the Valtrex costs . . .

hi - my doctor prescribes Valtrex to prevent outbreaks and transmission.

havent had a full OB in years. but do wonder about the later stages because i have had this for over thirty years.
presently the rx costs are more than what i can afford.  Is there a less expensive generic reality?

if so what would be the recommended dosage?

[waringblender]

Acyclovir costs about US $17 at Costco for a 3-month supply. Other pharmacies like Walgreen's also sell it really cheap. Use that instead. The only difference is you take it 2x a day instead of once daily. It works the same.

[waringblender]

Acyc suppressive dose is 400 mg 2x a day.

[gracefromHHP]

Also as a fyi - valtrex will be going generic in december of this year. It should be going down in price then so if you find that taking medication 2x/day is too hard to remember - check back with your pharmacist next january to see if the price has come down a lot more for you or not with valtrex.

If you've never read the herpes handbook at www.westoverheights.com - it's free and has all the medications and their doses listed there - bookmark it for easy reference!
grace

[waringblender]

What do you think it will cost once it's newly generic? It's already US $6, and even if they cut it in half, it's too expensive. At least for me. :)

[waringblender]

US $6 per pill I mean.

[gracefromHHP]

Usually the price goes down about 30% once it goes generic.  The real advantage is for folks who have insurance that have a flat rate for generic prescriptions  - right now valtrex is either on their no discount list or at a higher rate - for instance my own it's $30/month.  Once valtrex goes generic - for my own insurance it drops it down to a $10/month charge for me.  Because of the way I get a discount for using the mail in pharmacy - once valtrex is generic it will mean going from a $60 fee for a 3 month supply to a $20 fee which means I"ll save $160/year if I was on valtrex. Of course I'm an acyclovir girl so I'm only paying I think $60/year now total or something - might be less, I honestly don't pay attention since I don't have a choice.  I used to pay $136/month for my acyclovir back in the day - that was with my discount...lol.  

grace

[waringblender]

Right, I forgot about the generic discounts. I have health insurance that also has US $10 costs for all generics, so I forgot about that. It will be more convenient, it's true. :)