Recently Diagnosed............Is CellCept Good?

AdriaV

Hi everyone,

I was diagnosed with SLE in November of last year, and the road has been a very stressful one. I hate taking prednisone as it has so many side effects, plus the weight gain especially the "moon face", it's horrible Rolling Eyes

!

My doctor told me i'm putting on too much weight and he wants to reduce my steroid level, so he has put me on CellCept. What I want to know is if anyone here is taking or has taken CellCept and is it working or has it worked for you? I really need to know as i'm paying a lot of money for 50 of these pills which I totally don't find amusing! ( In Jamaica where I live, it's $14,312 for 50 CellCept pills)

Looking forward to ur responses.
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**AV**

TERIOD · Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2008 3:40 pm Post subject:

WOW thats alot of money for that many pills Laughing

I would try contacting the maker and see if they can help with the price

cellcept can be very benificial helping with kidney disease as it is a medication to help your body accept it whereas your immune system may be fighting(you didnt mention any type of systemic organ problems)which is usually why cellcept is used
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Fair Oaks California

sits_inthe_corner · Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2008 3:44 pm Post subject:

Hi Adria

Welcome to the board Smile

I'm not on cellcept so I cant help ya with that one. I think saysusie has some information on medical support in Jamaca that might be helpful to you. I'm sure she'll be along to say hi soon.

I'm a little nervous that I may be heading for prednisone as the plaquinel I'm taking isn't helping at all. But I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

I'm not fully diagnosed yet and I'm in the middle of switching specialists as the last one was a bit of a pill and didn't want to let me in on the game plan.

Hope you get your self straighted out soon. Smile

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Oh look ... a cookie

sick n tired · Bear Cub Joined: 18 Nov 2007 Posts: 614 Location: Texas

Hi Adria,

Cellcept is what my doc is talking about putting me on, too....Whoa!!that is very expensive...is there any medicine help in Jamaica? Like Teriod said, perhaps the maker of the drug could help...wow.

Sle can be a bear if not controlled and even then...is the Prednisone as expensive? Perhaps you can stay on that if cellcept is too expensive.

Welcome to this forum...I look forward to getting to know you.

Karen
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I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.......Robert Frost

AdriaV · Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2008 5:04 pm Post subject:

Thanks for ur input guys,

Apart from the joint probs, I don't really have a systematic prob (yet).. The doc mainly put me on CellCept to reduce my prednisone level, as it's making me gain a lot of weight which I don't need and he says for the rate i'm gaining weight it's not good for my age either as i'm not yet married, blah blah blah (I'm 19 by the way), and prednisone is causing me to get too many infections. I had bladder & ear infections recently.

As for the CellCept, I actually get it straight from the distributor, I guess if I was going thru the pharmacy it would cost a lot more. I'm trying it for now........my doc told me if it's too expensive he can put me on Plaquenil....which he also told me to research for my next visit to him.

Thanks for the welcome guys....
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**AV**

sick n tired · Bear Cub Joined: 18 Nov 2007 Posts: 614 Location: Texas

HeyAdria,

I am on Plaquenil...the worse problem with that is how long it takes to work. My doc first put me on prednisone and then plaquenil. It takes any where from 3 weeks to up to 6 months for it to totally kick in. I started feeling some of the effects after about 6 weeks.

Is plaquenil cheaper? Perhaps that might be an option, especially if you are not having the swelling and pain problems.

Take Care,

Karen
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I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.......Robert Frost