POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Questions About Treatment & Side Effects => Topic started by: TNDude on November 17, 2009, 11:48:17 pm
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So, you may have read my posts in the "living with HIV' section...but long story short, I was mistakenly dropped from my state's drug coverage plan (which now has a waiting list). My case mgr has "supposedly" been working to get me med (Atripla) assistance direct from the manufacturer. I have been nearly out of meds a few times, and been bailed out by a generous person who gave me a few pills. To get to my point and question...I took it upon myself to order Viraday from overseas. I didn't know what else to do. I just got it in the mail. Has anyone taken it? From everything I've read it is basically an Atripla knock off. I can't afford it monthly, however it is MUCH cheaper than Atripla. Is Viraday as potent as Atripla? I'm hoping it will hold me over until I can get assistance again. Anyone have an ideas/thoughts on this drug from India?
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Viraday is made by Cipla in India and there's really no reason to believe it's not as good as Atripla. It's used extensively in Asia with the same results as Atripla in the west.
Good luck getting your regular meds source sorted out. I really feel for you. :-\
Hugs,
Ann
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Thanks Ann.
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I second what Ann says. Cipla is a very reputable manufacturer of generic drugs.
Approval for generics requires proof of equivalence in bioavailability of the component drugs before a license is granted, perhaps importantly because the US Gvmt may pay for them for developing countries and demands proof of equivalence. - matt
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I am living in Thailand and Viraday is offered through the major international hospitals here - my doc says its equivalent to Atripal, produced by, as Ann says, reputable / approved by US FDA manufacturer, Cipla, in India. I'll be starting on Viraday next month, by the way - Atripla isn't (yet??) available here in Thailand but they are working on getting it - I can take either Sustiva / Truvada or Viraday (to get that regimen) and will go for the one-a-day Viraday. Good luck. esper
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Just an update...I've been on Viraday for over a week now while waiting for Atripla assistance to go through. I don't notice much of a difference, which is good! I seem to have had a few more vivid dreams lately but there's probably no sense in reading into that. Hopefully it is doing all the good that Atripla was doing for me! I go in for labs in a few weeks.
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Hi TN, I'm really glad your Viraday arrived and I'm glad to hear you're not seeing much of a difference. I have to wonder if the increased vividness of your dreams isn't down to the stress you've been under while worrying where your meds are going to come from, or worrying if the Viraday was going to work the same. I know my bf (on the same combo) notices an increase in those sort of dreams when he's stressed out about something. It sucks because not getting good night's sleep when you're stressed sure doesn't help matters much. :-\
I'm looking forward to hear what your labs are like. Thanks for keeping us posted!
Ann
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Hi TN, thanks for the update and glad you're doing well on the Viraday.....and particularly happy to get your report since I will be starting on Viraday in a week, after I get my genotypic test results back. sounds like side effects essentially the same, and sure the hiv-control impacts are the same, its a good bit of comfort. I do hope your atripla assistance issue works out fine fine for you, and look forward to see your next test results, do keep us posted. all the best. esper
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hey there!
for those of you who are underinsured or whose adap have been on hold just like myself...
so i have been on viraday for four months now because it s much cheaper than atripla... i buy my 30-day supply of viraday from inhousepharmacy.com for $160...
my first lab tests since i went on viraday are back... well some of them are done, but here goes... my viral load went down from 724 last may 2010 to.... UNDETECTABLE!!! i can't believe this but i am happy and want others to know this is a real alternative if you should need it...
still waiting for my cd4's, but just am really eager to share the news with you guys...
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Congratulations and thanks so much for posting this!!!
I am thrilled to know that there is such an "affordable" substitute for Atripla. I just looked at http://www.inhousepharmacy.com/hiv/viraday.html (http://www.inhousepharmacy.com/hiv/viraday.html) and am amazed at the price difference. Some of my self-induced stress is related to worrying about what I would do if I lost my medical access. $450 for a 90 day supply? That's $1800/year!
According to the site, it's the same ingredients???
Please keep the news of how it's working for you coming and good luck!
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According to the site, it's the same ingredients???
Yup, same components. And, as can be seen from Joey's experience, there is nothing to fear about its efficacy.
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I love these forums!!!!
One of the toughest things for me to adapt to has been a dependence on available medical care and feeling like I could never move from where I currently live because it might impact my ability to get treatment/meds that are so remarkably expensive.
I can swing $2K/year which makes me "potentially mobile" again!!!! ;D
I love you people!!!! Soooooo much!
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I can swing $2K/year which makes me "potentially mobile" again!!!! ;D
Not to burst your bubble but there are also lab costs. Although I know what you mean, it is liberating to know that in a pinch there's always Viraday.
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hey guys
so as you can see below, with viraday for four months now, my cd4 went up from 130 to 188 now... that's even more proof that viraday works just as well as atripla does!
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hey guys
so as you can see below, with viraday for four months now, my cd4 went up from 130 to 188 now... that's even more proof that viraday works just as well as atripla does!
And your undetectable !! That's GREAT !
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And your undetectable !!
exactly!
with the way cd4s counts can vary throughout the day, and how there is no indication of whether a people's cd4s can ever recover very much, the mark of efficacy of HIV meds is whether they reduce your viral load, not what they might contribute to the recovery of your immune system. All HIV meds do is interrupt the hiv life cycle, your immune system basically recovers on it's own after that threat is removed.
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you have to understand... four months ago, my cd4's were at 60... so even though 188 is still quite low, i will take it over 60 on any given day!!!
cheers!
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I read with interest Esper's comment about buying Viraday in Bangkok. I am hoping Esper, or someone else, will describe what the process is, where to go, and how much it costs, and if you can get a years supply in one purchase.
Many thanks.
Rob
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go through inhousepharmacy.com... you can buy a three-month supply in one purchase... i would advise against buying a year's supply from overseas because with the way US customs work, the guys there might get too curious and this can result in further delays of delivery...
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TNDude where did u buy the Viraday from? Online site or?
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Hi all... I've been on Viraday for almost a year now, and I'm very happy. I was scared at first, but my numbers have proven that I didn't need to be.
Going on Viraday coincided with me getting back into the work force, so my numbers could be indicative of several factors including a more positive self-worth (which does affect your counts, believe it or not!).
Before Viraday, I had been on Atripla for 3 years. Upon diagnosis I was down to 42 CD4+ and jumped to over 600 the first month on Atripla. Then my numbers stabilized around 300. I was undetectable within 2 months.
But I was unemployed and on assistance and ADAP paid for my Atripla. Then when I went back to work, I was making too much to qualify for ADAP in my state, and my insurance through my provider is total crap, so I had to find an alternative.
I buy my Viraday through ADO (AIDS Drugs Online) at http://www.aids-drugs-online.com/Generic-HIV-Medicine/VIRADAY-300.php. There I get a 90-day supply for around $450. My "co-pay" through my insurance for Atripla runs $1,750 per month, so I'm very happy with the cost savings by buying generic!
But then there's the numbers. After staying around 300 CD4+ for almost 3 years on Atripla, my CD4+ has risen and stayed at around 600 on Viraday. I actually think that it works better than the name brand!
On the down side, you definitely have to plan ahead. It's not like Atripla where you can just pick it up at the pharmacy with your prescription. I usually have to plan and order 3-4 weeks ahead of time, which requires coordination with my doctor, but my new doctor has been great and very accommodating to this schedule. ADO does require a valid prescription (unlike some sites out there). Just be sure that your doctor doesn't check the box that it cannot be substituted with a generic medication. This is important!
Of course I don't get any reimbursements for the medication. My crappy "insurance" doesn't cover it, of course. I can't legally deduct it as a medical expense on my taxes because Viraday hasn't been approved as an import to the U.S. But, all-in-all, it's worth it!
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I buy my Viraday through ADO (AIDS Drugs Online) at http://www.aids-drugs-online.com/Generic-HIV-Medicine/VIRADAY-300.php. There I get a 90-day supply for around $450. My "co-pay" through my insurance for Atripla runs $1,750 per month, so I'm very happy with the cost savings by buying generic!
Someone else was just saying they had problems with AIDS Drugs Online:
http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=36026.msg480493#msg480493
I guess you have not had any issues ordering through them?
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Hi all... I've been on Viraday for almost a year now, and I'm very happy. I was scared at first, but my numbers have proven that I didn't need to be.
Going on Viraday coincided with me getting back into the work force, so my numbers could be indicative of several factors including a more positive self-worth (which does affect your counts, believe it or not!).
Before Viraday, I had been on Atripla for 3 years. Upon diagnosis I was down to 42 CD4+ and jumped to over 600 the first month on Atripla. Then my numbers stabilized around 300. I was undetectable within 2 months.
But I was unemployed and on assistance and ADAP paid for my Atripla. Then when I went back to work, I was making too much to qualify for ADAP in my state, and my insurance through my provider is total crap, so I had to find an alternative.
I buy my Viraday through ADO (AIDS Drugs Online) at http://www.aids-drugs-online.com/Generic-HIV-Medicine/VIRADAY-300.php. There I get a 90-day supply for around $450. My "co-pay" through my insurance for Atripla runs $1,750 per month, so I'm very happy with the cost savings by buying generic!
But then there's the numbers. After staying around 300 CD4+ for almost 3 years on Atripla, my CD4+ has risen and stayed at around 600 on Viraday. I actually think that it works better than the name brand!
On the down side, you definitely have to plan ahead. It's not like Atripla where you can just pick it up at the pharmacy with your prescription. I usually have to plan and order 3-4 weeks ahead of time, which requires coordination with my doctor, but my new doctor has been great and very accommodating to this schedule. ADO does require a valid prescription (unlike some sites out there). Just be sure that your doctor doesn't check the box that it cannot be substituted with a generic medication. This is important!
Of course I don't get any reimbursements for the medication. My crappy "insurance" doesn't cover it, of course. I can't legally deduct it as a medical expense on my taxes because Viraday hasn't been approved as an import to the U.S. But, all-in-all, it's worth it!
Jascoto, is this mail you posted is for today? June 17, 2011. The thread is an old one and I need to make sure that this is most current. TKS