Hi all, Any advice or forewarning about switching from Prozinc to Lantus? I am likely switching this week. Went to a new cat vet and this is her advice. Waiting on additional blood tests for pancreatitis (non-symptomatic). Have been on Prozinc since June with a lot of inconsistency and bouncing. Have been advised to stay at 1U. Thoughts? Thanks! Allison & Cherokee
Hey Allison!! What's your schedule like? Do you work during the day? I think that since he actually did earn at least one reduction (by dropping below 68 on the AlphaTrak) on the ProZinc, I'd probably start out a little lower, like .75 Have you bought U100 syringes with half unit markings?
I do work most days but come home at lunch. So, I am usually able to check another BG sometime +5 to +6. I plan to buy the U100 with half units marking. I was able to get the U40 like that and it was very helpful.
I agree with Chris, the 1 unit is too much Prozinc. Maybe do a day or two at 0.75 units of Prozinc and depending on how she does on that, we could go with either 0.5 units or 0.75 units of Lantus. You want to pick a day to switch when you can monitor quite closely. Although Lantus is a depot insulin which can take several days to build, every once in a while we get a kitty who responds strongly to the change.
If you live near a WalMart, you can get them there (although if you ask, they'll tell you there's no such thing) Their Relion 3/10ml, 31 gauge insulin syringes are $12.58 for a box of 100 and they have half unit marks.
Thanks! Am I correct in assuming that most people get the pens and draw from the pen into the syringe? I was told the pens are less expensive than a vial?
Yes! in the long run the pens are better! and yes we do use them like mini vials! there are a couple positives in my mind when it comes to using pens as vials: 1. they aren't breakable; 2. If something goes wrong with one pen it's less stressful because you still have 4 more pens, whereas if something goes wrong with the vial the whole insulin supply is ruined. Upfront cost of the pens is more here in Canada but not by much, additionally the pens last longer than the vial so that is where you get the additional value for the cost.
They're less expensive in the long run because you don't end up throwing half of a vial away when it loses efficacy. The pens you can use pretty much every last drop in each one. A lot of us are buying it from Canada now because it's 1/3 to 1/2 the price compared to US prices. It takes about a week to get delivered (for future reference) Here's information on buying Lantus from Canada
I would suggest calling around and seeing if you can buy a single pen. (They come in a box of 5 but some places will sell one pen.) Sam's Club and Costco pharmacies will sell to non-members, try Target, local hospital outpatient pharmacies, etc. Make a copy of the prescription before you buy the pen. You can then fax or make a pdf of the prescription and send it to Mark's (one of the Canadian pharmacies -- lots of people here use Mark's Marine Pharmacy.)
