Catecholamine Tests
Reviewed
Catecholamine tests measure the amount of catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine) in urine or blood. These hormones are released during stress. High levels may indicate rare adrenal or nerve tumors such as pheochromocytoma, neuroblastoma, or paraganglioma.
Preparation and collection
You may need to avoid caffeinated foods/drinks, alcohol, tobacco, bananas, citrus fruits, and vanilla for 2-3 days before the test. Avoid stress and vigorous exercise. Tell your provider about all medicines you take. For a blood test, you may need to fast for several hours.
Understanding this test
Use the reference interval and units printed by the laboratory that performed the test. A result outside that interval is not a diagnosis by itself, and a result inside it does not rule out every condition. Your symptoms, history, medicines, timing, and related tests can change what the result means.
- Cannot determine if a tumor is cancerous.
- High levels can be caused by stress, exercise, diet, smoking, alcohol, and medications.
- Results must be interpreted with other clinical information and are not diagnostic on their own.
- Blood levels can change quickly and may be affected by the stress of the blood draw.
What to do next
If your results are high, your healthcare provider will likely order additional tests, such as imaging (CT or MRI), to investigate for a possible tumor. If you are being treated for a tumor, high levels may indicate that treatment is not working and your provider may adjust your treatment plan.