Despite widespread use, the efficacy of glucocorticosteroids in the treatment of anaphylaxis has not been established. Clear efficacy has been established for steroid pretreatment of radiocontrast media reactions. Glucocorticosteroids may also prevent sustained bronchospasm that could be a component of anaphylaxis, and they have been strongly advocated as mainstays of prevention of recurrent idiopathic anaphylaxis.

However, glucocorticosteroids that are administered acutely do not prevent mast cell mediator release. They do prevent tissue based late phase reactions by interfering with the recruitment and activation of eosinophils and neutrophils, neither of which appear to have significant roles in systemic anaphylaxis. The Stark and Sullivan report demonstrated that corticosteroids do not prevent protracted anaphylaxis. Finally, Khan and Yocum have reported that patients with idiopathic anaphylaxis who were treated prophylactically with high dose long-term corticosteroids and antihistamines had outcomes similar to those treated with antihistamines alone.

Intravenous glucagon may reverse the hypotension of patients who have been treated with b -blockers and are unresponsive to epinephrine.