Consult your health care provider should be consulted regarding the need to discontinue potentially interfering drugs. Drugs that can decrease catecholamine measurements include clonidine, disulfiram, guanethidine, imipramine, MAO inhibitors, phenothiazines, salicylates, and reserpine. How the Test will Feel When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain, while others feel only a prick or stinging sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing . The test is used primarily to screen for, diagnose, and monitor treatment of pheochromocytoma or neuroblastoma .
Catecholamines are chemically-similar small molecules that are derived from the amino acid tyrosine.
Norepinephrine is the primary neurotransmitter in the sympathetic nervous system and is also in the brain. Epinephrine is a neurotransmitter in the brain but is also a major hormone in the body. Catecholamines - blood Please read this Important notice . Please read it.