(1) While you may not be at such an extreme stage, striving, failure and self - criticism lead to stress, which floods the blood with hormones epinephrine and cortisol.(2) In addition to their effects as neurotransmitters, norepinephrine and epinephrine can influence the rate of metabolism.(3) The pancreatic hormone exerts an opposing effect to that of glucagon and epinephrine .(4) And as the day goes on, your body makes less cortisol, less epinephrine .(5) This adrenaline rush is an effect caused by the adrenal glands in the body manufacturing epinephrine , cortisol, and norepinephrine.