What happens during a catecholamine test?
A catecholamine test may be done in urine or blood. Urine testing is done more often because catecholamine blood levels can change quickly and may also be affected by the stress of testing.
But blood testing can be useful in helping to diagnose a pheochromocytoma tumor. If you have this tumor, certain substances will be released into the bloodstream.
For a catecholamine urine test, your health care provider will ask you to collect all urine during a 24-hour period. This is called a 24-hour urine sample test. For 24-hour urine sample test, your health care provider or a laboratory professional will give you a container to collect your urine and instructions on how to collect and store your samples. Test instructions usually include the following steps:
Empty your bladder in the morning and flush that urine away. Record the time.
For the next 24 hours, save all your urine passed in the container provided.
Store your urine container in the refrigerator or a cooler with ice.
Return the sample container to your health provider's office or the laboratory as instructed.
During a blood test, a health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. This usually takes less than five minutes.
