I bought from a company called www.GandhiMedicos.com I heard about them through a forum in Russia and they come highly recommended. I ordered on Oct 1 and received them today Oct 12. Very impressed. The other meds from Mesochem I will not bother having tested as the good folks in Oz are testing theirs and all is well. I'm sure they are doing it because of legalities. Nope, I'm just going cap my own and be on my way to treatment by this week end. I've done this treatment so many times. I have no fear!
Joanne

Thanks very much. Did you buy direct from the manufacturer in India? Did you have your meds tested? Very good to know the US is not shutting down incoming scripts; thanks for the input, and good luck with your treatment.

Without knowing your precise details, or what you're taking (? +/- Riba) here are the rules of thumb:

• If you are < F4 12 weeks should do
• If you are F4 then 12 weeks + Riba might do
• If you are F4 then 24 weeks of Sof/Led (GT1) of Sof/Dac (GT1-6) is guideline compliant.

Please check our Genotype Specific Treatments page.

Hi Dr J I am pretty sure I have the same batch as Chester from India and compassionate Daclatasvir so going on her responding
and the previous despair experienced from failed treatments, is the reason for this decision. I probably will do it sometime, curiosity always wins out. 28 days into tx. kindly

I would suggest a VL at 4 weeks into treatment. It will probably be zero (nice to know) and proves you're not taking sugar tablets (nice to know).

In the phase 1 trials a pharmaceutical company does the first human testing to establish dose. Typical trial size is 50 people. Hypothetical doses might have been

50
100
200
400
800
1600
3200

And results might have been

50 Fail
100 Partial
200 Works
400 Works
800 Works Mild Sides
1600 Works More Sides
3200 Works Major Sides

So we pick 400 mg as a good dose to get effect, but no sides

Now we move on to Phase 2 trials in 200 people to prove effect at selected dose in ~ 200 people.

Then if that works we do Phase 3 in ~ 3000 people (we know it works) to harden up the numbers and look for unexpected sides.

Then the cash register starts ringing with FDA/TGA approval based on Phase 3 results.

Hi Emilio I have decided I don't want to know my VL until the end of treatment - 24 weeks. But about 6 months ago it was roughly 2.5 million. From what I have read there is no point really because it takes months for the medicine to fully penetrate cirrhotics. kindly

Hi regarding the economic perspective for rationing tx, I was wondering how they come up with the milligrams to be taken. Eg 400mg of Sofosbuvir . Is it that this mg is the minimum needed to eliminate the virus or it is no more efficient taking more or is it that its the amount where one has the least side effects and can eliminate the virus? kindly

Cr&E = UEC

Urea
Electrolytes
Creatinine

Yes, it is the same for all new DAAs

There are two separate issues .... getting the prescription and sourcing the meds. Some people have imported the meds into the US without a prescription, but I wasn't ready to try that.

I've said elsewhere that the clearest, simplest method is to come to Australia, and I still believe that, but it's certainly not your only option.
As for the length of time necessary, if your trip was properly planned it shouldn't take that much time anywhere you go. If you have the prescription in hand, good paperwork on the source and nature of the meds, and you've already started treatment outside the country, I can't imagine customs not allowing you to bring back your meds.

The Australian part of my trip was not planned. I intended originally to either get my meds in Thailand or travel to the source. Then questions arose about Mesochem selling to individuals followed by a lack of response from the Bangladeshi sources. When my Thai doctor wrote my script for Led rather than Dac I started considering coming here to get a different script. Also, I was concerned about bringing powders (APIs) back through customs and the compounding here means the meds are packaged in a standard pharmacy bottle with a proper label. But not warning Dr. Freeman I was coming means that the arrival of my meds has taken time. With proper communication this should not be so time consuming.

But again, there are other options. As for getting the prescription in the US, it almost comes down to doctor shopping. My insurance company would never have paid for that and the nature of my job didn't give me the time. If you want to try that, I'd suggest either an alternative medicine clinic or looking for a doctor that is presently prescribing medical marijuana as both are willing to think outside the box and defy traditional protocol.

I decided to just go where getting tests and a prescription would be easy and inexpensive. There are many such places. Depending on where you are, various places would be more workable. From the west coast Thailand is currently rather reasonable. From the mid-west or east coast you might prefer going to the medical tourism hospitals in Medellin, Colombia. Just look through this site to see many options. Look for gastroenterologists.

www.health-tourism.com/

Once you have the prescription from a US doctor you can either ship directly or travel to get the meds. Either way people are currently successfully getting their meds through customs.

If you do have to travel to get the prescription, I would suggest sourcing the drugs there as well and starting treatment before your return. It just makes it less likely they'd try to challenge the meds.

Do they have public transport there ?! It may less stressful ?!

O

klhilde wrote: Hi LondonGirl,
(Hitting a wallaby on my first trip probably didn't help ... )

!!

Greetings from the US. Was diagnosed abt 18 months ago, genotype 2a, no cirrohsis.. I was very lucky to get on Gilead assistance program for Sov/Rib treatment. Treatment went very well, but at completion, I relaped. Zero insurance coverage until I get much worse (I'm F2). Its become apparent that future treatment will not happen for me unless I arrange it myself. I understand it's nearly impossible to get a US doctor to write a script for generics. Has anybody from the US actually been able to obtain a prescription? What are people here doing if not? Hoping to not have to quit my job and move to Australia or India for 6 months while I go through retreatment. I know there are many other folks out there who face the same dilemma. Just looking and hoping for a miracle in the form of a doctor who is willing to help patients who are trying to help themselves. Good luck to all in your quest for treatment, and thanks to all for your posts; they give me knowledge, insight, and hope.

Hi LondonGirl,
Chester is managing fairly well. Her main problem is the inability to drive and her discomfort with the idea of a right hand driver (me) driving for her with no international driver's license (no insurance.) (Hitting a wallaby on my first trip probably didn't help ... ) This should be better when they change her cast in a few days and she gets her fingers out of the cast. Otherwise there's not much slowing her down.

Emilio, Thanks for the kind words and generous offer, and I'd enjoy seeing that part of the country, but at this point I think I need to stay put until I get my meds in my hands. And for a few more days Chester might need occasional help with her sheep and other various chores. (She was going out to the sheep when she slipped and broke her arm.)

As for Tassie and Hobart .... I understand exactly what you mean. It's a nice place with great scenery and the people are great and I'm sure Americans would enjoy visiting here, but there is definitely a time warp in some ways. It's part of the appeal for most visitors, I'm sure.

Definitely Emilio, I was thinking the same. topics go off track very easily. This is understandable though. It's as if we're like a dam that has just burst through I big embankment.
I'm guessing like myself, many have been anxious and nervous about the new treatments provided on this site. Getting chatty on the forum is/was a way of feeling out this brave new way of curing and caring for people.
It's taken me a while to get used to the site too. It's very well designed but, it's taken me three weeks to get around to reading the FAQ section. Crazy I know. Luckily Dr. Freeman and the bloggers have patiently answered my questions but I could have taken up less time and space by reading FAQ first. I notice others doing the same. Would it help if FAQ was highlighted in the top bar or incorporated into the blog page.
This is my observation and experience so far for what it's worth.
All the best,