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    Botanical guide · Ingredient reference

    Can ashwagandha cause heart palpitations?

    Palpitations after starting ashwagandha should be assessed rather than dismissed as a normal adjustment. Reports and thyroid-related concerns make an association plausible in some cases, but they do not establish how often ashwagandha causes palpitations or prove it is the cause in a particular person.

    Read the evidence ↓

    Supplement Science Insights Editorial Team

    Published September 23, 2026

    Thyroid effects are one concern

    NCCIH cautions against use in thyroid disorders. MSK summarizes reports of thyrotoxicosis associated with supplements; excess thyroid activity can produce palpitations, nervousness and heat intolerance. This is a reason for assessment, not a diagnosis based on a symptom alone. [1][2][3]

    Mixed-product reports cannot isolate the herb

    MSK also describes possible arrhythmia associations involving herbomineral preparations containing ashwagandha. These secondary case summaries cannot establish isolated-ingredient causality, an incidence rate or the safety of a different bottle. [2]

    Review the complete exposure

    Record the formulation, dose, caffeine, medicines and when symptoms began. Palpitations have other causes, and thyroid medication or other active ingredients may change the assessment. Avoid taking more of the supplement to test whether the sensation passes. [4][5]

    Do not delay urgent care

    Imagine the heartbeat remains rapid or irregular after a new supplement. Persistent palpitations or palpitations with chest pain, breathlessness, faintness or fainting require emergency assessment. Bring the product and medicine list rather than assuming a stress-related cause. [4]

    Hypothetical example — interpret palpitations
    ClueLimit or action
    Started after supplementPossible association
    Thyroid symptomsNeeds assessment
    Mixed herb productCannot isolate one ingredient
    Chest pain or faintnessEmergency care
    Can ashwagandha cause heart palpitations? — original article outline diagram
    Original editorial diagram of this article’s sections; no product photograph or clinical finding is depicted.

    Sources for this article

    1. Ashwagandha: Usefulness and Safety | NCCIH
      Source consulted: 2026-09-21. This is a reference resource, not a claim that we conducted the studies or tested a product.
    2. Ashwagandha | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
      Source consulted: 2026-09-21. This is a reference resource, not a claim that we conducted the studies or tested a product.
    3. Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) - Symptoms - NHS
      Source consulted: 2026-09-21. This is a reference resource, not a claim that we conducted the studies or tested a product.
    4. Heart palpitations - NHS
      Source consulted: 2026-09-21. This is a reference resource, not a claim that we conducted the studies or tested a product.
    5. Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know
      Source consulted: 2026-09-21. This is a reference resource, not a claim that we conducted the studies or tested a product.