3/30 Neko AMPS 420 +5 413 - frustrating!

Status
Not open for further replies.
Wendy&Neko

Wendy&Neko

Member Since 2012
Moderator
More of same as yesterday http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=67470

Neko's numbers looked better during the day 2 dose increases ago. She seems to respond to the dose increase after the second dose, and then go flat and high during the day. I know there is an element of NDW happening but shouldn't I start to see some improvement during the day sometime soon? I know I have to be patient but if I'm seeing yellows at night after a dose increase, shouldn't we be getting out of the reds and high pinks during the day?

I worry that we've gone too high for the dose but don't know what to expect.
 
No dosing advice from me, Wendy, just encouragement. It's frustrating to continue to see high numbers, I know -- my Mookie is a bounce-meister. Hang in there!
 
wmoore said:
More of same as yesterday http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=67470

Neko's numbers looked better during the day 2 dose increases ago. She seems to respond to the dose increase after the second dose, and then go flat and high during the day. I know there is an element of NDW happening but shouldn't I start to see some improvement during the day sometime soon? I know I have to be patient but if I'm seeing yellows at night after a dose increase, shouldn't we be getting out of the reds and high pinks during the day?

I worry that we've gone too high for the dose but don't know what to expect.
Click to expand...

The FreeStyle meter has been notorious for the yellows you saw. You were in the same boat as so very many others with testing their cats. It seems that the technology of the FSL strips are somehow not good for cats. As soon as you switched meters, you started to see Neko's true BG numbers, sadly.

Cats go lower at night. It is for that very reason that people are told it's a good idea to get a before-bed test... there have been times when people had to stay up because their cat had gone lower than expected.
So, no, you have not bypassed Neko's good dose. You may also want to increase by .5u because all of Neko's numbers are mostly above 300.

I do know it's frustrating, but the best way to find the proper dose is by following the protocol, holding the dose for 6cycles and then increasing either the .25u if lower nadirs between 200-300, and .5u increase if all over 300.

With the numbers you are getting for Neko, please be sure to test urine for ketones as often as you can.
 
I think if you look at Julie/Punkin's SS, you'll see a similar issue as with Neko -- the Freestyle meter gives inaccurate readings. It is so frustrating for the people that had been using that meter.

After Neko has completed 6 cycles, you can raise the dose. (In other words, you could increase tomorrow morning.) As Gayle noted, given that the majority of Neko's nadirs have been over 300, you could increase the dose by 0.5u. Since you would be increasing over the weekend, hopefully, you will be around and able to keep an eye on Neko's numbers.
 
We had a bit of a holiday from the pokeys today. I told Neko at +5 that if she tested over 400 we were going to wait until PMPS for the next one. She was listening. :-D So we spent some time in the garden in the afternoon. She was doing her cow imitation and eating fresh springtime grass while I was digging.

I am getting more ketone tests in - today was another negative one. It seems that in the last week she is urinating more - although that only means up to 3 times a day from 2. I have a hard time catching her in the act, but yet again today she missed so I got the results on the solarium floor. She likes to back right up to the edge of the LB and sometimes does an overshoot.

I guess I'll go up to 3.0 this weekend. I find it hard to be consistent on the quarter marks. It is just so strange that after the second dose (when the shed had built and things kick in) she goes low, then goes high and stays there. I haven't seem any other spreadsheets like that.
 
Hi Wendy,
I'm sorry that you fell victim to the FreeStyle meter. Many of us have. I'm also sorry that you are continuing to see high numbers. Sienne and Gayle both suggest that you should raise Neko's dose by .5 (instead of .25) because his nadirs are consistently above 300. Although it's not easy to measure the "quarters", it's worth a try. I hate them, too, but perhaps you could fill a syringe to the correct level with some colored water and use it as a reference when you draw up your new dose (which will be 3.25). Counting drops is also a possibility, but it takes some practice. Here's a post from the Levemir Forum last year, where measuring drops is discussed. Maybe it will help.
Good luck,
Ella & Rusty


Sheila & Beau & Jeddie said:
OK - this took longer than I thought... but here are photos.

Pin.... drop (.1u) .... half drop (.05u)


Some microdoses (.25u looks off from angle of photo, I think)


My .6u dose to .65u dose (I AM WAY OFF HERE! SEE PHOTO)


I found that my lines and stopper flange are actually about .2u, so I have to adjust my thinking. However, I will still draw to the same point and switch to calling it .7u or .75u - and update J's SS. Sigh....

ETA: microdose drop method
Here are my microdose instructions again:
The drop method I use is to practice with a used syringe and water or expired insulin and draw up 1u, then twist the barrel (clockwise if the needle is pointed away from you) slightly until a drop forms on the end of the needle. It will be about the size of the end of a straight pin. Flick it off and twist to form another one. Practice until you get 10 drops that size from one unit and 5 drops that size from a half unit. Those would be .1u drops, so you can dose fairly easily in any increment of .1u. If you want to perfect that, try for a drop HALF that size. Those would be .05u drops. Loads of fun to draw! I have to take off my glasses to see to do that.
Click to expand...
 
Ella - Thanks for the pics. I think my issue is that my "morning eyes" have a problem seeing the detail. The practice with drops might be a better way to go for me, but will mean that my DH will also have to practice for the times he has to give the dose. I just wish the syringe vendors had done the plunger and lines in different colours. Black on black is not the best choice!

Celi - my civie thinks Neko is beautiful too, but she wants nothing to do with him. He was a new addition last year who just got 24 hour access to the whole house in November. Theo had spent 6 years at the shelter (with some brief time outs in closets or under the bed at other houses) and took a while to be comfortable in a house. He loves all other cats and she only likes other cats who are not in her house. We call him Neko's groupie. I'm hoping the stress of having him around is not adding to her BG, but she is much more tolerant of him now. I caught her sleeping a foot away from him on the bed last week. I'm hoping if I get her down in numbers she'll be less grumpy and more friendlier to him.
 
yes, wendy, i'm in the boat with you. it sucks. we made the change in meters 2 months ago now and it's taken us that long to just now be getting back to better numbers.

i thought from the freestyle lite that we had a "flat cat" with no super highs and no quick dives down. nope. he seems to bounce all over the place. it's like i got a new cat that i'm having to learn about now.

i've had to almost double his insulin dose to be able to get the same general numbers. punkin has acromegaly, so his dose is higher than you would likely see for neko, but the point is the same.

i agree with gayle and sienne about increasing in the morning. hang in there. all you can do is keep plugging.
 
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Oh, boy...do I hear you on the "integrating" issue!

Binks and i wound up moving in with my sister's two semi-feral Tortie females...
and Lantus Land has been listening to the "Tale Of Two Torties" Saga ever since :lol: :lol:

Binks calls them "Dem Turdie Gurlz" :shock: :lol:

celi
 
That rotten Freestyle meter got me too, well more to the point it got Vyktor - into DKA. I would definitely increase by 0.5 it might be just the kick that Neko needs and you're going to have to get used to those quarter doses sooner or later. We don't even have syringes with half markings here in Australia but I manage. I have 'morning eyes' too so I leave a practice syringe sitting there and flush my eyes with some water before I start drawing up the dose. I also find that when the lines all start blurring together it helps to look away from the syringe and give a fairly vigerous shake of the head (shaking no not nodding yes) and that helps me to regain my focus - might work for you too...
 
Thanks for all the tips everyone. I also have a flashlight I use for the pokies that helps illuminate things. I'll try upping the dose on Sunday. We are going out Saturday night and I want to be around to watch this one.

PMPS 383 +3 393
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top