VERY VERY STRANGE - preshot 219, +6 312, new pen

This is VERY strange; I can't call Dr. Jen at this hour, but maybe someone can shed some light. Ragnar has been having just slightly wonky numbers lately; his pen of Lantus had been open since 1/17; we got a new one "just in case."

Last night his sugar was predictably up from the vet stress, 393, but I gave him his usual 3/4u, from the old pen because I wanted to ask Dr. Jen first whether I should cut back a little on the dose in case the new Lantus was stronger. 12 hours post-shot he was only up to 183 - I have been shooting at around 300, or at least 250. 15 hours post-shot, it was still only 219, but I gave him his 1/2u from the NEW pen anyway. (The vet had said to cut back the first time in case it was stronger.) I just tested him at +6 and he is 312!

We got the new pen because the old one didn't seem to be taking him down far enough. If I gave him a dose that would leave him at a shootable number 12 hours later, it would only take him down from about 300 to around 185 - not low enough, we thought, and not long enough either (when I did a curve). So we got the new pen, with the results I just gave you.

I can't keep buying pen after pen and throwing them away - can't afford it. But the pharmacist DID know it was for veterinary use, and I wonder if he gave us a bad pen to make $50 on one that had frozen, etc, which he wouldn't sell for human use. I do not trust this pharmacist, but he is the only one in town who will sell a single pen (one at a time).

Could there be another reason? The 1/2u instead of 3/4? I will give him 3/4 tonight from the OLD pen, which at least worked somewhat, and talk to the vets tomorrow, but does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!

Shirley and Mr. Wonderful

PS: I am sorry if the spreadsheet isn't up to date. I can't use the Google spreadsheets with my computer, but a friend on the board has been entering them for me. She may have been too busy to enter them for a while; if you need more info on his recent numbers I can give it.

PPS: I got an excellent pen from this pharmacist the first time. I walked in and bought it myself; he did not know it was for a cat until he had taken it out of the package. He practically threw it at me, glared at me, and was apparently still angry because my mother and I had switched pharmacies in 1993. (They had made us wait while they waited on many people who'd come in after we had, and when I got home I transferred our records to a different drugstore, which I've used every since.) This time an assistant from the clinic picked it up; he did know it was for the veterinary clinic. As far as I know, he didn't know which patient - and Dr. Jen made sure he didn't know. It could still be a bad pen, if he doesn't value the lives of pets.

 

I'm afraid I don't know, but the least I can do is give you a bump so more eyes can see.

They'd be a very nasty coldhearted pharmacist if he did indeed give you a bad pen. That's just wrong. But perhaps it is something else and not that at all. Still very peculiar.

 

oftentimes a hospital pharmacy is happy to sell single pens, as they open the multi-packs for patient use.

also, if the is a Costco where you live, they sell single pens, and you don not have to have a membership to buy from the pharmacy.

sorry i can't shed any light on Ragnar's numbers...but i'll wager a wise one will be by shortly...

hope he levels out for you soon.

Celi & Binks

 

Hi Shirley, I think it's very possible that the pen is fine. Since you shot 3 hours late, it was like a reduction already, and then you also reduced the dose. I would continue to use the new pen and see if his numbers stabilize again with consistent dosing.

Just a thought...if you want to stop buying from that pharmacy, you might consider mail ordering your lantus from a canadian pharmacy. I just bought a box of pens for $95.

 

What Laurie says makes sense. A late shot acts as a reduction because the last shot has worn off. I hope the pen is okay and that Ragnar surprises you (in a good way!) tomorrow.

 

Yes, things were going strangely even before I used the new pen. It was very unusual for him not to get into the high 200s or low 300s at +12. VERY! He had that high number from the trip to the vet (and a long wait while the assistant got the Lantus - AND a blood test, AND an ultrasound) - under the circumstances, the 393 didn't surpsise me. I gave him only his usual shot, from the old pen, and the low numbers - the long time he took to come up to a shootable number - really DID surprise me. He seems to go up and down irrespective of his shots. Tonight he'll get 3/4u again, and hopefully get off the roller coaster.

$95 for FIVE? "My Gawd." If I'd know that, I wouldn't have been paying $57 sometimes, $50 this time, for one! Thanks for the tip - and do you have the address of that Canadian pharmacy? The hospital and I can perhaps share a box.

Blessings!

 

Thanks for the bump!

He probably is a nasty coldhearted pharmacist - I switched to another pharmacy in 1993 because he'd made me wait and wait (I was getting my mother's heart pills) while my 87-year-old mother sat in a very cold car. Then he apparently held it against me 17 years later - unless he was angry because I'd "tricked" him into giving me good Lantus for a cat! I will surely get my next pen from the Canadian pharmacy if this one doesn't work out.

Blessings!

 

Thanks! I will check with the hospital next time if we need it in a hurry (too fast to use a Canadian pharmacy). The nearest Costco and Sam's Club are both too far away, alas!

 

Shirley -- I don't know either, but I'll also guess that the pen is okay, and you're seeing variations from other causes. I don't think you can make a judgment about the pen from one shot. See what the wise ones have to say in the morning. It may just be a reaction to the dose change.

 

This is the one I ordered from http://www.pharmacyrxworld.com/ There is a thread in the supply closet that has several different canadian pharmacy websites on it....this one had the best price. It does take some time to receive your order, so allow a couple of weeks at least to get the shipment....mine took about 10 days.

Good luck...I hope Ragnar's numbers get better!

 

Thank you!!!

 

only for the US, but i used this coupon for 1 pen that would've been $41 at a Sav-on Pharmacy. So I paid $15 for one pen.

You might try other nearby pharmacies to see if any others would sell you the single pen. Then you could use the coupon.

http://www.lantus.com/solostar-insulin-pen/solostar-coupon.aspx

 

Thank you! I would love to get that coupon and try again. Alas, the link goes to "this page cannot be displayed." :roll: Maybe they have taken down the offer already???

Dr. Jen called all the other pharmacies in town, and none would sell a single pen. I haven't tried the hospital yet - that is a good idea. He is still getting "nadir" numbers higher than his preshots, and we even tried it with the old pen and got the same. This is 12 hours between shots - not an extended period, just the normal one. It wasn't the reduced dose (he's back to 3/4u - any higher and we didn't get a shootable number after the next 12 hours) or the longer wait after all; we are back to 3/4u, 12 hours apart, and it doesn't help. Can anyone shed any light on this odd, odd situation?

Blessings!