Q. Are there any side effects, such as heart palpitations or insomnia, when taking herbal medicine for weight loss?
Depending on your individual constitution, these symptoms may occur due to the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, but they can be effectively alleviated by adjusting your prescription.
📝 Detailed Answer
Experiencing heart palpitations or difficulty sleeping while taking weight-loss herbal medicine is actually quite common. I understand exactly how that feels, as I recall experiencing similar sensations when studying these medicinal herbs during my training.
These symptoms occur because the medicinal ingredients stimulate the sympathetic nervous system to boost your body's metabolism. However, this is not something you simply have to 'endure.' In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), we approach this from three primary perspectives:
- Qi Deficiency (氣虛): Those with inherently low energy may react more sensitively to stimulation, leading to more pronounced palpitations.
- Heart-Fire (心火): If heat has accumulated in the heart due to stress, insomnia or anxiety may be more intensely triggered.
- Liver Qi Stagnation (肝鬱): If the flow of Qi is blocked or congested, the body may not process the herbs smoothly, resulting in discomfort.
Therefore, rather than simply using potent herbs, it is essential to finely tune the types and dosages of ingredients to match your specific constitutional state.
💡 Prescription Adjustment Direction
If you inform us immediately when you feel discomfort, we can add sedative herbs or lower the potency to allow your body time to adapt.
Expert Verified
Dr. Yeonseung Choe
Chief Director
Last reviewed 2026.04.30