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Hep C Discussion Forum -> On Treatment -> Is Ribavirin pill varies in shape??? What shape is yours?
Post Info TOPIC: Is Ribavirin pill varies in shape??? What shape is yours?
peanutbutter


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RE: Is Ribavirin pill varies in shape??? What shape is yours?
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davesf wrote:

Mine are Ribasphere by Three Rivers Pharmaceuticals.  They are blue.  I wouldn't call them ovals; maybe cylinders with rounded tips.

 Those are what mine were.



__________________

Diagnosed in 2008. Geno 1a. 6 month treatment of Incivek. UND at 4 weeks, and have remained that way as of 2 months POST treatment.
Margo


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LadyAlaise wrote:

My pill bottle says:
(ZyGenerics)
IC RIBAVIRIN
Tablets
200mg
[This is a PINK, ROUND-shaped TABLET imprinted with ZC19 on the front]
--
MFR: ZYDUS PHARMECEU

Yep, thats what I got this time. Thanks, I do feel more comfortable now.

__________________

Geno 1b, relapsed in 2009 a week before my treatment was to be over. Started triple therapy on April 28th, 2012. UND at week 4,8,12,24,3 months post tx.
LadyAlaise


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My pill bottle says:
(ZyGenerics)
IC RIBAVIRIN
Tablets
200mg
[This is a PINK, ROUND-shaped TABLET imprinted with ZC19 on the front]
--
MFR: ZYDUS PHARMECEU


__________________

Genotype 1A, Genotype (from parents) CC, Viral Load=7,514,000 (as of 12/6/11) Started Triple Therapy TX: 12/17/2011.UND @ 4-48 Wks Taken Off Incivek @ 6 wks due to Rash Response. Finished TX 11/17/12. SVR year 1
Margo


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LadyAlaise wrote:

Mine too are small round and pink pills
I take 3 in morning and 3 at night.
Although today my liver doc said that the dosage amount is based on patients wieght; when I started tx I was about 200 lbs, today I am 166-167lbs. He told me to reduce my dose by 1 pill :)

Thanks for clarifying Renee! I read that a few people take 3 pills twice a day, I only take 2 twice a day. That post made me run downstairs and check the bottle 100's time;))

__________________

Geno 1b, relapsed in 2009 a week before my treatment was to be over. Started triple therapy on April 28th, 2012. UND at week 4,8,12,24,3 months post tx.
LadyAlaise


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Mine too are small round and pink pills
I take 3 in morning and 3 at night.
Although today my liver doc said that the dosage amount is based on patients wieght; when I started tx I was about 200 lbs, today I am 166-167lbs. He told me to reduce my dose by 1 pill :)



__________________

Genotype 1A, Genotype (from parents) CC, Viral Load=7,514,000 (as of 12/6/11) Started Triple Therapy TX: 12/17/2011.UND @ 4-48 Wks Taken Off Incivek @ 6 wks due to Rash Response. Finished TX 11/17/12. SVR year 1
davesf


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Ribavirin has been off patent and available generically since 2004 in the U.S. 

Ribavirin is an antiviral drug that was originally discovered in 1970 by ICN Pharmaceutical.  ICN licensed ribavirin to the two main companies marketing interferonfirst Schering-Plough, which markets ribavirin as Rebetol and later Roche, which markets ribavirin as Copegus.

http://hepcproject.typepad.com/hep_c_project/2004/04/generic_ribavir.html

So if you are not taking Rebetol or Copegus you are taking a "generic." 

Some generic brands some of you might be taking: Ribasphere, Ribapak, Vilona and Virazole.

I take Ribasphere.



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All Done Poisoning the Dragon that Used to Poison Me

Genotype 1b  Incivek Combo
Margo


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Thanks guys, I feel better now. I gave hell on earth to the pharmacist this morning:) I just hate when they mess with the medicines like that, it's a strong pill not antibiotic that can be generic.

__________________

Geno 1b, relapsed in 2009 a week before my treatment was to be over. Started triple therapy on April 28th, 2012. UND at week 4,8,12,24,3 months post tx.
mallani


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I take Copegus ( Roche), oval pink caplet with Rib 200 on one side, Roche on the other. 3 at 7am, 3 at 7pm.



-- Edited by mallani on Wednesday 27th of June 2012 07:25:46 AM

__________________

Geno 1b, IL28B CT,  x3 prior relapser,  ex-cirrhotic, 75 yo, did 48 weeks with Victrelis/Peg./Riba.  VL 1.28m at start, UNDET. at 8 ,12 ,16 ,24 ,30  and 48 weeks.  EOT 15 Feb 2013 , UNDET. at EOT + 28 weeks. SVR!  Still Undet. at EOT +5 years

Malcolm
davesf


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Mine are Ribasphere by Three Rivers Pharmaceuticals.  They are blue.  I wouldn't call them ovals; maybe cylinders with rounded tips.



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All Done Poisoning the Dragon that Used to Poison Me

Genotype 1b  Incivek Combo
nohcvforme


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I started on Ribapak 1000 (one 600 cap in the AM and one 400 in the PM), then received pink ovals (200 each, so 3 in AM, 2 in PM), and now pink round tablets (same dosage as ones before). Pegasys the whole time.

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krowdog


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I don't know what my riba looked like!

My riba was pre-dissolved and dispensed in a 1200 ml oral syringe (like the ones you give medicine to young children in).  I would get 1 package of 7 syringes each week.

I know this sounds weird, but it worked like this:

My hepatologist (with Southwest Medical Associates, here in 'Vegas) referred the medication dispensing  to Walgreen's Infusion Services.  They also handle pain pumps, Chemo med dispensing, etc.

After my first orientation visit and general health and mental eval to the Infusion Services, I would go in once a week.  At that time, they would check vitals, dispense 1 week of ribavirin filled oral syringes, Incivek, and give me my interferon shot.  Once a month they would draw blood. After 3 months they allowed me to do my own weekly shot, so I only had to come in once a month. (I had to talk them into that)

They handle quite a few people on HepC TX, plus HIV, cancer, and others.

The NP said they make enough off these specialty drugs to do this at no charge.

All in all, it seems like a good  way to set up TX.

Brad

 



-- Edited by krowdog on Wednesday 27th of June 2012 06:28:07 AM

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(Geno 1a, Incivek Triple Tx, 6 month post TX - 9/20/2012 = SVR!!!)
hrsetrdr


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My Ribavirin is the white capsule; I'm too lazy to go look at the pill container to see if it's generic or not.

A generic medication HAS TO be equal in quality to the "branded" med.  

   The reason that branded meds are more expensive than the generics has everything to do with the cost of marketing, advirtising, etc.



__________________

"hrsetrdr"=Tim

Treatment halted on Aug.8,2012 due to vision problem.  6 month post tx labs

Aug.2013 SVR

Be strong when you are weak, brave when you are scared, and humble when you are victorious.
- Unknown

 

 
greenqueen


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Hi Bauhaus.

The link refers to the Riba on page 12, along with the different prices etc..

You have an opinion on the generic versions and don't want them, which is fine, but an opinion is different to a fact.

Good luck with getting the one's you want smile

Love Steff xx



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Geno 3a. 24 wks tx 20/10/05 - 06/04/06. Achieved SVR.
greenqueen


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Hi Bauhaus,

It's true that we should respect different opinions, but here we have a situation where people are worried about being given generic Riba and thinking that it's going to effect their chances of SVR. Yes, it's about money, because the major pharma companies have the monopoly of the market until their patent runs out and this allows other companies to produce the same meds  at a more competative price. I'm sure you know this though.

We're discussing Riba here, not Interferon - The 2 Interferons vary very slightly, hence Alpha 2a and Alpha 2b. Riba is the same compound whatever you call it.They all have to be FDA approved, so it's not some dodgy outfit on the internet supplying them.

Here are just a couple of links relating to generic drigs, one of them from HCV Advocate

http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/factsheets_pdf/RX_costs.pdf

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=46204

Love Steff xx

 

 

 



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Geno 3a. 24 wks tx 20/10/05 - 06/04/06. Achieved SVR.
bauhaus76


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greenqueen wrote:

Hi Everyone,

There shoudn't be any difference in the quality of generics!

http://www.consumerreports.org/health/resources/pdf/best-buy-drugs/BBD_Hepatitis_C.pdf

"Generics are much less expensive than newer brand-name medicines but theyre not lesser quality drugs.

Indeed, most generics remain useful medicines even many years after first being marketed. Thats why more

than 60 percent of all prescriptions in the U.S. today are written for generics."

Love Steff xx

 i just dont buy it...there are also many other investigations proving the contrary...its al about the price..the base ingridient is mostly the same but the rest of the componets making the meds al together are diferent. people are hostage of the price,i ask my DOC what would she chose for her self...she laugh...i know enough.deeper research about peg interferons should prove that pegassys (alpha 2a) most likely to give a higher SVR than peg intron (alpha 2b),and have in mind that most of research made on meds are not independent but sponsord by pharmaceutical companys trying to sell their stuff!!! on my country we also have this culture of giving generics at first..but the patiente is ALWAYS free to ask for the BRAND. after al if we pay insurance every month should not be our problem how mutch this stuff costs! but....respect !we al have diferent opinions!!



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hep c 1a on triple therapy with incivek UND at week 12 ,week 24...going for 48 weeks.
greenqueen


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Hi Everyone,

There shoudn't be any difference in the quality of generics!

http://www.consumerreports.org/health/resources/pdf/best-buy-drugs/BBD_Hepatitis_C.pdf

"Generics are much less expensive than newer brand-name medicines but they’re not lesser quality drugs.

Indeed, most generics remain useful medicines even many years after first being marketed. That’s why more

than 60 percent of all prescriptions in the U.S. today are written for generics."

Love Steff xx



__________________
Geno 3a. 24 wks tx 20/10/05 - 06/04/06. Achieved SVR.
AlexNY


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Mine was oval blue (600 mg), now its gray round shape 200 mgs. But i think i already told you ;)



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I'm Alex. Diagnosed with hep c 12 years ago. Genotype 1a. Started tx on 1/31/12 Ironically, I'm an RN. VL 15.9 (!) mil.  Wk 5, 8, 12, 16, 20 - all UND :)
Margo


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12Step Guy wrote:

Mine are round pink and have ZC19 stamped on them

That's what I got this time.

__________________

Geno 1b, relapsed in 2009 a week before my treatment was to be over. Started triple therapy on April 28th, 2012. UND at week 4,8,12,24,3 months post tx.
12Step Guy


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Mine are round pink and have ZC19 stamped on them



__________________

Genotype 1a, IL 28 = CT  Interferon and riba 48 wks in 99, Daily Peg and Riba 18 months in 2007, Started Incivek, Peg, Riba 6/21/12. 4th stage cirrhosis. Last Dart will be May 23 2013.
Shep


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Rats! Don't like it when they just send generics--my Riba has always been the little blue ovals.

__________________

Diagnosed 1996 genotype 1b VL alot tx starting 12/23/11 Victrelis UND week 8!!! 28 weeks of tx

Completed tx 7/6/12--still UND!!!!
Margo


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Got my new order of the meds and the Ribavirin pill is a round shape compare to the previous, an oval. I was very upset with the pharmacy that they just substituted my pill with generic crap!

__________________

Geno 1b, relapsed in 2009 a week before my treatment was to be over. Started triple therapy on April 28th, 2012. UND at week 4,8,12,24,3 months post tx.
bauhaus76


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greenqueen wrote:

Hi Bauhaus,

It's true that we should respect different opinions, but here we have a situation where people are worried about being given generic Riba and thinking that it's going to effect their chances of SVR. Yes, it's about money, because the major pharma companies have the monopoly of the market until their patent runs out and this allows other companies to produce the same meds  at a more competative price. I'm sure you know this though.

We're discussing Riba here, not Interferon - The 2 Interferons vary very slightly, hence Alpha 2a and Alpha 2b. Riba is the same compound whatever you call it.They all have to be FDA approved, so it's not some dodgy outfit on the internet supplying them.

Here are just a couple of links relating to generic drigs, one of them from HCV Advocate

http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/factsheets_pdf/RX_costs.pdf

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=46204

Love Steff xx

 

 hi STEF i was talking about interferons because it was the subject on you link(i actualy read it),its not my intention to scare nobody with this info...but for shore i wont hide it.i still think that generics are less qualitative.but well im no FDA expert im just a patiente hoe does NOT want that stuff at all.i herad from some people on this forum that at first they got brand meds and later on generics...i mean thers got to be something wrong.but thats just me,have you wondered how come that the price of generics are so competitive?

 



-- Edited by bauhaus76 on Tuesday 26th of June 2012 09:25:50 PM



-- Edited by bauhaus76 on Tuesday 26th of June 2012 09:28:24 PM



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hep c 1a on triple therapy with incivek UND at week 12 ,week 24...going for 48 weeks.
bauhaus76


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-- Edited by bauhaus76 on Tuesday 26th of June 2012 04:19:25 PM



-- Edited by bauhaus76 on Tuesday 26th of June 2012 04:25:19 PM

__________________

hep c 1a on triple therapy with incivek UND at week 12 ,week 24...going for 48 weeks.
bauhaus76


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yes guys ...i know al abou it..nerd.gif now i have the brand meds but i realy had to complain....the ones i have now are ovals...(european version COPEGUS) and at the first week they send me ribavirine from theva pharm the round ones that crap was so big as a paracetemol....they said its the same base ingridients...but i know for a fact reading.gifthat quality and absortion time in our bodys together with side efects are worse on generics ,insurance companys go for low cost meds but dont accept it! DAHM!!!



-- Edited by bauhaus76 on Tuesday 26th of June 2012 03:44:48 PM



-- Edited by bauhaus76 on Tuesday 26th of June 2012 03:47:13 PM



-- Edited by bauhaus76 on Tuesday 26th of June 2012 03:56:25 PM

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hep c 1a on triple therapy with incivek UND at week 12 ,week 24...going for 48 weeks.
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