AP is inhaled in a mist form through a special device called a nebulizer. AP only helps to prevent P. carinii infection in the lungs, not elsewhere. Desensitization helps a person slowly get used to a drug without developing an allergic reaction to it. The person takes the drug in small doses that are slowly increased until the person is taking the full dose of the drug. There are different desensitization methods, but all require about 6 or more days of treatment.
Some people develop only a mild allergic reaction.
Doctors sometimes use drugs called antihistamines to control this mild reaction. And some people do not have any allergic reaction at all. The symptoms of PCP are like those of a bad cold or the flu. Getting early treatment for PCP is important. If PCP is not treated, it can cause death.