Generic Ribavirin: Lower Pricing for HCV Patients?

[Upbeat]

http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hep_c/news/2004/041404a.html

  Who knows might bring the cost down.
                                          Ron

[can-do-man]

We cross posted there you might want to repost what you just posted at the top where i opened you a new thread

[can-do-man]

HI girl, i opened a new thread with your info at the top today so some more knowledgeable might have some diff. info. After reading what i posted to you at 3am I wanted to make sure on the grade 3 as i was thinking stage 3. Just know one thing your gonna be fine.

[bodellen]

Sorry I had a little melt down yesturday and went night nght with my frieng klonapin...
he says I have 2 seperate disease processes going on and wants me to go to KU med for a 2nd opinion???

[can-do-man]

Hey girl, just caught your post. Well looks like you are early bridiging fibrosis grade 3. Which is not the best thing to be but its sure not the worse. I would say you do need to do treatment. Im sure your upset but try not to freak out here. Your far from being in the worst part. Alot of people here thats stage 3 or higher. Im at stage 4 which is cirrhosis and theres many like that here. Are you seeing a gi Doctor or a hepatologist? Being a geno 1 is the hardest to treat. But you have things in your favor, women clear this more then men, your age is young which is a big plus, and your viral load of only 8,000 is the lowest i've ever heard which is great. Treatment has also been know to reverse damage to the liver 1 or 2 stages  even if the tx. doesn't work. So please don't start thinking the worse. Also theres better drugs that are looking good and if all keeps working out theres a good chance that in 3 to 5 years things will be a whole lot easier. So whats your Doctor say? More test or any trials he wants you to do. Just please try not to think the worse, you got a whole lot of living to do. At my stage my doctor told be even if tx. don't work i'll be driving people crazy for a long time. I still feel good. just have fatigue and been a 4 for at least 3 years.

[bodellen]

t bili 1.5
d bili .6
viral load 8000
type 1a
mitrocondrial high end of norm
alpha 1 high end of norm
actin antibody 70 should be 0

so now what???

[bodellen]

well heres the bad news I dont understand
A. Clinical history of hep c
B.moderate-severe panlobular chronic hep with peicemeal necerosis
C. early bridiging fibrosis grade 3
D. bile duct distruction with associated granulomatous inflamation

dx of primary biliary cirrosis
protine 8.3
albumin 4.1
alt 171
ast 95
alk phos 156

[can-do-man]

hey girl, First your not a whiner, Second, you have nothing to be sorry for. No one here decided one day that we wanted HCV. WE got it and a whole lot of us haven't a clue how, when, or where. Don't much matter now. As for being scared about tomorrows Doctors appt. Thats normal to, I was scared too  knowing we would be discussing options. Sounds like you have a good guy for a hubby and a very smart caring little girl.

Third, and were really pushing the limit to my counting abilty here, You got a whole lot of living to do and you might not even need to tx at this time. Discuss everything with your Doctor. If treatment is needed its not the end of the world.

Keep coming here and don't think any question is dumb. And please keep a sense of humor. It really does help, plus it makes some of us not feel so alone. As for ducking skills tell your hubby to keep working on them. Im also married and have become quite good at it. Plus its harder hitting a moving target. As for 10 thousand comedians being out of work seems i've heard that many a times and i know a cheap shot when i see it. :) And yes please let us know what the Doctor says, because we ARE a nosey bunch of heppers here. Now chin up, smile and go get them kid. Were rooting for ya.

[bodellen]

Thank you
I am sorry for being such a whinnier..I really appreciate having this forum to validate my moments of insanity it was helpful to open up and accept the fact that I am angry and its OK I am not the only one who is mad because I am sick,,it just seemed so self centered and dumb,,I think tomorrows appt is worrying me this is when we discuss our options..I don't know if I am more scared that we will tx or that we might not...guess I will know soon enough ..
sorry about the body armor thing its not that bad according to my hubby mike although he admits ducking to be a good skill to come with..ha ha ..hes kidding..He tells me I have more heart and integrity than most men he knows..he is so sweet,,then he throws in the mega phone mouth disclaimer...10 thousand comedians out of work and he is gonna try to be funny..ha ha just kidding..he did however make me a name tag after reading your post..says its ok and he loves me no matter who I am today..tomorrow will be better..and I cant push him away he is here to stay..
My daughter name is Hailey we call her peewee she is 11 going on 20..she tries to fix me(wonder were she gets that)then she finds a way to be busy for awhile ,she plays xbox or takes the dog for a walk..(she is about to walk his 2 inch little legs off)we talk a lot so she knows and seems to understand better than I do I think..
as far as ins I am on medicaid in ks.for disability..and I have my shrink in place we been together a couple years now..he is a good guy..I don't talk about myself or feelings well so this should impress the heck out of him..ha ha
I will try to let you know what the doc says tomorrow..

[strator]

wMich- Not much I can tell you on the generic they gave me. Looked on bottle and paperwork it just says
150 IC Ribavarin, 200MG TABLET PAR,
below that...Copegus 200mG ROC
Their blue and seem smaller. Maybe when I refill my pegasys I can ask the pharmasist.

Bodellen- TOn the meds think it depends on the insurance coverage where it comes from. I pick mine up at the Stop & Shop pharmacy. When i first got the prescription the guy went ahead and ordered a bunch figuring I'd be on it a while. That was kinda comforting actually. It's so expensive I figured they'd only order when I ordered. First day I picked it up the woman hands em to me and says 'anything else?... I looked at the price sticker and said "armed guard maybe."

As far as the  caregiver stuff.. I think a lot of what we refer to as riba rage is just frustration that comes out as anger. When I was first diagnosed I would have bad bouts of it for all of the same reasons you talk about. I kinda felt just when I straightened my life around, now they were gonna have to take care of me again. A lot of it was the fatigue and stress, and fears of approaching tx. I was concerned about the mental aspects enough that I was fortunate to take 2 years to prepare. My doc sent me to a therapist and he really did put a lot of stuff in perspective for me. By the way the doc wrote referral so it was covered by insurance. Makes sense to give me extra help so I don't screw up and totally blow a gasket wasting everyone's time and money. I've got friends in recovery been through tx and so like here, I take all the help I can get. I put the emotional side of getting through this first, better to handle the physical then. For me I go to the chapel for an hour to meditate once a week also. Even just to sit there in the quiet.
I 'lose it' way more than before tx, but I told everyone around me frequently pre tx that they might see some hairy mood swings. Course it still bothers them and me, but if I do what I can for them when I can, and go off to nap or my room if possible if I'm getting too frustrated, I get through that DAY. Tomorrow I may feel great. If I have a real bad day I make sure I acknowledge to the poeple around me that I really wish I wouldn't explode and not to be afraid to send me on a Time Out. Keep a sense of humor going. I'm more than willing to joke with my family about my behaviour, still trying to be aware of how they feel. Let your family know how you feel so it doesn't just keep building up so they explode too. I set time aside a couple of nights just to play board games or watch the tube w/my kid. Even if I'd raged out earlier. The other night my kid said..."6 more months of this!!!" But we all laughed about it. Gettin through tx is a WE thing. Others will feel better if they're included rather than pushed out cause you feel guilty and frustrated. I been there. People like Kalio1 helped me realize that.
Good thoughts to you,
Don

[beamishboy]

Cajungurl-glad to know ya got the old man back to work......don't be suggesting any paranormal powers my way-heck if my head itches i scratch my butt lately.....never saw no Xmas in lafayette,just got friends there and i'm aching fer sum good gumbo...hope yr trx is going good&fast....
wMich-31 of 48??--ahhh man yu r doing soo good;glad to hear it's almost over!!!! oxymoron=me+anemia
Bo-you ain't the lone wolf there,but nows yur chance to be Queen for a day&a day&a day&a day........take a pill&chill

[can-do-man]

hey girl, a dumb question? On this board, Thats funny. You didn't even come close to asking the dumbest question on this board. To tell you the truth after some i've read here i don't think that would be possible.

Right now your going through the same thing i think we all have. From being scared to mad to why me and then the guilt trip. Trust me though it does level out. Then we just go crazy, at least for me i didn't have far to go. And yes i do have a card to prove im crazy and durn proud of it. As for being bullheaded, can't help you there but im sure your head don't look like no bull. And even if it does i've seen some pretty nice looking bulls in my day.

As for needing advice you say 'im your gal', that sounded good till i read that part of wearing full body armor, Think i'll pass. Thanks anyway. As for going nuts, well im sure by now you know im not the best person here to answer that one. Im glad you miss yourself and hope you find your way home. Might get a name tag and wear it around your neck though. Works for me. Serious though you'll be fine. Best of luck to you

[wMich]

strator, wondering if you could you post some more info on the company that is making that less expensive Ribavirin? I am being dispensed my third version of ribavirin in as many months. They started with Copegus, switched to Ribasphere after Copegus went "off patent" because of my insurance's co-pay caps on branded vs. generic drugs. I would have had to pay $280/mo to continue with Copegus. The latest one, simply called "Ribavirin" was sent to the pharmacy most recently because their computer found its MSRP to be a buck less than the Ribasphere and automatically ordered it.

friole,I pay a $35 cap on generics, same with branded UNLESS a generic is available, then its @20% of MSRP, thus the $280 for Copegus. All of these so far have listed an MSRP of at least $1,500 for a month supply.

Since I have decent (but confusing) health insurance the changes haven't affected my finances or ability to treat. It appears that many generic manufacturers are cashing in though, especially in light of the many people whose finances are seriously affected by drug costs. The term "health care" sometimes starts to look like an oxymoron.    - Lee in week 31/48

[bodellen]

HI to all
not exactley the same subject but close..why is everyone allways talking geting meds via mail??can you not just go to your local pharmacy and pick them up..or does it not work like that??Hope that is not a dumb question...
And while were on the subject of dumb questions is anyone else somewhere completley beyond pi##ed off because your sick or is it just the overwheleming feeling of guilt because of what you are about to your family through????I am so angry and I am not sure why or what to do with it....the one thing I do know is its not like me to be so hatefull or mean,I am the care taker I know how to support and fix everyone else...but how do I fix me...why am I so bullheaded that I can,t let someone take care of me how is it I can give it out so rationally and compassionatley , ask any of my friend or family if you have a problem or need advice I am your gal..but when it comes to me you better come in full body armor and duck..am I going nuts or am I practicing for the riba rages..when I look in the mirror I still see me but some of the **** that comes spewing out my mouth..any body know a good exerocist???ha! ha!  If anybody sees Ellen please send me home ,,,I miss me

[cajunlady]

STRATOR:
Thanks for the well wishes on my dad.  Actually, POP is going to be just fine.  I am sure by now he has even gotten rid of that nasty sore throat.  Everything was benign for him YIPEEEE. I too, was quite stunned that MS treatment has the same shot.  I even told my girlfriend, thats the shot I take with combination Riba. Things happen in mysterious ways; and help comes from all directions.  You and a Cop, huh:)

BEAMISHBOY:
  You have great Charma.  No sooner than I read your post regarding the hubby keeping his tools sharpened; he came in and told me he starts a new show on Monday, with tool rental.  He has been off work for two and a half weeks now. Let me clarify that I am not complaining about him being off work.  The man deserves every minute of every day he is off work; he works long hard hours and is well deserving.  Even if the budget does get tight sometimes, he is still deserving of the time off.  So, once again, THANK YOU FOR THAT GREAT CHARMA.(spelling?.
Another question beamish, have you ever been to the Christmas lighting in Lafayette at the Acadian Village.  My pop is the head volunteer electrician for the lighting.  He has done this since retirement for the Alleman Center there.

cajun

[can-do-man]

Heck if you had a thousand bucks you might be able to get Big chuck to wear it.

[strator]

Dude! If i had a thousand bucks I could pay somebody to wear the collar!

[can-do-man]

Wow that is a big difference, i had heard there was. Heck with that kind of saving you just might be able to get you a new collar. :)

[strator]

i just got switched to generic Riba by my insurance company. The monthly retail price on the script reads $389.69.
When I was getting the Copegus the retail price read $1387.69.
That's $2 shy of $1000 difference. Brand name was 9.25 pr pill. Generic is 2.59 pr pill. On the new paperwork it's just referred to as IC Ribavarin. Whopping difference huh?
Don

[friole]

Did you read that article?  Pretty much says the generics are no cheaper than the name brand because of the availability.  In fact, the Copeg by Roche comes in as the cheapest at $6.11 per pill -- whereas even the generics are $9.11 per pill (Rebotol is about $11 per pill).

So then, why is it, since I decided to continue with the Copeg instead of the generic, I am paying $45 per month for my copay  but would be paying $15 per month for my copay if I would accept the generic.  Something is wrong with this picture...