RE: [Leica] Adrenaline, was clove cigarettes

[Paul Chefurka <Paul_Chefurka@pmc-sierra.com>]

I'm no expert, but I am an asthmatic :-)  When I was young (in the 50's) the only fast-acting brochodilator available was adrenaline, also known as epiniphrine.  My father, a biochemist used to mix up a 1:1000 solution that I used in an atomizer inhaler.

Epinephrine is a beta-1 and beta-2 agonist, so it acts on both the heart and the lungs.  It can be either inhaled or injected, but it can't be taken orally, as the digestive process breaks down the molecule before it can make it into the blood stream.  It was originally detected in the human adrenal glands that sit just above the kidneys.  I believe the early supplies were recovered from animal sources, but now it's synthesized.  It's not used for asthma treatment any more, as there are drugs that are more specific to the beta-2 receptors, and have less impact on heart function (less beta-1 activity).

It's not a drug that would have any particular attraction for recreational use - I've had injections of it during very acute asthma attacks, and the sense of alertness you get is spoiled by the terrible jittery feeling of tachycardia.  For recreational use amphetamines (that act indirectly on the adrenal glands) are much more attractive.

I wouldn't consider Hunter S. Thompson a reliable source when it comes to the science of recreational drugs - he's used a few too many himself :-)

Paul

- -----Original Message-----
From: Jem Kime [mailto:jem.kime@cwcom.net]
Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2001 4:13 AM
To: 'leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us'
Subject: [Leica] Adrenaline, was clove cigarettes

Similarly, years ago, when reading 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' I was 
fascinated by the chapter where the attorney returned with some adrenaline, 
purportedly only extractable from living humans!

Any experts able to share their knowledge on whether this was wonderfully 
bizarre imagination or a slice of reality?
I could imagine that animal adrenaline might be produced/used for medical 
purposes and I've seen that given intravenously, but does it have the same 
effect taken orally?
Not that I'm wanting to try, but it's something I've wondered about for 
years!