heat paranoia (heat evil causing blood to go out abnormally), and should be used with caution in pregnant women and people with excessive menstruation. Licorice should not be used in cases of dampness, fullness and edema, as excessive use of licorice will easily lead to edema.
3. Danshen and Gansong are used for stagnation of Blood stasis. Symptoms include panic and restlessness, stuffiness in the heart, heartache, pain like pins and needles, purple lips and lips, blue nails, and petechiae on the tongue, etc. Dan Shen can activate Blood circulation and promote menstruation, and clear the blood stasis. Salvia miltiorrhiza invigorates blood and channels menstruation, clears the heart and removes vexation, and Gan Song regulates qi and opens up depression, the combination of which can invigorate qi and blood. Danshen should be used with caution in pregnant women.
For arrhythmia, longan and jujube kernel can be used due to insufficiency of heart blood; gui zhi and licorice can be used due to insufficiency of heart yang; and danshen and gansong can be used due to stasis and obstruction of blood. The medication should be taken under the guidance of a Chinese medicine practitioner. Individuals should not take medication on their own to avoid adverse consequences.