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Studies in the mid-twentieth century have indicated that adrenochrome is metabolized as one of two other substances, dihydroxyindole or adrenolutin . Dihydroxyindole may balance the anxiety and depression effects of adrenaline to reduce tension and irritability. Defective processing of adrenochrome, however, primarily produces the toxic adrenolutin instead, which combines with adrenochrome. The adrenochrome-adrenolutin combination is hypothesized by Dr. Abram Hoffer and Humphrey Osmond to result in disruption of the brain's normal chemical processes. This disruption, according to their theory, would be responsible for the symptomology of schizophrenia.

An adrenochrome solution would likely be synthesized by a process involving suspension of adrenochrome in an aqueous solution (likely water to suspend and trace HCl to dissolve). Silver oxide or catechol oxidase would be added for the requisite oxidation process, and the solution filtered to remove the adrenochrome. It is not, of course, recommended that this be tried at home.

To be used as a recreational drug, it would be likely that a variant called adrenochrome semicarbazone would be used, delivered by alcohol, fat, or (vegetable) oil to aid in absorption due to poor solubility in water. Adrenochrome semicarbazone reputedly produces less negative side-effects (to include the mitigation of the schizophrenic symptomology), and more desirable effects. Adrenochrome semicarbazone has a systemic hemostatic effect, preventing or reducing capillary bleeding.

Adrenochrome is also a Pascal based programming language, attributing its name as an homage to both Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as well as the song Teachers/Adrenochrome by The Sisters of Mercy.