Treatments for irregular heartbeats

We explore the types of medicines prescribed to people with irregular heartbeats

Tablet computer screen displaying an electrocardiogram
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The heart's pumping action is controlled by electrical signals that pass through the heart muscle. The electrical signals cause the two pairs of heart chambers (the atria and ventricles) to contract in a regular manner that produces the heartbeat. If the electrical activity in the heart is disturbed for any reason, irregular or abnormal heartbeats (arrhythmias) can result. These can seriously undermine the pumping action of the heart and result in inefficient blood circulation around the body.

In this article you'll find information about the different medicines that can be used to control an abnormal or irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia). The type and cause of an arrhythmia must be diagnosed by a cardiologist before a specific treatment can be prescribed. Don't forget this is only a guide – talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you've any questions about treatment.


Anti-arrhythmic medicines work in various different ways to slow down and regulate the electrical signals in the heart that produce the heartbeat. They help to regulate and restore disturbances in the heart rhythm.


    Beta-blockers work by making your heart beat more slowly and with less force; they also allow the electrical signals in the heart to fire more regularly.


      An irregular heartbeat is not very efficient at pumping blood around the body. Digoxin
      slows down the rate at which the heart beats, and also increases the force with which the heart muscle contracts with every heartbeat. This makes the heart pump more efficiently in some types of irregular heartbeat.


        Verapamil slows down the rate at which the heart beats and allows the blood vessels in the body to widen. It helps to the heart pump more efficiently.

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