Treatment of Anaphylaxis

Epinephrine is the drug of choice for treating an anaphylactic reaction. It works to reverse the symptoms and helps to prevent its progression.

Epinephrine is available by prescription in self-injectable devices (i.e., EpiPen®, Twinject®). It is important to administer epinephrine as soon as one detects the symptoms of anaphylaxis.

Antihistamines (such as Benadryl®) and steroids (such as prednisone) are often used to help the recovery of a person with an anaphylactic reaction. Antihistamines and asthma medications (such as albuterol) may be administered with epinephrine, but never instead of epinephrine during anaphylaxis, because they cannot reverse many of the symptoms of anaphylaxis.

3 R's for treating anaphylaxis

Recognize symptoms.
React quickly.
Review what happened and be sure to prevent it from reoccurring.

Steps for treating an anaphylactic reaction

If you suspect an anaphylactic reaction is occurring, don't lose precious time! As quickly as possible, do the following:

Follow your physician's instructions for treatment, and administer medication promptly.
Call Emergency Medical Services (or 911) and request an ambulance with epinephrine. Do not attempt to drive yourself to a medical facility. Get to a hospital as soon as possible and plan to stay at least four hours, in case symptoms return.