Catecholamines in Blood

Adrenaline Measurement in Blood, Dopamine Measurement in Blood, Epinephrine Measurement in Blood, Metanephrine Measurement in Blood, Noradrenaline Measurement in Blood, Norepinephrine Measurement in Blood, Vanillymandelic Acid Measurement in Blood

What To Think About

• This test is not used very often. The 24-hour urine test is better for finding high levels of catecholamines than a blood test. For more information on a catecholamine urine test, see the medical test Catecholamines in Urine.
• Another test, called the clonidine suppression test, may be done to find out whether high blood pressure is caused by an adrenal gland tumour. The clonidine suppression test measures your blood catecholamine levels before and after you take a small dose of the high blood pressure medicine clonidine (Catapres). If a tumour is present, clonidine will not cause your catecholamine levels to change. If your high blood pressure is caused by other factors, clonidine will cause your catecholamine levels to go down.

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Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC	Last Updated: November 30, 2006
Medical Review:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Hanan Bassyouni, MD - Endocrinology and Metabolism Alan C. Dalkin, MD - Endocrinology
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