? Dosing timing

Discussion in 'Lantus / Levemir / Biosimilars' started by Nicole dorsey, Aug 22, 2017.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Nicole dorsey

    Nicole dorsey Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2017
    good evening,

    Newbie here. We are start low and go slow. Trying to get a routine down. Is it harmful to give it at 10 or 11 hours if got off schedule or is there certain timing around it? I Know ideally it is 12 hours but wondering with trying to figure out work etc. thanks!
     
  2. Bobbie And Bubba

    Bobbie And Bubba Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2015
    It's best if you give the dose 12 hours apart but sometimes we run late and sometimes we need to shoot a bit earlier. Just remember that an early shot acts like a dose increase and a late shot acts like a decrease. I wouldn't shoot any earlier that 1 hour and that would ONLY be if he is running higher. If he is running in lower numbers, I wouldn't shoot earlier. That's just my opinion and hope others weigh in.
     
    tiffmaxee and Nicole dorsey like this.
  3. rhiannon and shadow (GA)

    rhiannon and shadow (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 9, 2012
  4. tiffmaxee

    tiffmaxee Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2013
    Especially at the beginning I'd be hesitant to shoot too early unless like Bobbie suggested he is really high. I might consider a reduced dose of say .75 if shooting early even if high.
     
  5. Wendy&Neko

    Wendy&Neko Senior Member Moderator

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2012
    The rule of thumb is to move shot times either 15 minutes per shot time, or 1/2 hour once per day to get you back on schedule. If you want to shoot any earlier, post here and ask if it's OK.

    Are you home testing yet? I'm not seeing much data on the spreadsheet.
     
    Nicole dorsey likes this.
  6. Nicole dorsey

    Nicole dorsey Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2017
    My vet (the regular pcp) asked/requested I don't until we get him curved and regulated. I'm not certain I ageee but he said with being on pred they are going to be all over the place initially until he is more regulated. Thoughts?
     
  7. Wendy&Neko

    Wendy&Neko Senior Member Moderator

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2012
    Your vet is wrong. No way you can keep your cat safe and get him regulated without testing. Besides, your vet won't know you're testing unless you tell him. I didn't test at first, and I was terrified I was giving insulin when I shouldn't be. I felt much more relaxed and in control once I knew what Neko's blood sugar was doing.

    Pred may mean Pablo needs a slightly higher insulin dose but that's OK. Neko was on budesonide, also a steroid, for her IBD/SCL and it didn't impact her blood sugar much.
     
    Nicole dorsey likes this.
  8. tiffmaxee

    tiffmaxee Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2013
    I totally disagree about testing. Lantus is dosed based upon nadir. If you don't test how will you know what it is? Cats that run too high on insulin can become insulin resistant. Shooting too low can lead to a hypo which can be life threatening.
     
    Nicole dorsey likes this.
  9. Nicole dorsey

    Nicole dorsey Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2017
    Thank you; I questioned him on this and he said "first I don't think he will let you and also it will be all over the place until regulated." He had a curve done the other day and increased his insulin as a result. And said wants to do frutcosamine in week to 10 days. I was like really? My cat is pretty docile (aside from the fact he gets tired of pilling, poking, feeding etc. I feel so confused and feel like any of the vets are not giving me good guidance and all refer to him as a "complicated case" because of mutiole issues and frankly I can't seem too find one vet I feel confident in or that communicates like I'd like
     
  10. Nicole dorsey

    Nicole dorsey Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2017
    They also had me go home and get my kit the ithe day because their quick read was down, ugh
     
  11. Nicole dorsey

    Nicole dorsey Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2017
    I still don't understand nadir and the vet hasn't told me much about it. I feel lost and scared especially because his other issues along with thus
     
  12. Nicole dorsey

    Nicole dorsey Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2017
    Also another random question. He has chronic panc among other issues and seems more uncomfortable today. Does bupe interfere with insulin?
     
  13. tiffmaxee

    tiffmaxee Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2013
    I didn't find that bupe interfered with insulin. Lots of people here have had similar experiences with vets. Testing won't cause problems and very well can be life saving. If you feel comfortable testing, go for it. You don't need to inform your vet of the results unless you want to.

    The nadir is the lowest point in a cycle. Lantus is dosed based she's based upon how low a cat goes because too low can lead to a cat becoming hypoglycemic. You can't tell by looking at a cat or their behavior unless it's life threatening. Why take that risk? This is coming from someone that said she would not be home testing.
     
    Kris & Teasel and Nicole dorsey like this.
  14. Wendy&Neko

    Wendy&Neko Senior Member Moderator

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2012
    Buprenorphine does not interfere with insulin. In fact it's the opposite. If he's in pain or has inflammation, that can raise the blood glucose numbers. Addressing the pain with bupe can lower the BG numbers.

    Curves done at the vet's office can be misleading. My not diabetic cat once read over 220 at the vet's office one day due to stress, and 53 at home the next day. When the vet called about bloodwork, he was worried about possible diabetes. :rolleyes: If you can test at home, you don't need to do a fructosamine, which is just an average of values over a couple weeks. And you don't have to pay for curves either. You can buy a lot of test strips for that savings. I just once paid for a curve. Neko hated staying at the vet and growled at her for her tests. Vet's don't get a lot of training in diabetes, so how knowledgeable they are does vary. I liked my vet so stuck with her for other things, and managed the diabetes with help from here.

    Here are some useful concepts to help you learn how Pablo works on Lantus, from the New to the Group Sticky Note:
    Learn how YOUR kitty is responding to insulin:
    • Onset - the length of time before insulin reaches the bloodstream & begins lowering blood glucose
    • Peak/Nadir - the lowest point in the cycle
    • Duration - the length of time insulin continues to lower blood glucose
    • How to do a Curve - a simple explanation

     
    Nicole dorsey likes this.
  15. Nicole dorsey

    Nicole dorsey Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2017
    Thank you very much!
     
  16. Nicole dorsey

    Nicole dorsey Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2017
    Thank you so very much!
     
  17. Bobbie And Bubba

    Bobbie And Bubba Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2015
    Just to add to the no testing topic: My vet didn't want to show me how to test Bubba "until he was regulated" If I had listened to him, Bubba would have hypoed on my several times. How the heck would I get Bubba regulated without knowing his PS numbers and his nadir numbers. It makes me very mad when I think about it. We no longer go to that vet practice.
     
    Nicole dorsey and tiffmaxee like this.
  18. Kris & Teasel

    Kris & Teasel Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2016
    If I had waited until Teasel was regulated to start testing, I still wouldn't be doing it! And he was diagnosed over a year and a half ago. Many vets seem to think that regulation can be achieved in a short time - NOT SO!!
     
    tiffmaxee likes this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page