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Third day on Valcyte. So far so good.

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
No. No generic version. Part of why it is so expensive. I think about $1000-1500 a month without insurance.

Wow - I'm in the UK so unless I can get it on the NHS, I'll have to find the money myself. :cry:
 

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
Wow - I'm in the UK so unless I can get it on the NHS, I'll have to find the money myself. :cry:
Remember to have your doctor put "chronic HHV-6 (or CMV) infection" as the reason for the med, not ANYTHING about ME/CFS in there. ;)

If you can get some appropriate immune tests done and they show immune deficiency, you should be okay. Immune deficiency plus very high HHV-6 or CMV titres is certainly a reason to get Valcyte. They give it to other people with immune deficiencies (transplant patients, HIV patients) and high titres, so why not you? Yeah, I know this is the NHS, but still....
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
:eek: is right! Is there a generic version?
there are generics, apparently India have ignored the patent on valcyte so do make generics, this company http://www.universaldrugstore.com/medications/Valcyte+ sells the valcyte generic 100 tabs for $1050 which is the cheapest i have been able to find. hope this helps. this company requires scripts etc and initially identification proof etc too.All this can be a hassle at first but once through all the initial BS they are ok to deal with.
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
there are generics, apparently India have ignored the patent on valcyte so do make generics, this company http://www.universaldrugstore.com/medications/Valcyte+ sells the valcyte generic 100 tabs for $1050 which is the cheapest i have been able to find. hope this helps. this company requires scripts etc and initially identification proof etc too.All this can be a hassle at first but once through all the initial BS they are ok to deal with.

Is there any issue over whether the drugs are genuine?
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
Is there any issue over whether the drugs are genuine?
I personally havent bought valcyte from them but buy my neurontin through them and its a med that u feel working from the first dose and seems just the same as neurontin i have got locally only local stuff cost twice as much. Maybe email them and find out where they get their valcyte, it should be made in india if its a genuine genric, could be other countries make genric valcyte by now too. have to google around i guess.
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
just read produced in india and shipped from singapore and its cipla brand which is the company that makes the generic, so sounds good from that.
 

Jacque

Senior Member
Messages
424
Location
USA - California
Both of my family member who are in remission had ME/CFS for about 5-6 years, although both had mild cases for most of that time. My daughter was seriously ill for about a year before she started Valcyte. I wouldn't say pain was a major factor for either of them, but I know my daughter had muscle aches, but no severe pain.

Valcyte is incredibly expensive. I seem to recall that it cost about $50 per pill, so $150 per day. So for two of us taking Valcyte at the same time it was over $100,000 per year --- for two years. :eek: I would certainly apply for patient assistance if you're eligible. ;) Insurance may also cover it if the reason for treatment is given as CMV or HHV-6 infection.
I guess this is a rich persons disease...and I am not that... Have spent every dime on this jun k... To qualify for the eligibility of the patient assistance you cannot make over 100K so I should qualify... And I canceled my med insurance bc it was draining me and not paying for a damn thing.... I couldn't pay for my doctors and medical insurance too...how insane is that... I am just not able to work any more... so im stuck. I cannot believe how much you paid...YIKES....but at least it worked!! yay..... I am prayyying that the Valcytye helps with this intense spine/body pain...makin me nutty..
Did you get sicker at first on the Valcyte? Thx Jac
 

Jacque

Senior Member
Messages
424
Location
USA - California
So, I am at almost 2 weeks now. Extreme fatigue has subsided and I went back to work this week (part-time). I am getting incredibly bad headaches, though. I feel ok in the morning, but by early to mid afternoon my head feels like it's being stepped on by an elephant and I am dizzy and lightheaded. Takes 4 advil to even take the edge off. I am assuming this is because, as the day goes on, I am getting more and more tired. If it continues this bad, I may take another dose off but I am trying not to. Only have a week to go before dropping to a lower dose, so trying to tough it out. :)
Oh God NO...please tell me I am not gonna get MORE headaches....ahhhhhh I have so many migraines as it is... Hope you make it through!! How long have you been on it now?
 

vamah

Senior Member
Messages
593
Location
Washington , DC area
Oh God NO...please tell me I am not gonna get MORE headaches....ahhhhhh I have so many migraines as it is... Hope you make it through!! How long have you been on it now?

2 weeks today. I was pretty sick a few days after I started for about a week, but been getting better since then. As you can imagine, it is difficult to tell what is from the valcyte and what is just ME/CFS flare at this point. Guess that means I am close to back to my baseline, which is good. Hope you are able to qualify for assistance. I feel you on having to pay for doctors yourself because your insurance sucks. What virus(es) do you test positive for?
 

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
Oh God NO...please tell me I am not gonna get MORE headaches....ahhhhhh I have so many migraines as it is... Hope you make it through!! How long have you been on it now?

If it's any consolation, my daughter's migraines, which started with her ME/CFS, stopped after her Valcyte treatment. She had HHV-6, so maybe a neurological infection was causing the migraines...? She did the start slow and increase protocol that Dr Lerner, and now Dr Montoya uses, so she didn't get more headaches in the beginning.
 

Jacque

Senior Member
Messages
424
Location
USA - California
l
2 weeks today. I was pretty sick a few days after I started for about a week, but been getting better since then. As you can imagine, it is difficult to tell what is from the valcyte and what is just ME/CFS flare at this point. Guess that means I am close to back to my baseline, which is good. Hope you are able to qualify for assistance. I feel you on having to pay for doctors yourself because your insurance sucks. What virus(es) do you test positive for?
Tested positive for HHV6 EBV HSV1 n 2 with way low NK cells.... Just like all of you... Talked to Dr. K today about the Famvir vs the Valcyte and he said Famvir would run me about $900 a month ... and he said the Valcyte is the more powerful of the two...the sledgehammer. So applying for patient assistance today.
 
Messages
40
Dr. K was telling me that Valcyte was supposed to be going generic in the "near future" but didn't specify exactly when that would be.

The bad news about Valcyte going generic is that Genetech won't offer Patient Assistance for Valcyte any longer. Famciclovir, the generic form of Famvir is still VERY expensive for those of us who are uninsured.
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
The bad news about Valcyte going generic is that Genetech won't offer Patient Assistance for Valcyte any longer. Famciclovir, the generic form of Famvir is still VERY expensive for those of us who are uninsured.
do you know the price of the generic valcyte when it comes out in the states?
As for famvir i recently found an online pharmacy selling 500mg x90 for just over $200, i dont have any experience with this company though, but is the best price i have seen so far.
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
The Valcyte patent is set to expire in 2015. This article talks about a generic version being available in 2013 before the patent expires. I'm confused...

it will be interesting to see how much cheaper it will be. I think something else which will drop the price of valcyte is when cmx001 becomes available. AFter cheap valcyte i would like to see big pharma bring out a new cheap sleep med that works with no tolerance problems, that wont happen soon, lol.
 

cfsme23

Senior Member
Messages
129
Location
England
Thanks for the info re: Valycte generic. At least it's sooner rather than later, regardless of 2013 or 2015. Maybe there is some hope after all for us in the UK.
 

Jacque

Senior Member
Messages
424
Location
USA - California
The bad news about Valcyte going generic is that Genetech won't offer Patient Assistance for Valcyte any longer. Famciclovir, the generic form of Famvir is still VERY expensive for those of us who are uninsured.
I was on the phone today with Genentech and applying for the patient asst program so I guess it is still very much available ... altho no one can tell me what the stats of cancer were in the animals... why is that???