2/1 Mida Planning Switch from Vetsulin

[JAT000]

Hi, folks -- I'm delurking after reading parts of the board off and on for a number of years.

Mida has been regulated on Humulin and then Vetsulin for... oh, 5-6 years maybe? My vet brought up the idea of switching given the Vetsulin warnings, and I'm planning to give it a go. I'd like some feedback on the recommended starting dose I got from the clinic.

Mida is a petite, 7-pound Sokoke who gets good fructosamine results on 0.8u Vetsulin. My vet recommends a Lantus starting dose of .5u. Recognizing that ECID, does this sound reasonable? Conservative dosing is a plus because there's no way to have her watched and home tested 24/7 during work days.

BTW, Mida is 19 and is just recovering from a nasty UTI and GI problem that left her a bit anorexic. I'm tempted to wait to switch until she gains back some weight, but if Lantus offers good control it will only help her weight gain.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts -- I have gone through thousands of needles with Mida, but reading the FAQs and threads here have left me feeling kind of like the day I headed out the door from the vet with my first vial of insulin.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Welcome to Lantus Land!

Not having used anything but Lantus, I can only empathize in that Lantus takes a very different approach than Vetsulin -- or so the people who have converted swear! There are quite a few people on this ISG who have recently made the switch and can speak from first hand experience.

I'm hoping one of the users who is more experienced than I will be by to discuss dosing options. My initial thought would be to start even lower, at 0.25 and work the dose up since you mentioned wanting to be conservative. However, I'm concerned about Mida having just recovered from an infection. Are all of her behaviors and LB functions back to normal at this point? What about appetite? Is she still on any meds.

If you've been lurking, you know we are nags about spot checks. Like with Vetsulin, pre-shot tests are essential. You will also need to get mid-cycle checks -- or a minimum of one additional check per cycle. An 'out-the-door' or back home check when you are going to or coming home from work and a before bed check will be helpful. More spot checks are better. Weekends may be the best times to get curves, extra checks, etc. if your schedule is not forgiving during the week.

 

[skippy and birten]

Hi Welcome to LL,
Skippy was on Vetsulin and then we changed to Lantus. This is a great group who are very helpful. I can not give you dosing advise but you should read all the stickies posted regarding the handling etc of Lantus and also start conservatively as Sienna mentioned. Yes, at first I freaked out on the spot checking since I live alone and work full time but it is manageable and is required in order for the group to accurately give you advise. You will get used to it! Good Luck and I think you will see a great change on Lantus

 

[Sherri & Stash (GA)]

Sounds like your vet is a keeper. I would think that .5u of Lantus is a good starting point. However, I think I would wait to make the switch until a weekend so that you can get frequent checks to see how she reacts to the Lantus. But remember, it will take a few cycles for the Lantus to really kick in (bearing in mind that ECID - Every Cat Is Different).

Now... Vetsulin vs Lantus

Check out our spread sheet. See how stagnant we were on Vetsulin? I finally made the switch prior to Thanksgiving - and not because of the FDA - but because I was tired of being stagnant. See how we had almost immediate results on Lantus?

I'll be honest. The switch scared me half to death. I posted constantly on the ISG before every single dose because I was afraid I would make a mistake and kill Stash. (My husband thought I was being ridiculous even though he is very supportive and knows how to do everything.) The most difficult issue I faced was wrapping my head around the fact that while Vetsulin is dosed by pre-shot, Lantus is dosed by Nadir. With Vetsulin I could shoot, and not give the next 12 hours a second thought. Not so with Lantus, especially of an evening. See how we started at 1u bid? We got down to a skinny .5u before health issues caused an increase back up to .75u. And the only way you know about the deceases/increases is by testing.

Had I to do it over again, I would have made the switch in early 2009 when I first started thinking about it. Actually, looking back at my very first FDMB post I saw that my vet mentioned Lantus, but I opted out because of the cost. Now I realize that although the initial $$$ output may be more, overall Lantus is very cost effective.

Good luck!

 

[JAT000]

Thanks for the encouragement! I'm impressed by the success you've had with this insulin.

I think I will hold off until the weekend. Although LB behavior seems back to normal, Mida is being picky with her food and just barely finished a 7-day course of Baytril injections. I'll get some more probiotics in her and let her have few more days to get her strength up.

Oh, and my vet rocks! It's a feline-only practice with a holistic approach, and she's gone the extra mile more than once for Mida.

(I promise to bring numbers next time I post!)