Has anyone STARTED with Levimar?

Has anyone ever STARTED on Levimar vs. Lantus, Prozinc, etc?
I see threads on fdmb about SWITCHING to it, but none yet about STARTING on Levimar. I'd really appreciate hearing pros or cons about starting levimar over lantus, please?
Which is easier? Do the depots work differently? Which is easier for regulation?
I realize this is different for many kitties, but I'd love to hear your knowledgeable and kind inputs all the same, since I'm starting from no experience at all, and I'm not even sure where to start choosing which is best from the get go!

Thanks for your time!

 

Hi Erin, I didn’t start on lev, and I can’t think of anyone who has. My vet hadn’t even heard of it, but when I asked about it he researched and approved it. The action is a bit different from Lantus (which I’ve never used) and I understand that lev is less acidic than Lantus, thus if your cat is a high dose cat, like mine, it’s the better choice. Onset is usually a bit later in lev and many report better duration. A very few people have reported their cats reacting to Lantus, possibly due to the acidity, but it’s very few. @Carol & Murphy did some research on the two before switching from prozinc. Maybe she can tell you why she chose lev over Lantus.

 

The Lantus/Levemir forum might be a good place for this post: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/forums/lantus-glargine-levemir-detemir.9/

 

I find for my cats Levemir works better, more consistent BGs and a slightly less dose. I confirmed that since I got a good deal on a vial of Lantus and used that until the vial was up.

 

I started Maggie on Levemir when she came out of remission after being off inuslin for a year or two. Her first insulin (humulin U) was discontinued. (This was 11 years ago!) If you are asking if it's possible, recommended or a good thing, there is no reason not to start with lev as far as I see. Is this what your vet is recommending?

BTW, my vet choose lev after researching it and lantus partly because of the possibility of lantus stinging at the injection site.

 

When the time came to switch Murphy from Prozinc, I was trying to decide between Lantus and Lev. Someone on the Prozinc forum who wanted to switch insulins took their diabetic cat to Ohio State Vet School to consult with their lead feline diabetic vet. He told her he believed Levemir was the best insulin for cats. So that was good enough for me. Just an (unscientific) observation here- but it seems like more cats are using Levemir on this forum in the past year or so. I've been very happy with it. I really hope that at some point we will be able to use some of the newer human insulins and medications that are revolutionizing human diabetic treatment - lots of breakthroughs there.

 

After a few years in remission, I started Alex back on insulin with Levemir. I found Lev easier to work with, but in fairness to Lantus, all aspects of treatment were easier because it was my second time around. Although, I have to admit, once one knows their cat well (how kitty responds to insulin & food), I do think Levemir is a bit more flexible than Lantus.

Lantus and Levemir depots work pretty much the same. Duration is similar. Probably the biggest difference between the two is when onset and nadir occurs. Lantus typically onsets around 2-3 hours after the shot whereas the onset of Levemir is often later... around 4 - 5 hours after the shot. Lantus often peaks (nadir) around 5- 6 hours after the shot. Lev peaks later... around 8-10 hours after the shot. These are general statements. Every cat is different.

Copied from the "Lantus & Levemir: New to the Group?" sticky:

A full understanding of the following concepts will go a long way in helping you regulate your kitty's blood glucose when using Lantus or Levemir:

• 
  
  
  • Carryover - insulin effects lasting past the insulin's official duration
  • Overlap - the period of time when the effect of one insulin shot is diminishing and the next insulin shot is taking effect
  • Insulin Depot - a "spare tank" of insulin, which has yet to be used by the body
  • LANTUS & LEVEMIR: WHAT IS THE INSULIN DEPOT?
  • Bouncing - Bouncing is simply a natural reaction to what the cat's system perceives as a BG value that is "too low". "Too low" is relative. If a cat is used to BGs in the 200's, 300's, or higher for a long time, then even a BG that drops to 150 can trigger a "bounce". Bouncing can also be triggered if the blood glucose drops too low and/or too fast.The pancreas, then the liver, release glucogon, glycogen and counter-regulatory hormones. The end result is a dumping of "sugar" into the bloodstream to save the cat from going hypoglycemic from a perceived low. The action is often referred to as "liver panic" or "panicky liver". *Usually*, a bounce will clear kitty's system within 3 days (6 cycles).

They're both good insulins. We've seen success with both for over 10-12 years on the FDMB.
Good luck with whichever you choose!

 

Our vet always starts newly diagnosed diabetic cats on Levemir. We use Lantus, however, only because we adopted Whispy and he was already on Lantus so we kept him on it.

Sandi.