Adrenaline
About Adrenaline
Adrenaline is an emergency injection used to treat severe, life-threatening allergic reactions, also known as anaphylaxis. It is prescribed for immediate rescue during a medical emergency caused by insect bites, foods, medications, or other triggers. This medication works rapidly to reverse dangerous symptoms that can otherwise become fatal within minutes.
This medicine is not meant for regular daily use and is only injected when a severe allergic reaction occurs. Because it is an emergency injection, it can be used with or without food. To support your safety, making key lifestyle adjustments—such as strictly identifying and avoiding known allergens—is the most effective way to prevent the need for this emergency treatment.
While using Adrenaline, you may experience temporary side effects such as a fast heart rate, shakiness, or anxiety. These are typical physical reactions to the medicine, but you must seek emergency medical care immediately after injecting it. If you experience serious side effects, such as severe chest pain, an irregular heartbeat, or difficulty breathing, notify the emergency medical team right away.
Before an emergency arises, talk to your doctor if you have underlying health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, thyroid problems, or diabetes. However, because this is a life-saving rescue treatment, there are no conditions under which you should not receive Adrenaline during a severe, life-threatening allergic emergency.
This medicine can interact with certain blood pressure drugs, antidepressants, and heart medications, which may alter how it works. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or managing health conditions in an elderly family member, talk to your doctor or pharmacist to understand how to safely incorporate this medicine into your emergency allergy plan.
Uses of Adrenaline
Medicinal Benefits
Adrenaline helps provide rapid, life-saving treatment during severe allergic reactions and other medical emergencies.
The following are the benefits of Adrenaline:
- Helps rapidly treat severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis).
- Improves breathing by relieving swelling and tightening of the airways.
- Supports healthy blood pressure and blood circulation during emergencies.
- Reduces life-threatening symptoms such as severe wheezing and throat swelling.
- Provides quick relief to help stabilise the body until medical care is available.
- Promotes better survival by enabling timely emergency treatment.
Directions for Use
- Your doctor will determine the appropriate dosage of Adrenaline based on your medical condition.
- Adrenaline will be administered into a muscle (intramuscularly) by the doctor or nurse in a hospital. In emergency situations, the doctor may give you a diluted injection into a vein (intravenously).
- Do not self-administer it.
Storage
Side Effects of Adrenaline
Common Side Effects (Usually mild):
- Fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat
- Shakiness, trembling, or weakness
- Anxiety, nervousness, or restlessness
- Dizziness, headache, or pale skin
- Sweating, nausea, or vomiting
Serious Side Effects (Call emergency services right away):
- Severe chest pain or pressure
- Sudden, severe headache accompanied by confusion or blurred vision
- Severe breathing difficulty that does not improve
- Signs of infection at the injection site, such as redness, warmth, swelling, or pus
Medicines Containing this Salt
View AllDrug Warnings
- Carry two injectors with you: Always keep two emergency injectors with you. A second dose may be needed if the first injection does not provide enough relief.
- Check the expiry date regularly: Check the expiry date on your injectors often and replace them before they expire. This helps ensure the medicine will work when you need it.
- Keep your hands away from the needle end: Never place your thumb, fingers, or hand over the needle end of the injector. This helps prevent accidental injection into your hand.
- Inject only into the outer thigh: Use this medicine only in the outer thigh. Do not inject it into the buttocks, veins, fingers, toes, hands, or feet.
- Seek emergency medical care after use: Get medical help immediately after using the injector, even if you start feeling better. You still need medical evaluation and monitoring after a severe allergic reaction.
Drug Interactions
- Beta-blockers (e.g., propranolol, metoprolol): These blood pressure medicines can block the beneficial airway-opening effects of Adrenaline, making it less effective during an emergency.
- Drugs used to treat depression and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (e.g., amitriptyline, tranylcypromine): Taking these medicines with Adrenaline may lead to a sudden and dangerously high spike in blood pressure and heart rate.
- Water pills/Diuretics (e.g., furosemide): Taking these medicines alongside Adrenaline can cause your blood potassium levels to drop lower than normal.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
cautionAvoid or limit consumption of alcohol while on treatment with Adrenaline.
Pregnancy
cautionAdrenaline is not recommended for use in pregnant women unless necessary. The risks and benefits should be discussed with the doctor before receiving this medicine.
Breast Feeding
cautionAdrenaline is not recommended for use in breastfeeding women unless necessary. The risks and benefits should be discussed with the doctor before receiving this medicine.
Driving
cautionAfter receiving this medicine, do not drive or operate machines which need high concentration as it may cause dizziness.
Liver
cautionAdrenaline should be used with caution in patients suffering from liver diseases due to the increased risk of severe adverse effects. Close monitoring of liver function tests is necessary while receiving this medicine. Depending on the clinical condition, appropriate dose adjustments or replacement with a suitable alternative may be required.
Kidney
cautionAdrenaline should be used with caution in patients with a history of kidney diseases due to the increased risk of severe adverse effects. Close monitoring of kidney function, appropriate dose adjustments or replacement with a suitable alternative may be required in some cases based on the clinical condition of the patient.
Children
cautionAdrenaline may be used in children, but dose adjustments should be made by the doctor based on the height and weight of the child. So please consult your doctor.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Avoid allergy triggers: Identify the substances that cause your allergic reactions and take steps to avoid them in your daily life, including at home, work, and when eating.
- Carry medical identification: Wear a medical alert bracelet or carry an allergy card that clearly lists your severe allergies and states that you carry Adrenaline.
- Share your action plan: Keep a written allergy action plan from your doctor and provide copies to your family, close contacts, coworkers, or your child's school staff so they know what to do in an emergency.
- Stay safe when dining out: Always inform restaurant staff about your severe food allergies before ordering to help reduce the risk of accidental exposure.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Cardiac arrest: Cardiac arrest is the abrupt loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness. The condition usually results from a problem with your heart's electrical system, which disrupts your heart's pumping action and stops blood flow to your body. Symptoms include sudden collapse, pulselessness, no breathing, and loss of consciousness.
Hypotension associated with septic shock: Dilated blood vessels may significantly decrease blood flow to certain organs or may result in a significant drop in blood pressure, leading to a state known as septic shock.
Life-threatening allergic reactions: Severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis due to foods, drugs, insect stings or bites or any other allergens. Symptoms include pain, redness, swelling (in the area of sting and sometimes beyond), flushing, hives, itching, and a potentially life-threatening reaction that may impair breathing and cause the body to go into shock.
FAQs
Adrenaline is used to treat cardiac arrest, hypotension due to septic shock and life-threatening allergic reactions.
Adrenaline is used to increase blood flow to the heart and increase the chance of restoring a heartbeat in cardiac arrest. Adrenaline increases mean arterial blood pressure in adult patients with hypotension associated with septic shock. It is also used to increase blood flow through veins by constricting blood vessels and helps to relax the muscles, which block the airways and allow breathing to return to normal in allergic reactions due to foods, drugs, insect stings or bites or any other allergens.
Adrenaline is not recommended in thyrotoxicosis and narrow-angle glaucoma. It may worsen the patient's condition.
Adrenaline should be used with extreme caution in patients with brain damage or brain disorders such as stroke due to the increased risk of worsening the patient's condition. Appropriate dose adjustments or replacement with a suitable alternative may be required in some cases based on the clinical condition of the patient.
Adrenaline will be administered into a muscle (intramuscular - IM) by the doctor or nurse. However, in emergency situations, the doctor may give you a diluted injection into a vein (intravenous - IV). Do not self-administer Adrenaline.
Adrenaline should not be given in areas like your fingers, ears, toes, nose, genital area, or buttocks, as these areas may not have poor blood circulation. If repeated doses are needed, the doctor will choose a different injection site.
Do not be given Adrenaline if the solution is discoloured and if you are allergic to any of its ingredients.
If you experience any difficulty in breathing, sudden wheeziness, swelling of the eyelids, face or lips, rash or itching (especially affecting your whole body), consult the doctor immediately.
The side effects of Adrenaline include blurred vision, headache, dizziness, mood or mental changes, difficulty in breathing, increased heart rate and increase in blood pressure. Consult the doctor if any of these side effects persist or worsen.
You should always replace your injectors before the expiration date to ensure they work reliably. However, in a life-threatening emergency, an expired injector is preferred over no treatment at all if it is the only one available. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to keep your prescriptions updated.
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