Table 3.

Drugs for treatment of PCP

Regimen	Dosage	Contraindications	Common adverse effects
TMP-SMS (Bactrim, Septra)	5 mg/kg of TMP every 8 hrs	hypersensitivity, megaloblastic anemia due to folate deficiency	skin reaction (mild rash to anaphylaxis), drug fever, bone marrow suppression, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, pancreatitis, nephritis, and hyperkalemia
Dapsone (Avlosulfon)	100 mg daily	hypersensitivity, G-6-PD deficiency	fever, rash, hemolytic anemia, nausea, vomiting, methemoglobinemia, hepatitis, aplastic anemia
Clindamycin (Cleocin)	900 mg IV q 8h	hypersensitivity, regional Enteritis, ulcerative colitis, Hepatic impairment, antibiotic associated colitis.	diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, rash, clostridium, difficile associated colitis
Atovaquone (Mepron)	750 mg PO BID	hypersensitivity	rash, GI intolerance, diarrhea, headache, fever, insomnia
Pentamidine Pentam-300	4 mg/kg/d IV/IM	hypersensitivity	nausea, cardiac arrthytmias, hyperkalemia, nephrotoxicity, hypo-hyperglycemia, hyper-hypo tension, Hepatic dysfunction, leucopenia, thrombocytopenia
Trimetrexate* (Neutrexin)	45 mg/m2 IV qd	hypersensitivity, severe myelosuppression	myelosuppression, increases in serum aminotransferase levels, anemia, fever, rash/pruritus, and increased alkaline phosphatase or serum creatinine levels
Primaquine	15–30 mg PO	hypersensitivity, G-6-PD deficiency	hemolytic anemia, methemoglobinemia, leucopenia, nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain

^*No longer available in the US.