5/21Polly AMPS287+1.75=321+9.75=293PMPS 293+3=244

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Re: 5/21 Polly AMPS 287 +1.75=321

Hi guys .. wooops, wrong with polly! Turn it around and head on down to the lagoon today! Have a great day guys!
 
Re: 5/21 Polly AMPS 287 +1.75=321 +7=283

I woke up thinking about polly at 5am this morning! the more i think about it, the more i think i'd try to get a new pen to try on her.

My concern about see-sawing the dose yesterday was not that you had done it, but whether or not it was done at the vet's before you got the vial.

Her spreadsheet is just unusual enough that i think it's worth getting a new pen and seeing if her numbers change. With the Lantus Savings Card, you should be able to get one pen fairly cheaply. It's common for a cat to have to go up in dose to find the "right" dose, but one of the things that is odd about Polly's spreadsheet is that her numbers were better before she started getting insulin. In fact, her numbers pre-insulin weren't very bad at all. With mostly blue pre-insulin numbers, i would've thought that she would've gotten into good numbers fairly quickly when you started insulin.

I'm not aware of people getting their Lantus from the vet. Lantus is a human insulin, so people get it at a regular pharmacy. Typically a vet will fax or phone in an order for the insulin to the pharmacy and then you pick it up at the pharmacy. Often single pens are provided at hospitals and nursing homes, so pharmacies that supply those places are often pharmacies that will break a box of 5 up and sell just one.

Thanks for answering my 40 questions yesterday! ;-) :lol: Just want to figure out if there is something we can do to help improve her response to the insulin.
 
Re: 5/21 Polly AMPS 287 +1.75=321 +7=283

julie & punkin (ga) said:
I woke up thinking about polly at 5am this morning! the more i think about it, the more i think i'd try to get a new pen to try on her.

Her spreadsheet is just unusual enough that i think it's worth getting a new pen and seeing if her numbers change. With the Lantus Savings Card, you should be able to get one pen fairly cheaply. It's common for a cat to have to go up in dose to find the "right" dose, but one of the things that is odd about Polly's spreadsheet is that her numbers were better before she started getting insulin. In fact, her numbers pre-insulin weren't very bad at all. With mostly blue pre-insulin numbers, i would've thought that she would've gotten into good numbers fairly quickly when you started insulin.

Called a local pharmacy--small town, middle of nowhere--they have a box of pens. Called my vet, asked them to fax a scrip. Don't think my vet will like the idea, but I think he'll do it. Should be able to pick pens up tomorrow.

Question: Do I start all over again with the protocol when I begin using the pen? Yes, I know, the answer is in the stickys I'm sure. I'm just too tired and frazzled to search. I will, though, if you think I should do some of this research myself! ;-)

Thanks for caring so much about my Doodlebug. And me.

Marilyn and Polly (aka Doodlebug)
 
Re: 5/21 Polly AMPS 287 +1.75=321 +7=283 +9.75=293

no, the answer's not going to be in the stickies. so don't bother hunting.

let me consult with others about the dose and get back to you with options. i was thinking about it too. It might be best if we looked at the pros and cons of the situation for either sticking with this dose or reducing to something less, so you can weigh the choice and make the decision.

when you're new at the whole feline diabetes you don't even know what to look for to figure out what might be going on. you need other people to look out for you! i hope this is what's behind her numbers.
 
Re: 5/21 Polly AMPS 287 +1.75=321 +7=283 +9.75=293

just thinking, marilyn. i could be wrong about the insulin - so definitely hang onto the current vial. if her numbers don't change with a new pen, then it will tell us it's not the insulin and we just need to keep going up in dose. I hate having you buy an entire box of pens just to try this out, but i do think it's worth exploring to make sure the insulin is ok. Are you sure you don't want to try to get one pen instead of the whole box?
 
Re: 5/21 Polly AMPS 287 +1.75=321 +7=283 +9.75=293

julie & punkin (ga) said:
just thinking, marilyn. i could be wrong about the insulin - so definitely hang onto the current vial. if her numbers don't change with a new pen, then it will tell us it's not the insulin and we just need to keep going up in dose. I hate having you buy an entire box of pens just to try this out, but i do think it's worth exploring to make sure the insulin is ok. Are you sure you don't want to try to get one pen instead of the whole box?


Oh, I understand. A new source of insulin may not be the answer. But I won't know unless I try! I just can't help but feel Polly's response to the insulin I have is too weird not to at least give the pen a go. If that's not the answer, well I can check that off the elimination process.

And I don't want to delay. I have a three day weekend upcoming (I hope I get Monday off work!). No better time to try.

Extra pens. No problem. I'm sure I can find someone who can use them. My pharmacist may even know a program I could donate them to. Not a worry on my end. They won't bere wasted!

Plus, once Polly knows I've made the investment in new insulin, she just may decide to respond more usually to the vial I have! She is, after all, a cat!

Thanks,

Marilyn and Polly
 
Re: 5/21 Polly AMPS 287 +1.75=321+9.75=293 PMPS 293

hahaha it's so true! when people write that they're going to increase the dose at the next shot - BOOM - suddenly kitty goes green . . . it's like a little conspiracy . . . keep the people all messed up and not able to figure out what's going on! :lol:

ok, great. i'm glad it's not a problem for you to try out the new pens.

on the dose - some of the consideration is that if we reduce back to a smaller dose, she may be in higher numbers. if you keep the dose the same and the insulin was bad, she may go into low numbers.

between those two options, which way would you lean?

another option - perhaps we could reduce it slightly. The weight-based formula if she were brand new on Lantus for starting would be 1.1u, so we'd say 1unit. I haven't heard back from anyone yet, but Wednesdays are days that many of us have conflicts. i'm getting ready to head out to my quilting group and will check back tonight and let you know. i assume you won't have the new pen in time for the morning shot anyway, right? so it would be tomorrow night that you'd start?
 
Re: 5/21 Polly AMPS 287 +1.75=321+9.75=293 PMPS 293

julie & punkin (ga) said:
hahaha it's so true! when people write that they're going to increase the dose at the next shot - BOOM - suddenly kitty goes green . . . it's like a little conspiracy . . . keep the people all messed up and not able to figure out what's going on! :lol:



on the dose - some of the consideration is that if we reduce back to a smaller dose, she may be in higher numbers. if you keep the dose the same and the insulin was bad, she may go into low numbers.

between those two options, which way would you lean?

another option - perhaps we could reduce it slightly. The weight-based formula if she were brand new on Lantus for starting would be 1.1u, so we'd say 1unit. I haven't heard back from anyone yet, but Wednesdays are days that many of us have conflicts. i'm getting ready to head out to my quilting group and will check back tonight and let you know. i assume you won't have the new pen in time for the morning shot anyway, right? so it would be tomorrow night that you'd start?


My vet called tonight. He thinks this is a good idea. He's been very supportive throughout although he does suggest I hold doses longer than six cycles. He'd like me to give each increase 10 cycles. Other than that, he's been a go on everything I've done.

I know how to handle "lows" (lc food, hc food, karo (honey, here), testing 15-20 minutes intervals 'til numbers trend up and stay trending for three checks. So I guess I'd be comfortable starting at a skinny 1.5 or 1.25 if you think that would be safer without being too disruptive. But not until Saturday night's shot. I'm outta the house Friday night for several hours and will be gone for 4-5 hours midday Saturday. But I'll be home Saturday night through Tuesday morning monitoring. Plus, I can get some desperately needed rest Saturday with a btb after am shooting.

Thanks.

Marilyn and Polly
 
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