Re: [Leica] Adrenaline, was clove cigarettes

["Dr. Joseph Yao" <joseph@yao.com>]

Paul,

You are right that adrenaline/epinephrine is no longer used in routine
treatment of asthma.  However, it is still very valuable in treating
bronchospasm caused by anaphylaxis.

Regards,

Joseph
The ER man with a Leica.... :-)

on 1/2/01 10:59 PM, Paul Chefurka at Paul_Chefurka@pmc-sierra.com wrote:

> 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