Norepinephrine is a medication used to treat potentially life-threatening hypotension (low blood pressure). It is also used during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to increase blood flow throughout the body. According to Drugs.com, norepinephrine tightens the blood vessels, which elevates your blood pressure. Norepinephrine is available as an injection that is given as your doctor prescribes.
Common Side Effects
Norepinephrine may cause pain, swelling, redness and irritation at the injection site. These symptoms will typically disappear after two to three days. Inform your physician if these symptoms get worse or if you develop a fever, as this can be a sign of an infection. The National Library of Medicine says that norepinephrine may lead to extravasation ischemia, a condition in which the tissues surrounding the injection site do not receive enough blood flow. This can lead to tissue death.
Serious Side Effects
Drugs.com says that norepinephrine can cause such serious side effects as muscle pain, trouble breathing, numbness and tingling, and vomiting. Vomiting can cause your potassium levels to decline. This is medically known as hypokalemia. Eat potassium-rich vegetables like green spinach, and fruits such as bananas and apricots to increase your blood potassium levels.
Norepinephrine can also cause bradycardia (slow heartbeat), tachycardia (fast heartbeat) and an irregular heartbeat. Changes in your heart rate can can affect the amount of blood that goes to the rest of your body. Norepinephrine can also cause cyanosis (blue lips and fingernails) and infrequent urination. In some cases, this medication can cause a sudden headache, confusion, visual problems, unsteadiness, and numbness or tingling on one side of your body. These are all signs of a stroke, so call 911 if you experience any of these side effects.
Additional Concerns
Avoid norepinephrine if you are hypersensitive to it. You may develop trouble breathing, hives, and facial, lip or throat swelling. Inform your doctor whether you have hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland), asthma or hypertension (high blood pressure), as your doctor may have to adjust your norepinephrine dosage. Dosage adjustments may also be needed if you take antidepressants like amitriptyline, blood pressure medications, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) such as phenilzine or rasagiline.
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