https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1o4gKfa0xmjK1XAgLJQPeKt1JGPN95N54htm9SP_-UG0 My first post. In the UK. Monty is struggling and I am torn between continuing to increase and to lower in case of overdosing (with his liver dumping glucose to compensate for too much insulin). Feeling desperate, because his BG is so very high. Any advice please. He’s also taking Zodon (for five days so far) in tablet form (no additional sugar in this) for a bone infection
Welcome to the Lantus/Lev/Basaglar board. Can yo0u give us a bit more information. When you say his BG is too high, can you enter some information on your spreadsheet so we have a sense of what you're dealing with? We're pretty numbers driven FWIW, any infection may be raising numbers. (Zodon is clindamycin here in the US.)
Did you get the template for your spreadsheet from our site? The World numbers should populate the US tab. The person who can fix this may not be available over the holiday weekend. (It's a US holiday -- Thanksgiving -- starting tomorrow.) @Marje and Gracie What kind of food are you feeding Monty? Does he go outdoors and could your neighbors be leaving food out? How's his behavior? I'm wondering int here's any possibility that the antibiotic for the bone infection isn't working. We often see a change to higher numbers like you're seeing if there's an infection or inflammation present.
The spreadsheet is from a Facebook page and is a Google sheet. Can you see the numbers on the World tab that I have entered at all? He’s on low carb wet food. Doesn’t leave the house (or even his room currently) ever. But this is likely because of the bone infection has damaged his leg and he’s problems with mobility Slight increase in thirst and weeing. Is isolating himself a little more, but this fluctuates on a daily basis. He’s arthritis, but he’s had this since before diagnosis and he was enjoying blue and yellow numbers until August.
The Facebook group pirated our spreadsheet. I can see the World numbers. The problem is that they don't auto convert to the US numbers, which is what our spreadsheet template does. Most of the members here are from the US and it would mean that we would have to manually convert every number on your spreadsheet (or you would) which is a colossal waste of time when the spreadsheet will do it automatically. Bone infections can be tricky. It's only been 5 days and it's possible that they haven't had a chance to start working. How is the vet planning on monitoring so you know that the antibiotics are doing their job? At the moment, given Monty's numbers, it looks like the antibiotics haven't kicked in or they aren't working. Did they do any kind of aspiration and culture to make sure that the Zodon is the correct medication?
I read World numbers, am from Canada. I suspect Monty has some glucose toxicity. The name is worse than it sounds, But it basically means his body is used to higher numbers and you need to increase to get over it. It has been over a month since he saw even blue. Time to increase by 0.25 units. I don’t think the antibiotics will be enough to lower his numbers by themselves.
He’s going to the vet this morning about the bone infection, so I will ask abut Zodon being the correct medication. His numbers were fine when he first acquired the infection (it was three vet visits later that the vet finally decided to investigate further). Then he was placed on antibiotics, which coincided with the numbers increase. Completed the course of antibiotics mid September and the numbers have just carried on increasing ever since. I will increase by 0.25 today. If I follow TR, presumably I only need to wait 3-4 days (with regular testing) to increase again by 0.25 if the numbers don’t drop?
Yes, that is correct regarding when to increase -- you hold the dose for 3 days/6 cycles if the majority of nadir are over 200. If below 200, you hold the dose for 5 days/10 cycles. Good luck at the vet. Please let. us know what your vet has to say.
@Katykartweel The SS you got from the FB group was pirated from us and then modified. It “blows up” quite often when we click on it so we have been requiring new members to use our spreadsheet because we can’t help you if we can’t read the SS. If you need any help or would like me to do the SS for you, please send me a private message by clicking on “Marje and Gracie” to the left and then “start a conversation”. Thank you and welcome to FDMB.
Welcome to the Forum Katy! As soon as you can get your spreadsheet set up - per the above posters - you'll have made the next biggest step in getting help for you and Monty. The first step was posting here! There's a lot of help and support from experienced members who've been doing this for a long time. Looking forward to seeing your next post with your SS.
The vet was rather vague (and annoying). She didn’t seem to be clear about whether to continue with the antibiotics. I asked her for clarification about the signs of Monty still needing them, but was still unclear at the end. He’s had blood tests because of what looks like liver inflammation from an x-ray, but again she’s not sure. Despite chasing them, I’ve yet to receive a phone call about the blood test result. Yes, I am considering changing vets, but I’ve only just changed to the current one and it’s close by. I’ve been through quite a few already and running out of option of those close enough so as not to put Monty through an excessive journey. He remains in the early 20s, so I’ve increased to 2.5U and hope to get a curve this Saturday.
If you post a note here and on the Health board regarding where you're located and ask for a recommendation, people may be able to give you some names. There may be fewer suggestions given that you're in the UK but you never know! At least in the US, there are vets who have "cat's only" practices.
