With CBD use on the rise, a question we hear a lot is, “Can too much CBD make your heart flutter?” When you experience a fast-beating, fluttering, or pounding heart, these are called heart palpitations, and there are many reasons behind them. Your heart might flutter because of stress, exercise, or medication.
But does too much CBD make your heart flutter?
What’s Behind a Racing Heart?
The heart is the center of your circulatory system, supplying the body’s cells with nutrients and oxygen. It pumps the blood through the arteries (outgoing) and veins (incoming) to the rest of your body. You can’t live without this coordinated activity in the heart.
Specialists speak of an “arrhythmia” when there is a malfunction in the heart. An arrhythmia occurs when you experience a disruption in the signals that determine the heartbeat and control the heart’s pumping action. When these signals aren’t transmitted correctly, the heart races or stumbles.
The average heart rate at rest is 60 to 90 beats per minute. An increase to over 100 with physical exertion, stress, and excitement is also normal. Tachycardia occurs when the heart beats too fast without physical effort, causing the heart rate to rise to 140 to 180 heartbeats per minute.
CBD and Its Effects on Heart Rate
Understanding the possible potential of CBD for palpitations requires a bit of background knowledge. The consumption of cannabidiol affects the so-called endocannabinoid system (ECS), which influences the nervous system and brain activity with messenger substances. For this purpose, the human body produces endogenous cannabinoids.
CBD is a plant cannabinoid that also affects the CB1 receptors and CB2 receptors. By influencing the work of the CB1 receptor, it can inhibit an increase in heart rate. Bottom line: CBD keeps your heart calm. Experts assume that CBD promotes the stability of the heart muscle, relieves stressful situations, and normalizes the circulatory system.
Can Too Much CBD Make Your Heart Flutter?
When you take CBD, you may notice that your heart flutters. According to a widely disputed study, those who take CBD may experience THC-like symptoms because gastric fluids in the stomach can convert CBD to THC. However, researchers only experimented with synthetic gastric juices in the 2016 study. The study’s researchers discovered that CBD molecules did break down into THC under these conditions.
But later research contradicts their claim that CBD can convert to THC in the stomach. Numerous studies prove that in natural digestive juices (like those created when you eat a CBD-infused edible), only CBD remains, without any trace of THC.
According to these studies, there is no evidence that CBD can transform into THC in humans or animals, so there is no need to be concerned that too much CBD will make your heart flutter.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the effects of CBD vary from person to person and product to product. Because of the mucus membranes that line our mouths and throat, tinctures enter our bodies quickly, while edibles take a long time to get into our bloodstream.
Scientists have yet to fully understand the complex relationship between CBD and the cardiovascular system. However, an ever-growing body of research shows that CBD, in all its forms, can benefit rather than harm the cardiovascular system.
CBD for Heart Palpitations: How CBD Helps
There’s lots of proof that CBD is quite beneficial for heart health. Although CBD doesn’t interact directly with the cardiovascular system, it can influence the endocannabinoid system in the brain through its effects.
CBD Supports Heart Health
According to early evidence, there are three key ways cannabidiol can help support the heart:
- Lowering blood pressure
- Decreasing arrhythmias
- Reducing inflammation
In addition, there is initial evidence that CBD can cause the dilation of blood vessels and the reduction of tension in the blood vessel walls. This could also reduce heart palpitations.
CBD Helps Reduce Anxiety Disorders
Studies show that CBD may be beneficial for anxiety disorders. Anxiety is a stress-increasing factor that can also lead to cardiovascular disease. Heart palpitations, panic attacks, and sweating are often accompanying anxiety symptoms.
CBD Helps Lower Blood Pressure
A single dose of CBD can lower blood pressure. This lowering effect of CBD on humans can also reduce symptoms such as tachycardia. In the study, nine healthy male subjects were given either 600 mg of CBD or a placebo. The results show that CBD oil reduced resting systolic blood pressure and stroke volume.
CBD Side Effects and Interaction with Other Medications
Can too much CBD make your heart flutter when taken with other medication?
CBD can interact with some medications, causing heart palpitations and other undesirable effects. It can influence the activation of enzymes in the body that play a role in the breakdown of active ingredients (in the liver). Patients with liver damage should be extra careful when using CBD. Other medications that may cause negative side effects when consumed with CBD include:
- Antacids
- Anticoagulants
- Painkillers
- Neuroleptics
Check with your primary care provider before taking CBD if you take any medication.
Final Answer: Can Too Much CBD Make Your Heart Flutter?
According to most recent studies, too much CBD shouldn’t cause your heart to flutter on its own. In fact, CBD has a mild calming effect on the heart because it desensitizes TRPV1 channels. As a bonus, it lowers blood pressure, decreases anxiety, and reduces the risk of a heart attack in those predisposed to it. It also reduces the heart muscle’s metabolic rate.
Even though there aren’t a lot of studies on CBD and its impact on heart rate, most observations indicate that CBD keeps your heart calm and not galloping away like a pack of wild horses.
