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Step 1
Pheochromocytoma is a tumor or series of tumors on either or both adrenal glands (the glands located just above each kidney). The tumor causes the glands to malfunction and produce too much of the hormones epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) and noradrenaline (also called norepinephrine).
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Step 2
The excess production of these hormones, which regulate heart rate and blood pressure, results in an elevation of blood pressure and requires medical intervention.
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Step 3
Other symptoms often accompany high blood pressure when pheochromocytoma is diagnosed, including anxiety, frequent and/or severe headaches, tremors of the hands or fingers, profuse sweating, irregular heartbeat and pain in the chest or upper abdomen.
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Step 4
Avoid known triggers while you treat pheochromocytoma. Caffiene, nicotine and the amino acid tyramine are stimulants that can elevate blood pressure. Tyramine is found in cheese, beer and wine.
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Step 5
The most common way to treat pheochromocytoma is with surgery to remove the offending tumor(s) from the adrenal region. Surgery has a very high success rate.
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Step 6
Expect medications to be part of your treatment, especially if surgery isn't an option for you. Your doctor may prescribe adrenergic blocking agents or alpha-adrenergic antagonists (commonly referred to as alpha-blockers) to relax arterial walls and encourage blood vessels to stay open. Common alpha-blockers prescribed are Dibenzyline and Cardura.
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Step 7
Block the effects of norepinephrine with beta-adrenergic blocking agents (simply called beta blockers), such as Lopressor or Toprol XL, to help regulate your heart rate. Beta blockers also inhibit the release of renin from the kidneys, which stimulates adrenal hormone production.
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Step 8
A pheochromocytoma is rarely cancerous. However, in the event that it is, you can expect to receive a combination of therapies, including chemotherapy and radiation to deter blood flow to the tumor, in effect choking it off.
