Desensitization and drug habituation in HIV-positive subjects.

The frequency of allergic drug reactions is increased in HIV-infected patients and primarily, but not exclusively, concerns sulphonamides. Current data of the literature confirm that cotrimoxazole is the most effective and least expensive form of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia prophylaxis in HIV-positive patients, but is unfortunately also the least well tolerated drug. Slow and progressive reintroduction (or desensitization) can generally be performed and is effective in most (60 to 95 %) intolerant patients. It is performed over an interval of several hours to several weeks. Similar cases of intolerance to HIV reverse transcriptase inhibitor nucleosides and to HIV-specific protease inhibitors have occasionally been described and have sometimes been successfully treated by desensitization.