Quick Facts
- Sample: Urine (24-hour collection)
- Fasting: No fasting required. It is preferable to avoid medications, tobacco, tea, and coffee for 3 days before collection when possible. Certain medications may require shorter-term avoidance; consult your physician before stopping any medication.
- Turnaround: 3-6 days (may take longer due to weather, holidays, or lab delays)
What This Test Measures
This test measures two catecholamine metabolites in your urine over a 24-hour period: metanephrine and normetanephrine. These are the breakdown products created when your adrenal glands release catecholamine hormones, particularly during your body's fight-or-flight response.
Because metanephrine and normetanephrine are metabolites rather than the parent catecholamine hormones themselves, this test reflects how much catecholamine your body has broken down over the collection period, not a real-time hormone level. Results are reported for both metabolites individually, giving your healthcare provider a fractionated view of your catecholamine metabolism over the full 24 hours.
Benefits
- Captures catecholamine metabolite output over a full 24-hour period
- Reports metanephrine and normetanephrine as separate, fractionated results
- Convenient at-home urine collection process
- No risk involved in specimen collection
- Provides information you can review with your healthcare provider
Who Is This Test For?
- People who, with their healthcare provider, have decided screening is appropriate
- People with symptoms possibly linked to catecholamine production
- People experiencing high blood pressure or headaches discussed with a provider
- People experiencing sweating, tremors, or heart palpitations discussed with a provider
- People whose provider wants to evaluate possible catecholamine-related conditions
How It Works
- Order Your Test Online
- Visit a Local Lab
- Get Results Online
FAQ
1. What is the purpose of this hormone test?
This test measures metanephrine and normetanephrine, two metabolites produced when your body breaks down catecholamine hormones, in a 24-hour urine sample. It may help your healthcare provider evaluate whether your body is producing excess catecholamines, which can occur with rare adrenal gland tumors. This test does not measure catecholamine hormones directly, and it does not diagnose a condition on its own.
2. Who would benefit from this test, and when should I order it?
This test may be appropriate for people who, after discussion with their healthcare provider, have decided that screening for catecholamine-related conditions is warranted. It may also be considered by people experiencing signs such as high blood pressure, headaches, sweating, tremors, heart palpitations, trouble breathing, or paleness, when these symptoms have been discussed with a provider first. This test does not replace a full medical evaluation, so any decision to order it should follow that discussion rather than come before it.
3. How does this test differ from other hormone tests?
Rather than measuring catecholamine hormones directly, this test captures their metabolites, metanephrine and normetanephrine. Because it reports levels accumulated over a full 24-hour collection rather than a single measurement, it reflects overall catecholamine breakdown over time instead of a real-time hormone level. It should not be treated as interchangeable with tests that measure catecholamines directly.
4. Do I need to fast before this test?
No fasting is required for this test. However, it is preferable to be off medications for three days prior to collection, and you should avoid tobacco, tea, and coffee for three days before your collection begins.
5. How quickly will I get results?
Results are typically available in 3-6 days. Turnaround may take longer depending on weather, holidays, or other lab delays.
6. How do I interpret my results?
Interpreting metanephrine and normetanephrine results depends on your individual symptoms, medical history, medications, and other laboratory findings. Because these are metabolite measurements, your provider may consider them alongside other catecholamine-related information rather than in isolation. An abnormal result does not automatically confirm a catecholamine-related condition, and a normal result does not automatically rule one out.
Disclaimer: Reference ranges may vary by laboratory. Listed ranges are general guidelines and may differ from those used by the performing lab. Always consult your healthcare provider for interpretation.
7. What should I do if my results are abnormal?
Bring your results to a qualified healthcare provider for review rather than interpreting or acting on them on your own. They can help determine what the result means in the context of your symptoms and history, and whether additional evaluation is appropriate.
8. How often should I get tested?
Testing frequency should be determined by your healthcare provider based on your individual health history and symptoms. There is no set schedule for repeat testing, so follow your provider's recommendations for any follow-up screening.
Pre test preparation
You must take your lab order to the lab to obtain a proper specimen container before collection. It is preferable for the patient to be off medications for three days prior to collection. Patient should avoid tobacco, tea, coffee for three days prior to specimen collection. Common antihypertensives (diuretics, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, alpha, and beta-blockers) cause minimal or no interference. Medications that are alpha agonists (Aldomet), alpha-blockers (Dibenzyline) should be avoided 18-24 hours prior to specimen collection. Check with physician before stopping medications.
Do not stop prescribed medication unless instructed by your healthcare provider.
