Different Treatments?

I was hoping for some information on supressive therapy.  I do not have insurance or much money but this is definately something I want to do.  I have been researching it but I feel a little overwhelmed.  I am pretty forgetful and my schedule is very inconsistant so fewer pills a day would be better.  That is the main reason I was looking at Vatrex or generic.  My main concerns are price, effectiveness, and side effects.  Has anybody know of any serious side effects for taking these anit-virals for a year?  I know it varies from person to person and it can be hard to gauge, but how much of a difference does the therapy treatment make in your life?  Also any tips for finding a good price?  I saw an excellent post on this site a few days ago about buying the medicines, but I am having problems finding it now.  Also if there is anything I am forgetting to ask or any other information would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks!

[olefezziwig]

Ive been taking acyclovir (generic for zovirax) for about a year now. my doctor said its the same drug as valtrex but with valtrex you can get away with taking it once a day.  I also dont have insurance and can not afford valtrex so thats why im taking this generic. I take 400mg acyclovir twice a day (which was very hard to get used to, but you have to!) and I get 180 pills (90 days) at Hy-Vee (grocery store) and Sam's club for $10. Other pharmacies charge upwards of $80 for just 30 days. Depending on the dose your dr determines, its usually cheaper to do 90 days supply vs 30. Also say your dr prescribes 400mg daily, you have the option of getting less 800mg pills and cutting them in half. Tweak your prescription to get the most for your money.

I heard within the past few weeks valtrex is now generic.  The generic form will still be quite expensive for the next few months until pharmacy's and insurances' can adopt it to their formularies. I dont think it would be an option for me for at least a year.

I havent experienced any side effects whatsoever with acyclovir so its been great. No outbreaks either. The hardest part for me is managing my stress level and not letting myself get too run-down.  If you dont keep yourself otherwise healthy (eat right, exercise, seriously!) then youre more likely to get outbreaks.

Hopefully this will help!

[gracefromHHP]

you can do daily suppressive therapy with acyclovir for under $20/month even without insurance. Look into your local pharmacies prescription plans to see if you can get it even cheaper yet thru them.

If you click on my journal here on medhelp there is an entry on "how should I treat my herpes" I believe it's called that might help you.

If you think you won't remember to take a pill 2x/day, set it next to your toothbrush so you remember.

grace