Hello - I've Vader on Levemir since 9/4/18. I wrote the date on the pen, as it was my first time using it. She's on 1u 2x/day. I understand from reading the sticky note that Levemir is good for 42 days... Yesterday was day 42 of the pen and I still have half of it left. Thoughts on keeping the pen going? How can you tell it's no longer good? I'd hate to waste it- I keep it in the fridge at all times, except for the 2 minutes I might have it out at dosing time. It's super expensive, so I am trying to make the most out of it. Any advice is much appreciated.
Pens can last 6 months once opened. If you keep all unopened pens in the fridge, then they can last past the expiration date.
I also use Levemir since July The pen is now more than half full. (kept in the fridge) I've been told here & by my vet to use it to the LAST DROP! Which I'll do. Can't afford not to. Do you need help setting up a spreadsheet? I noticed you don't have one for Cheetah. It's really so important to start one. I use Ravan's several times a day to check back on what my Ravan's Bg is doing How's he's reacting to the insulin. If you put a ? mark & ask for help setting one up there are people here that can advise you or even do it for you. You just need to enter the test numbers each day. It makes it so much easier for someone to help you if you need advice. Have you decided to use the TR or the SLGS method? Did you read the yellow sticky notes? A lot of information, but very important to know. Best of luck to you
Next time you need insulin, you might want to consider buying it from Canada. That's where most of us are buying our Lantus/Levemir now because it's 1/3 to 1/2 the cost!! Here's the information on Buying insulin from Canada
The instructions re. the 42 days is more for humans. If you keep the insulin refrigerated you will get way more than the numbers of days noted. I used Lantus and used pens for close to 3 mos. Keep in mind that sometimes you can get a bad pen or insulin that has been mishandled but more often than not, you will get a much greater lifetime than what the manufacturer states.
I used Levemir for years, always to the last drop. I used a cartridge, which is a pen refill and not available in the US. My girl's dose varied quite a bit, so the cartridge lasted for two weeks to over 90 days, depending on what she needed at the time.
Hi, thank you for the suggestion. My girl Vader was diagnosed in Sept. I am working through the testing now. I have the spreadsheet, but I just need to link it to my signature. I haven't started testing at home yet. I am so nervous about it. I just got a Reli On Prime tonight... I am through the forum for testing procedures and tips. Any suggestions?
Here's something I wrote up for others for testing...maybe it'll help you too! (substitute "her" for "him"...LOL) It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you. Take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he gets a yummy (low carb) treat.Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit! You also have to remember...you're not poking him to hurt him...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also, if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain! It's also important to make sure his ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well For new kitties, using a heavier gauge lancet is also really helpful. A 25-28 gauge lancet pokes a bigger "hole" than a 31-33 gauge lancet does, so look for "Alternate Site testing" lancets that are usually a lower number Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too! Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter! There are more testing tips here: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/
I see that Vader was diagnosed at a 301, I cant' stress enough how important it is for you to test her before you shoot. You must know what her BG is before you shoot. I got in a real mess when I was random testing, and not testing before shots. Vader could be very low at shot time and you don't know. Please, if it's the last thing you do, learn how to test her. It's scary at first , because we've never done it, but, in the long run your're helping Vader more by testing her and keeping her out of possible danger or even death. If that test was on a vet AT meter, she could possibly be lower than that. You may even have to lower her dose once you start testing, wouldnt that be great? Even if she still needs the 1u twice a day, she will need reductions or increases, and only the BG numbers can tell you that
