Epinephrine
EpiPenPubChem CID 5816 · 3D model
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Activates the body's fight-or-flight adrenaline receptors all at once, tightening blood vessels to raise dangerously low blood pressure, relaxing the airways to make breathing easier, and calming the swelling and itching of a severe allergic reaction, all within minutes of injection.
How it works
During a severe allergic reaction, blood vessels widen and leak fluid, blood pressure drops, and airway muscles tighten — a combination that can be life-threatening within minutes. Epinephrine works by switching on the same 'fight-or-flight' receptors your body uses during a sudden fright: it tightens blood vessels back up to bring blood pressure toward normal, relaxes the muscles around the airways so breathing gets easier, and calms the swelling, hives, and itching that come with the reaction. It acts fast but wears off quickly, which is why anyone who uses it still needs to go straight to an emergency room.
What it’s used for
EpiPen is used for the emergency treatment of severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) from things like insect stings, foods, medications, or other allergens, in people known to be at risk. There's no situation where it shouldn't be used in a true anaphylactic emergency, but because it works so powerfully on the heart and blood vessels, it should be used with care in people with existing heart disease. Anyone who uses an EpiPen still needs to go to the emergency room right away afterward, since the reaction can come back once the medicine wears off.
- Mechanism
- Non-selective alpha/beta-adrenergic agonist, reverses vasodilation and bronchospasm
- Drug class
- Small molecule
- Therapeutic area
- Emergency / Cardiovascular