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Adrenalin & Radiation Treatment

Synthetic adrenalin, also known as epinephrine, is a drug that is based on the hormone adrenalin that your adrenal glands produce naturally. It was first extracted from the adrenal glands of sheep and oxen in 1901 by Jokichi Takamine and was synthesized in 1904 by Friedrich Stolz. Adrenalin is a useful adjunct in radiation or chemotherapy, where there is a risk of a severe allergic reaction to this treatment.

  1. Adrenal Glands and Adrenalin

    • A human body has two adrenal glands. Each gland is located right on top of one of your two kidneys, on either side of your abdomen. Your adrenal glands produce and secrete vital hormones (including adrenalin), minerals and glucocorticoids, all of which work to control your body's metabolism and the chemical makeup of bodily fluids.

    Synthetic Adrenalin

    • Synthetic adrenalin, or epinephrine, which is the preferred term in the United States, has a wide range of medical uses. It can be used as a heart stimulant in the case of cardiac arrest or as a vasoconstrictor to treat shock. It can be used both as a bronchodilator and an antispasmodic in the treatment of bronchial asthma. It also works to lower intraocular (eye) pressure in the treatment of glaucoma. Adrenalin is vital in alleviating severe allergic reactions.

    Allergic Reactions and Adrenalin

    • There are four categories of allergic reaction, according to the Gell and Coombs Allergic Classification System. These categories are not based on the severity of your reaction, but rather on your immune system's response to a particular allergen. Type I is the category for which adrenalin or epinephrine is most effective, and it includes exposure to radiation or chemotherapy.

    Type I Allergic Reaction

    • A type I allergic reaction occurs when an allergen binds or attaches itself to specific immune cells in your body, releasing chemicals that cause inflammation. These chemicals include histamines, serotonin, proteases, leukotrienes, prostaglandins, thromboxanes and chemotactic factors from immune cells. Reaction can range from mild symptoms of hives, itching, sneezing and wheezing, and watery eyes to the most severe reaction, anaphylactic shock, which is life- threatening. Chemotherapy and radiation treatments can trigger type I allergic reactions, including anaphylactic shock, the treatment for which is adrenalin.

    Radiation, Chemotherapy and Anaphylactic Shock

    • Radiation and chemotherapy are often used to treat cancer. Radiation uses high-energy rays to irradiate and destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy acts to destroy cancer cells by preventing them from growing and multiplying. However, these treatments also affect healthy cells in the vicinity of cancer cells and can adversely affect your immune defense system. One result of an adversely affected immune defense system can be an allergic reaction, which can accelerate into anaphylactic shock.

    Adrenalin and Anaphylactic Shock

    • Anaphylactic shock is a sudden-onset, emergency condition that requires quick medical attention. Adrenalin, often in the form of a self-injection epinephrine device known as an EpiPen, should be administered immediately. Adrenalin works to opens the airways and raise blood pressure by constricting blood vessels.

    Delayed Allergic Reaction

    • Even if you have had radiation or chemotherapy and have experienced no allergic reaction during initial treatments, you may still have an allergic reaction later on or during another course of treatment. Severe allergic reactions to chemo and radiation therapy can also occur within 36 hours of exposure to either treatment. Any time you receive radiation or chemotherapy, keep an EpiPen with you and learn how to self-administer the adrenalin.

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