Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of pheochromocytomas often include:

• High blood pressure
• Headache
• Heavy sweating
• Rapid heartbeat
• Tremors
• Paleness in the face
• Shortness of breath
• Panic attack-type symptoms

Less common signs or symptoms may include:

• Anxiety or sense of doom
• Constipation
• Weight loss

Symptomatic spells

The symptoms listed above may be constant, or they may occur, or get stronger, occasionally. Certain activities or conditions can make symptoms worse, such as:

• Physical exertion
• Anxiety or stress
• Changes in body position
• Labor and delivery
• Surgery and anesthesia

Foods high in tyramine, a substance that affects blood pressure, also can make symptoms worse. Tyramine is common in foods that are fermented, aged, pickled, cured, overripe or spoiled. These foods include:

• Some cheeses
• Some beers and wines
• Chocolate
• Dried or smoked meats

Certain medications that can make symptoms worse include:

• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), such as phenelzine (Nardil), tranylcypromine (Parnate) and isocarboxazid (Marplan)
• Stimulants, such as amphetamines or cocaine

When to see a doctor

Although high blood pressure is a primary sign of a pheochromocytoma, most people who have high blood pressure don't have an adrenal tumor. Talk to your doctor if any of the following factors are applicable to you:

• Difficulty controlling high blood pressure with current treatment
• Episodic worsening of high blood pressure
• A family history of pheochromocytoma
• A family history of a related genetic disorder: multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 2 (MEN 2); von Hippel-Lindau disease; familial paraganglioma or neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1)