Generic Name: Sovaldi for Hepatitis C (sofosbuvir)
"I had Hep C genotype 2, and I am on week 9 of the 12-week treatment, and my labs came back last week, and the hepatitis virus was not detected. The treatment is working! I tested negative for Hep C! Wahoooooo! I repeat, the virus was not detected in my blood work. I'm taking Sovaldi and ribavirin, and the side effects for me were manageable... headaches, fatigue, and that vague, flu-like ache in the joints, but I am able to work 40 hours a week, and I gladly suffer the mild to medium side effects because I'm cured. I'm cured. The worst part about all this is my insurance only covers 80% of my extensive blood work/labs, so I'm on the hook for around $1000 so far, but I only pay $15 for doctors per visit, and $15 a month for meds."
"I cannot rate the medicine yet. I am only taking it for 2 weeks, I am tired all the time and weak. I have cirrhosis, and I am going into stage 4 Hep C, which I believe is end stage. I will not stop taking it, but my wife is complaining that all I do is lay around and sleep. I mean, I am exhausted. I am a businessman of 70 years old, and I always get up at 5 AM and run until 9 or 10 PM. If this medicine knocks out the virus, I will take it for 6 to 8 months like the doctor said. As far as having no side effects goes, it may not be as bad as interferon, but it does have some side effects. They are tolerable. The worst part of taking Sovaldi is the cost."
"I am a 52-year-old female. After giving birth to my first son in 1982, I required blood due to complications from my son's birth, I was 21 years old. Last year, around October 2013, I went for a colonoscopy because I had been feeling very tired and just a generalized sick feeling to the point of feeling like I was dying. I have been taking Enbrel for RA since 2002, and with all the side effects and warnings, I was convinced I most probably had some form of cancer. I found out I had been infected with the Hep C virus when I received the blood transfusions in '82, and although I have a liver panel blood workup every three months since starting Enbrel, my liver panels all came back normal. I started Olysio and Sovaldi, cleared the virus in 27 days."
"I've been on Sovaldi, Interferon, and Ribavirin treatment for 5 weeks. My doctor says my viral load is ZERO! I still need to take it for 7 more weeks, but I am EXTREMELY happy! Yes, I am wiped out, I can't work, but the reward is HUGE!"
"I am 10 weeks into the 12-week treatment with interferon, ribavirin, and Sovaldi. This is my second time around on treatment. My first was with interferon, ribavirin, and Victrelis. I relapsed the first time and was very, very ill during the entire 7 months. This treatment with Sovaldi is a cakewalk. The side effects are so minimal compared to last time. I am ill, weak, have insomnia, bone pain, and fever, but I can do this for 12 weeks if it means a cure. I am so thankful for Sovaldi. I was very hesitant to start treatment again, but I am so glad I did. My insurance covered some, and Sovaldi covered the difference up to $5 per month. Thank you."
"My husband took the Sovaldi/ribavirin combination. He is free of hepatitis C now but is having major side effects still. My husband feels worse now than before treatment. He has severe bone and joint pain throughout his body. He has itchy, rashy skin, 30 lb weight gain, his thyroid is messed up and is now having to take medication for it, chronic fatigue, and has to nap daily. He has severe depression, difficulty dealing with people, explosive personality, difficulty concentrating, and more. He is unable to work due to the pain, inability to fill out paperwork or anything due to concentration issues. He has lost interest in things he loved to do. He naps several hours a day. We have been to different doctors with no one able to help..."
"I took Sovaldi with Ribavirin. I have to say this combination is fantastic! I took the meds for three months, and I didn't experience any side effects aside from a little drowsiness. Most of it is mental. I took the pills as directed and just acted as if they were vitamins. My hep C was undetectable after just one month, and my blood tests still remain that way. I am blessed to have found this medicine. I would recommend to anyone who wants to take this medication to do so. Absolutely no reason not to! Good luck!"
"After 4 weeks on Sovaldi and Ribavirin, my viral load is '0', not detected! I'm due for my 8-week test and hope that it will reveal the same, and maybe only have to be on it for 12 weeks. No side effects whatsoever, in fact, I feel great!"
"I have had Hep since ~1980 - never knew about Hep-C till around the late 1990's when they first could diagnose. I was diagnosed Hep-C genotype 2 in August 2015 and began a 16-week regime of Sovaldi-Ribavirin after appeal/approval by my insurance in ~Nov. 2015. I have a small (1.4CM) spot of cancer on my liver which was just treated this week (Jan. 2016). I have very little fibrosis and my MELD is 7.5. As of DEC. 2015 my HepC is undetectable - with a duplicate test this last week (Jan 2016). I am about half way through the third 28-day supply of my 16 week regime - thus I have about another 6 weeks to go. I have had little to no side effects and I feel blessed to have had this treatment. I think it will add quality years to my life."
"In 2001 had liver transplant. Still had Hep C. Received Sovaldi in a Giliead program only for Hep-C with transplant patients. Free. Cured. 8 months out. No side effects worth mention. Didn't miss a beat. Caught from transfusions, 1981, Discovered 1995, Transplant 2001, Cured 2014."
"I have four days left of treatment, which has been for six months. The side effects have been mental for me. Anxiety, depression, insomnia, mood swings, irritability and rage all come and go randomly. The virus was undetected at four weeks and this is my first treatment. I won't know until three months post treatment if the virus will stay gone, but it's gone right now. I am genotype 3A."
"I am 59 years old and female . Had or have type 3. Had to take Sovaldi / Ribavirin treatment for 24 weeks. It was 24 weeks of hell, I think I had every side effect listed and then some. Seriously thought at the beginning the dose was so high I thought I would die, they lowered the dosage because my red blood cell count got so low I had to give myself shots of epogen to fix my blood. But treatment stopped in sept. And in november the hep c is not detected in my blood. But I still have lasting side effects , don't think I'll ever be my old self again. But right now I'm still alive. My advice to everyone is, before you try it read everything you can and talk to your doctor about side effects ! No one told me anything!!"
"I HAD Hep -c 1 for something like 45 years before it was found in my blood stream. I have Diabetes and went in for a normal kidney test. However, when the DR started poking around just like the old fashion Doctors used to do, she realized that my liver and spleen were very enlarged. She proceeded to take a blood test and bingo, she caught my Hep after all those years. A biopsy also determined that I had compensated cirrhosis, which the Dr explained to me that was the very begging stages of cirrhosis, thankfully !! But in May 2014 I started the 12 week Sovaldi Olysio treatment plan, The first time I had any treatment at all. In 4 weeks I was undetectable and at my request I was tested last month 18 months still undetectable! No side effects!"
"I have Hep C genotype 2 and was prescribed solvaldi and rib; solvaldi once a day rib 3 in morning then 3 at night.. 4 weeks into tx my viral load is undetected!!! The nurse advised even tho this is the best possible outcome, to keep up the meds for the remaining 2 months , I think, gladly !"
"I took the Sovaldi Ribavirin combo when it came out in 2014. I had genotype 3 of Hep C (habitual IV drug user) which has a much lower success rate than gens 1 & 2 (@ 25% lower!), so I prepared to be disappointed. But I dosed at the same time every day, did not miss a single one, and followed my doc's instructions to the letter. I pre-planned my Tx thoroughly bc I have a history of very bad luck with my physical health. But in 4 wks I was Undetectable! And felt like total crap and had hallucinations in the first month, I think that is rare but still not fun at all! Once I acclimated to the meds it subsided, but I still felt awful overall for the whole 6 months. I have been done with Tx over a year and still Undetectable - so it works!"
"I had hepatitis C type 3A I received sovaldi and ribavirin for 24 weeks the side effects were mild if any at all I am thankful to have received treatment. after 4 weeks virus was undetectable been almost two years since I finished treatment I had a blood test just recently and I was hepatitis free undetectable I recommend the treatment to anyone who has hepatitis C it's well worth it"
"I was unsuccessfully treated five years ago with pegasys interferon and ribavirin for Genotype 3a. I never recovered from the multiple side-effects, both physical and cognitive and emotional. I am now on week 9 of the sovaldi/daklinza treatment combination. I took my first dose in the evening, and when I awoke and for the next three days felt unbelievably wonderful. Clarity of mind, natural optimism and energy returned to the level of my pre-treatment days. I was stoked! However, this did not last and since those early days I have had muscle/joint aches, fatigue, a low mood, itchy face, unsatisfying sleep and severe neuropathy of the hands/feet (including during the day). I will update at end-of-treatment."
"I did Harvoni for 12 weeks and viral load was up 2 weeks after I completed. Harvoni made me very sick. Fatigue, diarrhea, it was kind of awful...and it failed me. I am 1a type. I also have cirrhosis F4. Next I did Sovaldi/Olysio for 24 weeks. This time the only side effect was fatigue but not as bad as Harvoni. The good news is I am SVR 12 weeks post tx, although my liver function numbers have begun to rise slightly after being normal during treatment for the first time in 30 years. But here's the real problem. I am more fatigued now than during treatment. It's been 5 months and it's not getting any better. I get up early, exercise, have a healthy breakfast and I'm ready to get back into bed. It really sucks. Anyone else experiencing this?"
"Have only been on Sovaldi (and Ribavirin) for three days now, so only have side-effects to report on so far. Sovaldi seems to be causing the following: shortness of breath, acid reflux, diarrhea, and a horrible itchiness around my mouth and lips. All but the itchiness are tolerable--the itchiness is preventing me from eating or drinking much liquid, and I hate it. But I remain hopeful that this combo will cure the Hep C I have had for about 43 years now!"
"I've read a lot of forums about the Sovaldi treatment but my experience after my 3rd week went south, difficult moving, loss of strength, vomiting, nausea, fatigue, no appetite, different muscle pains, back and side aches; at first I said this is a cake walk compare to the interferon. But I'm still thankful & had a clear test, one more month to go & I'm very grateful!"
"I have had hep c for at least 25 years would not take the old treatment. Now I'm taking Solaldi /Daklinza my Geno type is 2 A and 2 C - my viral load was 28 million when I started meds ,after 4 weeks viral load was undetced. Just finished my 6th week today. I'm going thru the County Hospital in Dallas,Tx Had no problems getting my meds as Medicare just approved them. So keep trying to find help. I have had very few side affects mild headache for ten minutes not even enough to take a Tyanol the 1st few days. I did itch at the start took allergy med a few days and every so often. I feel better taking the hep c meds my brain fog is better and I sleep like a baby! I take my meds at 7pm on time every night & have to go to bed by 9 pm"
"This is my 2nd time on treatment, this time with Sovaldi added to Ribvirin and Interferon. I feel terrible today I had my 2nd week injection last night and I can't remember feeling this bad last time. I'm getting sharp pains near where my liver is and my back is really aching. I Don't feel myself and I am up and down emotionally thinking about death and that and not been there to see my 2 year old daughter grow up. I'm not suicidal though. I gotta hang in there! 11 weeks to go."
"Just started sovaldi/ribavirin. I've been through 3 courses of treatment for hepcg2 since 1992, interferon alone, peginterfon ribavirin, the same again but increased doses. In each case viral load was undetectable for 3months but then reappeared. Each time the viral load increased from 3m to 8m to 12m to the present 22m. And each time the percentage for a successful completion of the course of treatment go down. I hope this time will be different, but not confident it will. As for side effects, they've become old friends. (the kind your glad to see go) Hang in there."
"Taken in combo with Ribavirin over a 24 week course, my second treatment since my failed Interferon/ribavirin (24wks) treatment 2 years prior. The Sovaldi treatment failed for me as well and I am beginning another treatment with Sovaldi and another combo that is not Ribavirin."
"I received this treatment and as far as I could tell there were no side effects except for fatigue and some pain. I am not sure if it was really any worse than usual because I have chronic pain anyhow. It did get rid of the Hep C though so it did what it was meant to do."
