Insulin help-has anyone switched from Lantus to ProZinc?

I have been doing my research on both, and everyone seems to be crazy about Lantus. Blue is obviously on ProZinc and I know lots of people have switch from PZI to Lantus and found that their cats had better results. I am wondering if anyone has switched from Lantus to ProZinc and what they thought? And with Blue's numbers if there is any real reason to think about switching him? I know ProZinc is new and doesn't have as many veterans as Lantus, but how does everyone here feel about their PZI results? Anyone go OTJ?

Let me know your thoughts!

 

There are definitely many kitties who have gone OTJ on PZI, and I recall someone recently who switched over from Lantus, but I don't recall who.

IMO, much of the success with Lantus is because there is a clear protocol to follow, and a lot of support with others using it. With PZI, although we have some basic approaches that seem reasonably successful, there is quite a bit of variation in how people use it, and no clearcut document that I know of that tells people what to do. So I think we have more of a "take stabs in the dark" approach, which leads to much tearing out of the hair. :lol: PZI is an awesome insulin in my view, but it can be difficult to know how to use it effectively.

When you need a flexible insulin (shooting on non-12/12 schedule, varying the dose, etc.) my understanding is that those things are difficult with Lantus, so there are some specific cases where PZI is more appropriate. For cats/beans w/o specific needs for flexibility, I think either insulin is probably just fine. Perhaps the biggest thing I've seen with PZI is that sometimes people need to shoot more often than 12/12 for a stretch to get good results, and if that doesn't work for your schedule it's definitely a minus.

If you are thinking of switching yourself I wouldn't - you are getting good results on PZI, and will potentially lose ground during a transition. I would only consider switching if you have tried PZI for a while and just can't get good results on it, or have determined your duration is too short and want to try something that might last longer. I don't see either of those in your case though, but certainly there are kitties who fall in those categories and then I think switching is a good idea.

 

Pru went OTJ :dizcat I agree with everything Joanna said. I think Blue is doing great so far on Prozinc, but you definitely need more data.

 

Koal was on Lantus for about 21/2 years and we switched to ProZinc a little over a month ago. I think that today I will ask my vet about changing back to Lantus; I can't take the extreme fluctuations ANY LONGER!! His numbers typically range from 350+ to below 100. The peak is fast and furious. I had MUCH more stability with Lantus. We got off Lantus because it appeared to not be working any longer, but I think I should have gotten a new vial of Lantus. After reading articles last night, I am thinking that my vial of Lantus had been in use too long; I opened a 10 Ml. vial of Lantus in September 2009. When I called my pharmacist about whether it was still good or not, he referred me to the expiration date on the bottle, which is 2/2011. I thought it was good until then! :roll: Thanks for any information anyone has on this. Koal was much better regulated on Lantus.

 

we went otj 3 years ago with pzi, then in january we needed to get back on. i like pzi becuase lantus is a whole lot more exacting and much more testing. all day long sometimes.
i remember that someone was ready to come over from lantus, then suddenly got the #'s she was looking for and decided to stay...can't remember who it was but it was old timer.

 

missanne,

I don't know much about Lantus but one thing that I did gather from my research is that everyone said to not waste their money on a vial because they do go bad and to get the pens instead. I would actually start your own thread with something about it in the title on the Lantus board. You will get a great response that way and maybe even hear from someone that experienced the same thing. Good luck with your decision!

 

Ditto to everything Joanna said.

Just to add: Charlie went OTJ on prozinc in under 6 mos. Did you see the thread someone recently bumped about recent remissions?

If I were you, I would give it a little more time.
Also consider, how is Blue doing overall? Happy, purring, playing, preening? Treating fd is a marathon, not a sprint, which can be frustrating at times.

My vet currently recommends Lantus/Glargine. I will tell you that if/when Charlie goes out of remission, its probably what I will use. However, it will also depend on whats going on in my life at the time. I do like the flexibility of PZI, and if things are extremely hectic, I might go with PZI....just depends on the situation.

 

Heck no I am not switching! (I made up my mind last night) BUT this further proves I made the right decision, Blue is having a wonderful day and we have our first no shoot night! I am so excited!