6/1 Lucy PMPS=218

Happy Sunday!

Yesterday's condo

Yesterday
AMPS=230 (1u); +2.5=293; +4.25=284; +6.25=229; +9=245
PMPS=239 (1u); +2=239; +4.5=254

Today
AMPS=211 (1u); +2=268; +4.5=239; +7.5=259; +10.5=221
PMPS=218 (1u);

Lucy is feeling and eating good today too!
So far, I've been successful at giving Azodyl on an empty stomach.
It's a bit hard to have to get up at +10 to give the pill especially on a sub-q fluids day because I have to stay awake till around PM+6 to give her the fluids right in the middle of a cycle.
Maybe it becomes easier once my body gets used to the routine.

Now that she's doing better, I am paying more attention to her numbers and I don't like all these yellows at all.
She's just flat yellow, and not even visiting blue.
I am very worried how her numbers have gotten worse at the past 2 dosecreases.
I'd feel OK if the numbers just didn't improve, but they got worse.
When she didn't improve on 5/17 (from 0.75u to fat 0.75), I thought that the a/bs were interfering, so I didn't worry.
But I expected her numbers to improve after another dosecrease on 5/28 (from fat 0.75u to 1u) especially after the the a/bs were done with.
No... not better.... I stopped seeing even a glimpse of blue.
This is not right... yes, I added Azodyl, which may raise her numbers, but she's off a/bs and her white blood cell count was normal for the first time in a long time.

So.... once again I am worried I somehow bypassed a good dose.
I know it's a bad habit of mine, but I can't help but worry about bypassing a good dose and putting her in some kind of a constant bounce mode whenever a dosecrease makes her numbers worse.
Maybe when she got off the a/bs, I should have reduced her dose? I don't know, I thought I had plenty of room for more juice... I don't know.
I know experienced advice givers will tell me I couldn't have overdosed her by the way I was so sllloooooowly increasing her dose and how often I was testing so I should follow the protocol until I hit the breakthrough dose, but I can't shake off my doubt.
I really hate this.... It really messes up with my confidence when a dosecrease makes her numbers worse. angry(2)_cat

Another thing I am thinking is I have always had a small doubt about potency of this particular box of Lantus.
So I'm going to buy a new box today, and try that tonight.
If that doesn't help, I'm thinking about going back to 0.75u to reset the dose ladder.
I am very frustrated with this, with myself for not understanding this, but still this is all better than worrying over not eating.

Any thoughts will be appreciated.
Sending vines to all in need.

Re: 6/1 Lucy AMPS=211;+2=268;+4.5=239

Hi Mariko - so sorry to see that Lucy is matching the sunshine instead of the blue skies around here. :YMHUG: I hope the new cartridge does the trick, there definitely seems to be a change in the SS after that was introduced. It is great to hear that she's eating with more enthusiasm. Do you think she's eating any more? More food/carbs might explain what's happening.

A couple of observations about dosing. First, around here I've seen better results if you increase by larger amounts. The protocol calls for .25U increases. With Neko, I've found that fattening the dose only really works if I'm just trying to tweak the greens a bit. Otherwise, it's like they ignore the increases. :roll: If I want to make a real change, I go up by .25U.

Second, yes you have been going up by safe amounts. I don't think you bypassed a good dose. In addition to adding the Azodyl, back on the 22nd you added Viralys. There seems to be less mid cycle blue after that was added. Sometimes you just have to increase the dose to compensate for meds. Anne/Liz just commented yesterday that they had to increase Zener to his highest dose yet and that's because of meds. Follow the numbers. I like this quote that Libby posted today in the Myths Debunked posting.

If your cat has been in pretty good numbers for a while, then suddenly loses regulation, don't hold the dose, get the regulation back! If they are used to good numbers, it is much, much easier to get the good numbers back if you do it quickly.

Click to expand...

Re: 6/1 Lucy AMPS=211;+2=268;+4.5=239

Thank you, Wendy.

What's worrying me so much is that the dosecrease did not just "not work", but she going higher at every dosecrease.... :-x
Viralys is L-Lysine from Vetquinol, and according to Marje, it has nothing in it that might raise BG.
But I thought about that too, and skipped it on Friday morning, but didn't make it any better......

Re: 6/1 Lucy AMPS=211;+2=268;+4.5=239

And it's the same L-Lysine I marked as "L-Lysine" in her ss all along.
I just thought I'd be brand-specific for future reference in case I want to change the brand.

Re: 6/1 Lucy AMPS=211;+2=268;+4.5=239

OK - I didn't know it was L-Lysine. That should be OK if you've checked the ingredients. I found some L-Lysine products with rice starch in them. :-x

Sometimes kitties just need more juice, pancreas gets tired or something. Back in the beginning of this year Neko did the same on me. I experimented with just fattening the dose and it sometimes seemed to make things worse. It wasn't until I did the .25U increases that it seemed to jump start things.

Re: 6/1 Lucy AMPS=211;+2=268;+4.5=239;+7.5=259

OK I got a new box of Lantus....
I bought it from a different pharmacy, and even made sure that the lot is different.
Please let his work.... please let this work.... please let this work.... please let this work.....

Because I don't want to reset but I don't feel comfortable increasing either.
I think there have been too many factors with Lucy in the past couple of months that could have effected her BGs I can't just compare dose and numbers to make sense of things.
Bad tooth, infection, inflammation, a/bs, new supplements..... :roll:

Re: 6/1 Lucy AMPS=211;+2=268;+4.5=239;+7.5=259

I know it's frustrating, but remember Lucy is feeling good. I know we all want good numbers, but it's not just about the numbers. It's about the whole cat.

I do hope the new Lantus will bring her numbers down. :YMHUG: :YMHUG:

Re: 6/1 Lucy AMPS=211;+2=268;+4.5=239;+7.5=259

I can't imagine how frustrated, overwhelmed, and confused you feel right now. I wish I could help with all of those feelings. Just know that I'm thinking about you and sending lots of hugs and anti-stress vines your way. :YMHUG: Paws are crossed that the new insulin will make a difference.

Re: 6/1 Lucy AMPS=211;+2=268;+4.5=239;+7.5=259

All I can suggest is you just keep going until you find a dose that seems to work for her!

Lucy is on so many medications, and as we know, there are so many things that can effect their numbers besides that...different time of year, change in food formulas, just so many things...............and there's the fact she's a cat!

I think you could go up to 1.25 and see if it gets her attention. She's been on 1 unit for 12 cycles now with only one dip into blues, so I'd go up to 1.25

Sometimes that's all we can really do! You've definitely not gone up too fast, so I wouldn't worry about that. If anything, you've held doses a little longer than we'd usually suggest at times, and that can lead to insulin resistance.

Good luck, and hopefully she'll start to show you some better numbers soon!

Lucy has had so many changes in her conditions and medications in the past couple of months, and I don't know what's what.
True, a change in meds can raise her numbers - what used to be enough can be not enough after an additional meds.
But then it could also be true that what used to be not enough can be too much after a/bs are done and infection/inflammation are treated, couldn't it.

What I am NOT doing at the moment is to up her dose.
My immediate plan is to try the new box of lantus and hold the dose.
She's been off a/bs for only 4 days and it's been about a week on this dose.
She's taken almost 2 weeks to work an increase in the past.
She's a slow and fragile cat, who has tons of issues.
I can't do what works for most FD cats, and expect it to work the same way.
Fast dose increase got her really sick in the past, so I'm just scared.
I just want to make absolutely sure that more is what she needs before I do it, even 99% sure isn't good enough.

I can't give advice but I am sending good thoughts that the new insulin and new dose will work its magic for Lucy. She is recovering from pancreatitis so that I bet is part of what is happening. I'm glad that she is eating and feeling better. :YMHUG: :YMHUG:

I was just reading about Azodyl. It can cause vomiting and diarrhea, especially when first started. The jury seems to be out as to whether it helps or not. So if you see any GI symptoms I wanted to warn you. I hope it helps of course.