{"id":637086,"date":"2026-04-28T22:13:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T22:13:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/637086\/"},"modified":"2026-04-28T22:13:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T22:13:11","slug":"how-prednisone-affects-your-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/637086\/","title":{"rendered":"How Prednisone Affects Your Heart"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you have a condition like asthma, arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), your doctor may prescribe corticosteroids, such as prednisone<\/a>. Corticosteroids are a class of medications that includes a wide range of generic and brand-name drugs. They\u2019re used to reduce inflammation and regulate an overactive immune system.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy<\/a><\/p>\n

But in some cases, corticosteroids can also affect your heart rate and rhythm.<\/p>\n

Interventional cardiologist David Zidar, MD, PhD<\/a>, explains how to stop heart palpitations from prednisone.<\/p>\n

How does prednisone affect your heart?<\/p>\n

Prednisone and other corticosteroids can cause a range of heart issues, from heart palpitations to high blood pressure. Dr. Zidar outlines how these medications can impact your heart.<\/p>\n

Slows down or speeds up your heart rate<\/p>\n

Prednisone may cause an imbalance of key electrolytes, like potassium, calcium, sodium and magnesium. When electrolyte levels rise or fall, your heart rate may slow down (bradycardia<\/a>) or speed up (tachycardia<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Induces heart palpitations<\/p>\n

\u201cHeart palpitations are a relatively broad symptom. For example, sometimes it can come from arrhythmias<\/a>, where the heart beats faster,\u201d explains Dr. Zidar. \u201cPalpitations can also feel like an extra heartbeat or like your heart is beating harder.\u201d<\/p>\n

Symptoms of both bradycardia and tachycardia can include heart palpitations<\/a>. This can feel like your heart is:<\/p>\n

RacingPoundingFlip-floppingMissing a beatHaving an extra beatFlutteringIncreases your blood pressure<\/p>\n

An electrolyte imbalance from prednisone can also affect how you retain water and sodium, leading to a higher amount of fluids circulating in your body.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese things can raise your blood pressure and can increase the feeling of pressure inside your heart,\u201d explains Dr. Zidar.<\/p>\n

Prednisone is more likely to cause high blood pressure<\/a> if you\u2019re taking the medication for a longer period of time or on a higher dose.<\/p>\n

Effects on heart conditions<\/p>\n

Certain heart conditions can increase the risk of side effects like heart palpitations from prednisone. So, it\u2019s important to let your healthcare provider know if you have any existing heart conditions, such as heart disease<\/a> and high blood pressure.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn general, most healthcare providers are comfortable when a patient with a heart condition is prescribed prednisone, but it\u2019s important to know the medication can have a wide range of impacts,\u201d Dr. Zidar clarifies.<\/p>\n

Prednisone may amplify some symptoms, like shortness of breath or chest pain, that you may already experience on a day-to-day basis<\/p>\n

How to prevent heart palpitations while taking prednisone<\/p>\n

Heart palpitations can feel scary. But there are steps you can take to help reduce or stop them while taking prednisone.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t stop prednisone cold turkey. Dr. Zidar advises against stopping the medication without consulting your doctor first. \u201cPrednisone can be prescribed for conditions that are life-threatening, and so there may be a risk to stopping prednisone,\u201d he explains. If your doctor decides you can stop taking the medication, they\u2019ll usually give you instructions on how to safely wean yourself off of it.Talk to your doctor about reducing your dosage amount. \u201cIn some cases, reducing your dosage can maintain the effect of the medicine without having as many side effects,\u201d he notes.Consider the length of time. Prednisone isn\u2019t meant to be a long-term medication. In some cases, you may only need to take a few doses. Other times, your prescription may run for several months. Talk to your doctor about expectations.Think twice about using a supplement. You may be tempted to try over-the-counter supplements like magnesium or potassium to address electrolyte imbalances. But supplements aren\u2019t regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so that means any supplement could contain inconsistent ingredients and may also interfere with any other medications you\u2019re taking.Reduce your sodium. Following a low-sodium diet, like the DASH diet<\/a>, can be a good way to help reduce water retention and maintain an ideal electrolyte balance to prevent palpitations.Stay hydrated. It sounds like a no-brainer \u2014 if you\u2019re thirsty, make sure you\u2019re drinking water. But don\u2019t go overboard, says Dr. Zidar. Drinking too much water can contribute to an electrolyte imbalance, doing more harm than good.Practice deep breathing. If you\u2019re experiencing heart palpitations, using techniques like box breathing<\/a> can help lower your heart rate, reduce blood pressure and decrease stress.<\/p>\n

In most cases, you should be able to manage any heart-related side effects, like heart palpitations, at home or under the guidance of your doctor.<\/p>\n

But Dr. Zidar adds that it\u2019s a good idea to seek emergency care if you:<\/p>\n

Feel lightheadedExperience chest painHave trouble breathingHave swelling in your legs (edema<\/a>)Be aware of your symptoms<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to know how taking a medication like prednisone can affect your heart.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a constellation of symptoms that prednisone can cause, so it\u2019s important to be aware of how you\u2019re feeling,\u201d advises Dr. Zidar. \u201cMake sure you\u2019re in touch with your doctor if you feel as though these symptoms are beginning to overwhelm you.\u201d<\/p>\n

You and your doctor can have a discussion about whether prednisone is right for you.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though the side effects of prednisone can be very bothersome to many people, there is often a necessary reason to be on it,\u201d he concedes. \u201cYour doctor can work with you to manage side effects.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you have a condition like asthma, arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), your doctor may prescribe corticosteroids,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":637087,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[64,63,137,490],"class_list":["post-637086","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-medication","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-health","tag-medication"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/637086","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=637086"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/637086\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/637087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=637086"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=637086"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=637086"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}