? Will after meal GL tests give false results ?

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Photorecon, May 4, 2016.

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  1. Photorecon

    Photorecon Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2016
    Will after meal tests give false results ?


    Good morning all,


    After completing my spread sheet (finally), I was suggested, strongly recommended, to performed more than 2 tests every day. Since diagnosed, I've been testing Small Kitty pm after shot, just before meal time.

    While reading this post :

    http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...ion-possible-with-a-full-time-job-yes.129378/


    I saw that some, if not everybody are doing +2 3 4.. tests. While monitoring / feeding Small Kitty during ketoacidosis episode I had to test every 3h. At one point not long after meal / shot / test time I got some frightening test result (540 or something like that). I called the vet right away as this was WAY above typical GL. I was told that these number were not a concern because meal was being processed increasing GL.

    The same thing is mentioned in the Alphatrack II and other meters manual. There are mention that testing 2h after meal is not a good time for accurate results.

    Is this making sens ?

    Thanks to clarify.

    btw, my spread sheet is now online (finally). I'll post it on the Lantus forum after lab test the week-end.

    Sébastien
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2016
  2. Larry and Kitties

    Larry and Kitties Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    Testing up to 1/2 hour after should have little effect on BG since it takes awhile for the insulin to reduce BG and for the food to raise BG. It is not unusual for BG taken 1 hour after shot/eating to show a higher BG then taken right before eating/shot since for some insulins and cats the food effect is faster than the insulin effect.
     
  3. manxcat419

    manxcat419 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2015
    The reason we test at +2 is because, once we have enough data for an individual cat to show that they follow the typical pattern, it can often give us a good idea of what's likely to happen during that cycle. The higher reading you often see at +2 is due to a food spike because the cat is digesting the food, as you stated. However, for a lot of cats that gives us some really good information to work on - if the +2 is the same or lower than the pre-shot number that is often an early warning that the cat may have a more active cycle than usual and may drop low at some point. So the +2 test, for many people here, is actually one of the most important ones as it helps us to figure out how often we will need to test during that cycle.
     
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  4. BJM

    BJM Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2010
    The Lantus Sticky posts at the top of the Lantus/Levemir section explain the typical curve for Lantus. Very often, there may be a food spike around +2. If not, or if dropping, as noted above, it may indicate an active cycle where you'll want to be alert to going lower than desirable.
     
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  5. Photorecon

    Photorecon Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2016
    Humm, +2... My though was more like before bed, somewhere between +4 +5. That (I don't know) might
    bring results with a meal gone / insuling getting into action and bring positive (to my moral) results. I don't
    know. I made an offer to a guy on Ebay of 50$ (canadian) for 100 strips. I cannot, like many test every haft hour,
    that would make my supply run dry too quickly.

    But your reasoning does make sens, with a +2 test you can use a rule of thirds and maybe put the meal processing
    gives the ''worst case scenario''. Thing is that all you guys and girls are with cat that are at risk of going too low.
    Is my situation requiring the same strategy ? Small Kitty is at no risk of getting too low for now.
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2016
  6. manxcat419

    manxcat419 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2015
    If you can possibly do both, at least some days, that would really help. If you can only do one or the other, then the before bed test at night is a really important one so you can make sure he isn't actually going too low at that point - that way you can sleep without worrying.

    That's what we all think - until our cat does go too low! If you can, please take a look at Rosa's SS in my signature - you can see how she started off with all her numbers really high (most of them were over the meter limit for the first few days), and then how quickly she started dropping into first some good numbers and then some really low ones some days. Small Kitty may not react like that to the insulin - but then again, he might. Testing is the only way to be certain.
     
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