Background: Hypersensitivity reactions to rifampin are relatively uncommon, but they may result in cessation of therapeutic medications.
Patients and methods: We report our experience with oral desensitization protocol to rifampin in a group of 35 HIV-positive patients with mycobacterial disease who had some hypersensitivity reaction to this drug.
Results: Adverse reactions with this protocol were few and easily treated.
Conclusions: Oral desensitization to rifampin is safe and effective, allowing some of these patients (60%) to reintroduce the drug and to reduce the time of treatment.