Valacyclovir - has anyone experienced any reduced efficacy with any of the generics?

This really makes me mad to find out!!! Just checked and my brand is Mylan and Ive been breaking out about as long as Ive been braking out again. I have felt so bad. Cant walk at times from the pain. The pain is so bad using the bathroom from both ends. I have stated broken out!!! I bet there are some politicians getting money for this!!!

I noticed some tiny itchy bumps on the inside of my right arm at the elbow around May 1. It was not diagnosed as shingles until May 14. I was prescribed Valacyclovir HCL 1 gram made by Aurobindo Pharma and began taking it 3x/day that day. The rash had already started to blister. It got much worse after I began taking the meds. Now, on May 20, the blisters have finally stopped oozing. I feel this is the same course the outbreak would have taken if I had never used the generic valacyclovir and just continued with Neosporin ointment to prevent secondary bacterial infection. I realize it was late in the outbreak when I was finally diagnosed and prescribed but it’s been 3 weeks and will probably be 3 more before I’m completely healed. Wouldn’t shingles have healed on its own in that amount of time?

I have been using various generic valacyclovir for years, with varying degrees of benefit. Now I was switched to the Sandoz generic and it is definitely not working. I increased to twice a day to see if that would help. I was previously well-controlled with 1g daily, but even twice a day doesn't seem to suppress outbreaks. Lousy drug.

The same thing happened to me around 2013. I take 500mg Valtrex daily. Around 2011 my insurance would only pay for generic. It worked for a year or 2 then I started getting outbreaks. I then switched to 1000mg generic daily but it made me feel like garbage. I dealt with it for years until I decided to pay out of pocket with an online pharmacy overseas via Canada. I am back on name brand 500mg. 40 pills is $156 and I feel better. Your doctor has to give you a paper script that you scan and mail to them.

Not all generics are created equal and vary in efficacy. I have also tried several and Sandoz is definitely one of the ones that don’t work. The best that I have found that works the closest to the brand/Valtrex is by Northstar.
Hope this helps.

Perhaps this would be too late for the comment but I will post this just in case. Generic - this one never worked for me, meaning - it never controlled the outbreaks. Starting in 2018, i have noticed horrible side affects if taking generic - very strong chills and headache (nice addition!). To add, brand (GlaxoSmithKline) became less efficient also. One 500 mg pill a day used to be enough for me. I have to take 750 mg twice a day now. I am not imagining things, so i don't care if chemists would tell me that brand and generic is the same drug, as my body tells me this is not the case. Unfortunately. Very frustrating. It became very expensive as I have to buy the brand one out of my pocket. Well done, pharmaceutical and insurance companies! Keep looking for cheaper places to produce the drugs!

Just wanted to add to the list of non-effective generics for valacyclovir. I have taken Valtrex and a generic by Roxanne with no issues. Both were very effective. I had a recent episode and used a new generic by Cadista Pharmaceutical. That brand was not effective at all. I increased the dose to 1 gm three times daily and efficacy did not change. With each day the breakout continued to spread up to 10 days of taking the drug. I finally realized it was just not going to work. I paid cash for Valtrex brand and it is now clearing up in only 12 hours. I did go online to report to FDA. I really hope others will as well.

I have been using generic valtrex for many years as suppression for cold sores. When CVS changed to Mylan, not only did it not suppress outbreaks but immediately triggered an excessive episode. I had not even had an outbreak in many years but as soon as this happened I immediately suspected it was this manufacturer. I called the pharmacy but they had no information. When I researched and found many people with the same problem I again contacted CVS and asked for a different generic. Ranbaxy worked just as well as the brand for me. When Ranbaxy stopped manufacturing Val acyclovir several years later I once again would not accept the Mylan and had them order me Teva which also worked. Now a few years have passed and Teva is very difficult to obtain and I am looking to try any other version than Mylan. CVS is now telling me they don't know if they can get anything else. This is extremely frustrating.

YES! There's a huge difference. I talked with my pharmacist who said all generics are basically the same. I gave her the imprint on the pills that I wanted which was 8 3 on the front and an F on the back - these seem to work for me. Others that they have on hand do not. May have to go back to Valtrex and bite the bullet in cost because it works. If it works, after three pills, it's suppressed, for me at least.

Yes! Have you gone back to the name brand ? The virus has replicated from one tiny spot to all over. It's not wanting to stay suppressed either. What to do now? I can't find help with physicians anywhere.

After many years of using Valtrex by Glaxo Smith Kline i switched to Valacyclovir to save money i immediatey found it barely works a waste of money nothing beats the real Valtrex ..

I started taking the generic called Valacyclovir manufactured by Camber, for Shingles on Friday afternoon before I had any blisters, just red bumps and very sore skin. By Sunday night I have many large blistery patches on my back and breast that keep getting bigger and my left hip hurts so badly that I can hardly walk. That generic is NO Good. Why is the government forcing these crumbly generic drugs onto us? Only a millionaire can afford the brand name or else anyone living in Europe or Canada. Americans are suffering with 3rd rate substitute drugs. Did you know that generics only have to be within 10% plus or minus of the effective ingredients bioavailability? No other product would allow such sloppy standards.
Incidentally I had the Shingles vaccinenation 5 months ago.

Agreed, northstar manufactured valacyclovir seems much less effective at half the non insurance cost. Target changed to it, before they sold out to cvs... now jewel osco changed to it.. I noticed reduced effects both times. Royal blue pill.. not good on much besides the pocket book.. all others charge double what they do... get what u pay for rings true

I have used generic valtrex for years, and have been mostly symptom-free. However, since last November, I have had three outbreaks and they lasted seven days each. Two of the outbreaks occurred one week after the other. I've read that certain manufacturers were having consistency issues, but this is getting ridiculous. My current generic is manufactured by TEVA pharma. Not sure what to do now.

Iam currently taking Valacyclovir 500mg..like candy..no changes..what so ever..just fustration..I will b visiting with a new gyn very soon 4 a different approach. I had this since late 90s..NEVER bothered by it..until now. It hurts..and it feels like med sized bumps or lumps... like something is inside of my skin... is this supposed 2 feel this way..I mean can u drain them..I dont know what 2 do... HELP