Anxiety med question

Hello,

I am new to the group. My cat has struggled with anxiety and spraying for about five years now. This passed October I gave all the natural cures a rest and took him to be tested for behavioral or medical issues. The doctor said he is healthy and confirmed it was behavioral and prescribed him some medicine to help. It is called Fluoxetine. We have been giving him 1 ML a day since October. So then I noticed for the passed couple months he has been losing weight. He went from 16lbs to now 10lbs. We took him into the vet this passed week and they said that he now has diabetes. Since he was so healthy in October, I assumed it was because of the Fluoxetine, because it has a chicken a marshmellow flavor, thus introducing sugar I would assume. The vet was very defensive and said it wasn't the Fluoxetine liquid, and told me to continue to use it. But I said I wanted to start to ween him off of it.

Have any of you had an experience like this. I just don't understand how they aren't related. Is there any hope if I take him off the Fluoxetine and start the insulin that he will go back to being himself and won't have to live on insulin forever. It just makes me so sad, because he was just so healthy, but with some anxiety issues and spraying.

 

I’m sorry that your kitty is having troubles... I doubt it was the fluoxetine - honestly the spraying & not feeling well could have been the start up of the diabetes. Was there blood work in October when you initially took him in?
It’s hard to fathom any significant blood gloucose rise in such a small amt. I looked it up & there is nothing stating that this would be an issue. But I know that every cat is different. Maybe others will chime in if they’ve had the same experience.
In any case I’m hope the Prozac helps the anxiety & spraying. This forum is a friendly & helpful place for starting on the diabetic journey! Please ask questions & know that we’re here to help! Hang in there...

 

Sorry about the diagnosis, but we are here to help.

 

When my Dwee was extra anxious for several months just over 2 years ago, (weirdly, his Diabetes was the best controlled it had been during that time!) we were given some alprazolam (xanax) to try. Uh...no. It was TERRIBLE!!!

The bottle said to give him half a pill. 0.5mg that would have been. NO WAY, I SAID! Gave him a quarter and he fought it hard, was wobbly, couldn't jump but kept trying, was aggressive and kept trying to find Monty and then attack him in a strange lazy way. He was NOT a happy chappy at all until it finally mostly wore off the next day. Never again. (the remaining xanax were...consumed anyway. By me. Later. lol)

ANYWAY, prozac is entirely different and should hopefully take the edge off any anxiety. It can take a while to settle down and he may seem extra sleepy at first. This tends to happen to people when they first start on these types of anti-depressants.

It really should not cause Diabetes at all.

 

Thank you all!

So he went in for his testing to find out how much insulin he will need and he has been there all day. They just called and said he had a 104 fever, but it’s nothing they did is what they said and I might not be able to pick him up. It’s makong me nervous how the deny any wrongdoing. He was fine when he went in. what should I do?

 

They will give him an antibiotic and treat whatever the infection is. Sorry for the setback. It's one of the reasons I don't like boarding animals, they often wind up catching something.

 

Thank you so much everyone, I finally have him home without the fever. But now I’ve poked myself with his insulin needle twice. Once with the insulin although I don’t think I came out and once after I gave him insulin, but both times I had stuck him with it. Should I be worried? I’m also breastfeeding so I’m scared for my 3 mo. old.

I also think I accidentally touched the grey sterile part of the insulin container, what should I do?

I feel like an overwhelmed mess.

 

I just answered in your other thread / condo.

All will be fine. Honest injuns.

 

I also commented in your other thread on this last question.

But for your original query -- I would not assume that the compounded Prozac "caused" his diabetes. Sugar doesn't just directly cause it. However, you can certainly get Prozac in a capsule or tablet if you can give kitty pills...and now that he *is* diabetic you would want to avoid any added sugar. Also, I have had really good success with using amitriptyline for an anxious and spraying cat. I think that the tablets worked better for him, but you can have amitriptyline compounded into a transdermal that you simply rub into their ears (Just in case you want to go back on something and you aren't happy with the Prozac).

May I ask kitty's name, and I assume you are June?

Welcome to you both!
Sandi.