• HEALTH & RECOVERY
    Welcome Guest
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules Thread Directory 1 Thread Directory 2
    Mindfulness Links Addiction & Mind
    Sober Living Partner Program (SLiPP)
  • H&R Moderators: VerbalTruist | cdin | Lil'LinaptkSix

Hep C treatment: Harvoni

cj said:
Did anyone elses doctor tell them it's a one shot deal? Like if you relapse and get reinfected they won't ever treat you again? That's what my doctor told me. It's the excuse he gave me too withhold Harvoni until I'm 2 years sober from all drugs including maintenance! I think that's really fucked up.
Click to expand...


Not directly. However, in the class I had to take before i was able to have my meds explained that the reason behind this is because harvoni is such an expensive drug in the states. (98,000$). Which is such bullshit considering it costs like 20 cents to make in India. But the pretty much don't want to risk it.

But as for the side effects, I never really got any. However, I am about a year off and still negative, but I have anxiety over possible late term side effects. GOOGLE ISN'T YOUR FRIEND when it comes to that, lol. People have came out saying their loved ones were dead shortly after taking harvoni from aggressive tumors on the liver. That freaked me out, given that it is a "new" medicine, I almost feel like we are guinea pigs.

I was shocked mine went so smoothly.
I was on an 8 week treatment, and pretty bummed I didn't get 12 week. I also had a couple of nights that I drank while taking it (counter-productive and stupid) but all in all, I was fine and hepc free.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The tumor thing is very scary. I was only infected this year so I'll probably wait 5-10 years. Maybe the price will come down. And work out the kinks
 
cj said:
The tumor thing is very scary. I was only infected this year so I'll probably wait 5-10 years. Maybe the price will come down. And work out the kinks
Click to expand...



It is. Luckily from what I've read, it seems it's only happened among people who were infected for years (20+). I took care of mine within a year of being infected, my insurance almost didn't allow it because I wasn't "sick enough". Another lucky strike, there were several lawsuits against insurance companies doing this to people. So, I think that's how I landed the 8 week. I don't know if the price will ever go down, truthfully. Gilead is a major company and this is a life saving drug. They have no reason to go down. There is another drug that is up and coming also, I forgot what it is called. If you ever are up for it, you could look into doing the free trials.

****not to get all "soap box" but honestly, if it were me I wouldn't wait that long. You may not feel the effects of the virus, but it is still actively damaging your liver. Even myself already had mild scarring. (And that was from being infected for a year, possibly less). Your liver is nothing to fuck around with.
 
I'd wait. I am actually on Virpas, a generic of Harvoni, so the price is much lower....about 500 USD a box (28 pills). The price will go down. Where I live it isn't even available and is called a Section 21 drug (so your doc has to get the auth to import it) and I got the Virpas from an Indian company (Strides Shasun). But my Medical Aid is covering it 100%. I must say my doc is a real authority in Hepatology worldwide and that helped. I've had HepC for 20 years now. Only have level 2 fibrosis.
 
chemfast said:
I'd wait. I am actually on Virpas, a generic of Harvoni, so the price is much lower....about 500 USD a box (28 pills). The price will go down. Where I live it isn't even available and is called a Section 21 drug (so your doc has to get the auth to import it) and I got the Virpas from an Indian company (Strides Shasun). But my Medical Aid is covering it 100%. I must say my doc is a real authority in Hepatology worldwide and that helped. I've had HepC for 20 years now. Only have level 2 fibrosis.
Click to expand...


That's awesome. At one point, I thought i was going to have to fly to India to get my hands on harvoni. I'm actually not sure if there was a generic yet. (I mean in the states, Mylan had came out with theirs AFTER I began treatment.) I just read recently that Gilead is also putting a generic on the market, thankfully. I got lucky, insurance covered most. I would have had to pay 85$ a month, but I printed a coupon for 5$ a month. Worth it. ((I hope)) lol.
 
This is one of those drugs I completely understand the high price tag. Research and development costs must have been through the roof. The fact that it has almost no side effects (especially in comparison to interferon) and has a very high success rate
 
DoctorMolecule said:
This is one of those drugs I completely understand the high price tag. Research and development costs must have been through the roof. The fact that it has almost no side effects (especially in comparison to interferon) and has a very high success rate
Click to expand...

Mehhh...that's not an excuse to over charge 5000% imo.
Also, debatable about the side effects. Quick Google search of people's accounts and multiple petitions alongside class action suits will say otherwise, unfortunately.

But, that's expected with new drugs I suppose.
 
I think the government should step in and pay for universal treatment. It would be a small investment to rid the country of the disease completely. I'm sure the pharm company would negotiate the price for such a plan
 
cj said:
Did anyone elses doctor tell them it's a one shot deal? Like if you relapse and get reinfected they won't ever treat you again? That's what my doctor told me. It's the excuse he gave me too withhold Harvoni until I'm 2 years sober from all drugs including maintenance! I think that's really fucked up.
Click to expand...

I asked my sister this question since she recently finished the Harvoni regimen and it's cleared. Yes, her doctor told her the same thing. She had a friend who got the same treatment and he stayed clean but the hep c came back within a year. Unfortunately, he died shortly thereafter.

I had to go with a Sovaldi and Ribavirin combo because my genotype is 3 so I wasn't a candidate for Harvoni. I agree with Pearl boots and think you shouldn't wait too long. It will be such a relief to have this done and over with. <3
 
T. Calderone said:
I asked my sister this question since she recently finished the Harvoni regimen and it's cleared. Yes, her doctor told her the same thing. She had a friend who got the same treatment and he stayed clean but the hep c came back within a year. Unfortunately, he died shortly thereafter.

I had to go with a Sovaldi and Ribavirin combo because my genotype is 3 so I wasn't a candidate for Harvoni. I agree with Pearl boots and think you shouldn't wait too long. It will be such a relief to have this done and over with. <3
Click to expand...

What choice do I have? I'm not in any position to get off maintenance. I'm just going to wait and hope the policy changes
 
When I started the Harvoni (9th October, 2018 my HCV viral count was 489000 IU/mL. I've had it for 20 years. After 4 weeks of Harvoni, it is already undetectable. The side effects have however been rough.
 
chemfast said:
When I started the Harvoni (9th October, 2018 my HCV viral count was 489000 IU/mL. I've had it for 20 years. After 4 weeks of Harvoni, it is already undetectable. The side effects have however been rough.
Click to expand...
Really, what side effects did you experience?
 
Congratulations!!!

I'm still pissed I have to wait 2 more years before they will treat me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top