Coping with… phaeochromocytoma
These rare tumours secrete hormones that affect us
These tumours occur in the inner part of the adrenal glands, small organs above each kidney, which make the fight-or-flight reaction hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline.
Phaeochromocytomas can make excessive amounts of these hormones, causing symptoms of sweating, tremor, headaches, nausea, anxiety, pain, weight loss and high blood pressure.
Symptoms may occur as specific attacks, often lasting from 15 minutes to an hour, and becoming more frequent, leaving you tired and weak. Occurring at any age – commonly between 30 and 60 – and in both sexes, most phaeochromocytomas don’t spread, but around one in 10 do to the lymph
