Valcyte Cutting Verdict

[Bdeep86]

Hey all,

I have my generic valcyte from Dr. Reddy's. I react quite poorly to most medications, I feel like I should start with a lower than standard dose of this. I am trying to gather whether it is safe to do so or if I need to just bite the bullet and take a whole one. Has this board reach a consensus. Just very nervous. Appreciate any help.

 

[Ema]

The general consensus is that it is safe to cut Valcyte and there may be benefits to not only starting with but carrying on at lower doses.

 

[Bdeep86]

Great thank you

 

[Bdeep86]

Do you think there could be any difference in the generic? just thought of that

 

[Bdeep86]

I had cut it in half and put it on my tongue before chickening out and now it almost feels like a burn and its tingling
sorta strange

 

[minkeygirl]

I cut mine I half with out a problem. I cut 5 then cleaned my pill splitter

I put them in Saran wrap and washed my hands after I handled them. After those 10 days, I upped to 450 mgs

I never had a problem, they didn't taste bad and now 3 weeks in I've had no major
Problems

I took it with juice.

 

[Bdeep86]

And you are using the generic?

 

[minkeygirl]

@Bdeep86 there are Some people here who have talked about taking a really low dose. Like 1/16.

I can't remember who it was. Maybe it'll come to me but hunt around.

I'll try to rememeber.

And why touch it to your tongue? Just swallow it.

 

[Bdeep86]

I put it in my mouth and then panicked and didn't take it, I seriously never respond to anything well.

 

[Daffodil]

i didnt know it was safe to cut it.....so the warnings are nothing to worry about?

 

[Bdeep86]

Yeah seems to be the case, I got the generic from Dr. Reddy's not sure if it makes a difference. I took it about 15 minutes ago, i'm not dead yet so i'll keep the thread posted.

 

[minkeygirl]

@Daffodil when you look at stuff about Valcyte it says not to cut it and warns about keeping it away from kids and pregnant women. Probably toxicity issues.

I am taking the generic from ADC. I have a reaction to avs. When I start too fast I have a lot of muscle cramping in my back.

I had very little with this.

@Bdeep86 what generic Do you have? I see an ID tomorrow.

 

[Sushi]

@Bdeep86 there are Some people here who have talked about taking a really low dose. Like 1/16.

Some are taking as low as 1/64th and finding benefit--not from its antiviral properties but from its other effects.

 

[Daffodil]

wow. very interesting! wonder what other effects it has

 

[minkeygirl]

I think it's an immune modulator.

I can't think if the name of the person doing it. Starts with an L I think.

Also I heard it is not water soluble so you can't crush it and put on water like other things.

 

[Bdeep86]

I'm using dr reddys wound up taking 2 halfs so a whole one today didn't feel anything.

 

[Misfit Toy]

@zzz is the person cutting it down to that dose. It may be someone else, also. 1/16 pf a pill. Contact zzz.

 

[zzz]

Also I heard it is not water soluble so you can't crush it and put on water like other things.

It is water soluble; the liquid form of Valcyte consists of Valcyte dissolved in water, with some preservatives added.

You can use water to dilute Valcyte to arbitrarily small doses. Preservatives aren't needed if you consume it within a reasonable amount of time - I would think that it would be plenty safe to store the unused portion for a month, refrigerated.

@zzz is the person cutting it down to that dose.

Yes, I started using low dose Valcyte myself and am in touch with a number of others who are doing the same.

The latest evidence seems to show that 1/64th of a tablet of Valcyte per day (7 mg) provides all of the benefits of a full dose with almost none of the risk. Doses don't even have to be daily; if negative side effects occur, spacing the doses out gets rid of them. The pharmacology behind this is all rather complex; I plan to cover it in detail in a separate thread.

Low dose Valcyte has two powerful beneficial effects: microglial anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory. Between the two of these, it appears that virtually all of the symptoms of ME/CFS can be addressed. In particular, the immunomodulatory effects of low dose Valcyte appear to be stronger than those of standard dose Valcyte, as with low dose Valcyte the negative pro-inflammatory negative side effects are far less than those of the standard dose Valcyte. These pro-inflammatory side effects interfere with Valcyte's benefits.

So to give a practical example, the low dose Valcyte regimen that I am currently taking has succeeded in eliminating a bacterial gut infection that antibiotics had only limited success against.

From this point of view, with low dose Valcyte, Famvir might not even be necessary. Famvir only has action against the virus, and requires cooperation from an immune system that happens to defective with us; such cooperation is not always forthcoming. Low dose Valcyte gets the immune system working properly, and should allow it to drive the virus into remission on its own.

As far as cutting the pill goes, there appears to be absolutely no reason not to do this. The only rationale for not cutting the pill seems to be that to get the full antiviral benefits of Valcyte, the full dose should be taken. This rationale does not apply to low dose Valcyte. Valcyte itself does not appear to be any more toxic than other pills. Dr. Montoya has told his patients that it is fine to cut the pills.

 

[Gingergrrl]

My doctor (not Montoya) has also said it is fine to cut the pills. Am not taking at present but when I start again in a few weeks I will be taking 1/64 or 1/32 of a pill. I bought a separate pill cutter for Valcyte so it never mixes with other pills I cut.

 

[Bdeep86]

@zzz your saying that low dose valcyte is effective in microglial inhibition? From what i gathered the therapeutic dose is 450mg twice daily. How many people have you seen this in?