40U syringes vs. 30U syringes

I am about out of syringes and asked at Wal-Mart if they had a 40U syringe. They have 30, 50 and 100. Can I use a 30U? Sam is getting .75 u every 12 hours of PZI. Thanks all! Sam is doing very well and he is falling in the middle range on his BG. I haven't kept up his spread sheet will do that tomorrow.

 

If the PZI you are using is a U40 then you can buy the Walmart brand, Reli-On syringes, and get the 3/10 cc U-100 insulin syringe that come with the half unit markings. What you will have to do, if you are using a U40 insulin, is use the conversion chart here.
http://www.felinediabetes.com/insulin-conversions.htm I'm still using IDEXX PZI which is also a U40 insulin and the conversion chart.
You cannot just buy a 30 unit syringe and go with the normal dosing you had with a U40 syringe. Different syringes but IMHO easier to use along with the conversion chart and this will also give you the ability to give even tinier doses if needed.

 

I think there is some confusion here.

U40 and U100 are strengths or concentrations of insulin -- 40 units per milliliter for PZI (and other pet insulins) and 100 units per milliliter for human insulins.


The 30u, 50u and 100u that you mention are VOLUMES (or sizes, really) for maximum that the syringe can hold.


Most of us use 30u syringes for our cats -- also labeled 3/10cc which means it holds 3/10ml or 0.3 milliliters because our doses are so small.

For U100 human insulins - 0.3 milliliters = 30 units of insulin.


If you examine the syringes from Walmart, they are probably all designed for U100 human insulin.

The pet syringes at U40 strength are usually only available from your vet.


To use human U100 syringes with U40 insulin, you need to use a conversion chart - because the U40 pet insulin is dilute compared to human insulin.

 

Not to add to the confusion, but there are also u50 and u100 strength human insulins too.

 

Ok, I had to go looking for it...

I thought this was kinda cute though when I found it... :lol:

http://forums.childrenwithdiabetes.com/ ... 24898.html


I had never heard of a u50 either.

Sue, follow the advice of using the conversion chart. Yes, you can use the syringes...just make sure to do the math!

 

BCP PZI comes in U40, U50 and U100 unless they have discontinued the U50.

 

I think I will go buy the U40 syringes at the vet on Monday. This is to complicated for a dummy like me. If we are shooting .75 twice a day then what do I draw in the u100 syringe. It does say u100 on the barrel.

You should have heard the pharmacist when I told her we shoot 1.5 units a day. She got all big-eyed and said you only do that much!!! Then my husband ruined it and said it was for our cat. LOL It was pretty funny though.

I did print out the conversion chart and will have my smarter hubby figure it out. Thanks every body.

 

the conversion factor to use U40 PZI in U100 syringes is 2.5x

0.75u x 2.5 ==> 1.875 marks on U100 syringe or a shade under 2u marks.

0.2u ==> 0.5u mark
0.4u ==> 1u
0.6u ==> 1.5u
0.8u ==> 2u
and so on...

 

Okay, thanks. We did figure it out though he didn't believe the chart. Said you don't just believe what someone says. God, he's as bad as the damn vet sometimes. Sheesh. Sam's PMPS was 464. On a high note, I got to ride my horse today after months of lameness. He is pre-Cushings.

 

This picture may help for using U100 insulin syringes with U40 insulin:



(Picture from Sheila and Beau's post on the old FDMB: http://www.felinediabetes.com/phorum5/r ... ?8,1864962)

The green and red numbers(1.4, 1.0, 0.6, 0.2 on on the half unit side of the markings and 1.2, 0.8, 0.4 on the whole unit side of the markings) on the bottom insulin syringe is the U40 dose as drawn up into the U100 insulin syringe.

 

Oh thanks, I love pictures, it helps with the dosing.

 

Just make sure your inform your vet of what your are doing otherwise there may be some confusion with the dose you are giving your cat. I recommend that you give doses in real units, not the unit markings on the U100 syringes.

 

What Larry means is always refer to the ACTUAL dose of insulin -- write down in your spreadsheet etc -- the TRUE dose -- not how many marks on the syringe.