Is This Hyperadrenergic POTS?

[futurehope]

The one test I had of catecholamines was at NIH for the "intake" exam.

My results are below:

The first number is NE (norepinephrine)

The second number is EPI (epinephrine)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNExxxxxxxxxxxxEPI

Supine venousxxxxxxx334xxxxxxxxxxx19

5 min upright xxxxxxxx699 xxxxxxxxxx48

Lower limit of normalxx 80xxxxxxxxxxxx 4

Upper limit of normalxx498xxxxxxxxxxxx83

The Interpretation:

Normal plasma NE during supine rest and normal increment in plasma NE after 5 minutes upright.

I'm confused. It's looks like I'm above the upper limit on the NE after 5 minutes upright?

Does anyone out there know? I will not be seeing my POTS doc for 4 months and I don't feel like waiting for an answer.

[Lukkychrm42]

Supposedly hyperadrenergic means serum norepinephrine levels of over 600 ng/ mL so I would interpret those results as a positive... Is it possible that they meant "normal" as 'expected with hyperadrenergic POTS?' I might be twisting words around, but if not then does the NIH have different standards for it??

But then as being classified hyperadrenergic also depends on how the NE is involved, the numbers itself might not be enough for us to give you the answers you need! Hmm... hope you figure it out!!!

[Ernie]

No,

Hyperadrenergic means too much adrenaline. Yours is way within the normal range.

Above normal NE means orthostatic intolerance.

[futurehope]

Thanks, Ernie. That kind of makes sense in that I don't get the "adrenaline rushes" people mention when they are hyperadrenergic.

[lthomas521]

Hi everyone:

I looked up "adrenergic" in Stedman's Medical Dictionary, and it said, "relating to nerve cells or fibers of the autonomic nervous system that employ norepinephrine as their neurotransmitter." Epinephrine, which is chemically related to norepinephrine, is also a potent stimulant of adrenergic alpha- and beta-receptors. So I guess that too much norepinephrine or epinephrine would qualify as a hyperadrenergic state. (Norepinephrine is also called noradrenaline, and epinephrine is also called adrenaline.)

It looks to me as if Futurehope has excessive amounts of norepinephrine after 5 minutes of standing. I have no idea why they said that it was a normal increment. Might be a mistake in the report. It looks to me as if she might have the diminished norepinephrine reuptake that people have been talking about. In people with normal reuptake, the norepinephrine gets transported back into the nerve cells. In people with abnormal reuptake, the norepinephrine spills out into the bloodstream.

[futurehope]

Ithomas521,

Thanks for looking this up. It's still clear as "mud" to me whether I should care about BOTH EPI and NE scores, or one or the other.

But, yes, wouldn't it be WAY COOL, if I have the deficiency in reuptake of NE and that doctor in Australia is working on fixing this and I could be helped? I keep hoping that is the case.

In any event, I do not display hyper symptoms, nor do I feel them.

As pertains to the report that did not mention the higher NE score, I suspect that Dr. Goldstein at NIH was looking at stuff for his particular area of interest and that possibly that score wouldn't hold meaning or interest for what he studies. Just a guess.