? 9/14 Squeaky, AMPS 328, 377 +6, slgs, need testing advice for tonight

Suggestions for the vet?

Thanks,

Jan

Squeaky's spreadsheet - Google Drive

 

Hi Jan, are you following SLGS or TR? Could you mention that in both your signature and SS please?

Also, if you could share the link of your previous post in the current one, it would be easier for us to toggle through all your posts to see history.

 

Thanks much for the instruction. I don't think we are following either protocol at the moment. Guess I need to call someone and discuss them.

 

Hi Jan, were you posting on the Main Health Forum before coming here to the Lantus Forum?

It's difficult to discuss your issues without a couple of things:

1)Please edit your title to look like this:

? 9/14 Squeky AMPS 377 - New member, help with SS, or something along those lines....(use the question mark to draw attention to your post), if you have a question.

This will help everyone realize that you're new (I think)..and that it's today...it's very difficult to figure out who's on first without some semblance of organization. When you have a moment please read this stickie -so you can understand why we ask:
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/6-26-psa-please-read.231511/

Then this one:

HOW TO HELP US HELP YOU! https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216696/

I'm not sure what the question is about 'anything to say about the SS' at this point...you're new, it's early and there's no dosing method chosen, that matters as far as when to change doses, etc. I'm also not sure who you might call to discuss...your vet isn't going to know anything about those dosing methods.

We'd love to help you...but really need for you to update your post/condo/thread for today and then we can go from there

 

I suggest you follow SLGS at least to start. You dint test nearly enough for TR. On 9/12 you got a PMPS under 100 and had to skip. Then her numbers shot up as expected. Since Lantus dosing is based on how low it takes your cat, about 7 days after the skipped shot do a curve testing every 2 hours for a full cycle or every 3 hours for 18 hours. Then her next dose can be determined. If she ever us under 200 at preshot, post for help and don’t feed. Write stalling, need help in the subject. If you get a test under 90 at any time you will decrease to .75 and that will be the new dose. Does this make sense?

 

Thank you. My mind is so discombobulated, I appreciate the hand-holding. We're actually doing much better now than at first. I will do so as soon as I can. It will probably be tonight.

 

Thank you, Luci, I am studying and slowly coming to understand bits and pieces of this. What is a condo?

 

Hi Jan, this is Sue btw, Luci is still learning to type...but has a long way to go...she mostly types a lot of zzzzzzzzzzz's when she lays on the keyboard LOL!

This post that you started today is referred to as a 'condo'....don't worry about all the verbiage we use here...it takes a little time to catch on to what the slang means. There's a slang dictionary around here somewhere...I'll see if I can find it for you...
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/lantus-basaglar-levemir-isg-slang-dictionary.1903/

Enjoy reading that...I thought it was very enlightening...especially when people were talking about being in the lagoon, swimming with the sharks or cats on the beach! For what it's worth, I often refer to Luci as being in the lemon tree - if you look at her SS and see all the yellow - you'll see why I say that - lemons = yellow...Luci loves her lemons

 

Newbie here. We have just learned how to get reliable BG readings and have just started doing +6 readings. So forgive us for not having more data. We need to go a little slow here.

Squeaky is feeling so miserable today and tonight. Spreadsheet link: Squeaky's spreadsheet - Google Drive.

Please note that he is still on steroids and also cerenia. The doses I've given him are in the spreadsheet notes.

His numbers had been in the high 200s and low 300s with a couple of forays into the 400s. The vet (who we now know doesn't know what she is doing) bumped him from 1 unit to 2 units. His glucose went down to 97, then he bounced back into the low 400s.

The group said he shouldn't have been increased so fast, and to go back to 1 unit, which I did. Now his sugars are all over the 300 range.

I have noticed when his glucose is high (high meaning high 200s and above), he feels crummy. He's feeling really crummy today. Went and hid deeply in the closet. Okay he has just come out of the closet and is eating, so he is doing better. But that behavior scares me.

Becky in California suggested that I write you all and ask if you agree that I should kind of bypass the 7 day rule and start giving him 1.25 units.

Thank you so much!

 

When you say 7 day rule have you decided to follow SLGS ? With TR you could increase after 3 days but you did get a blue preshot last night I believe.

 

Thank you, I have understood everything except the part about the test under 90. Do you mean I need to decrease .25 (if I am giving 1 unit it would then be .75)? Because I think at the moment we are needing to increase.

Thank you so much for your sage advice. It is starting to make some sense.

 

Jan, it looks like you have several different posts today. It’s asked that you post ine cido a day. Change the title if you have questions.
@Wendy&Neko Can you merge her condos. I don’t know how many there are.

 

Thank you I will study the slang! Cheers and have a nice night.

 

Lantus takes a certain number of cycles to stabilize. You have to give the same dose at least six cycles in a row to see what the dose can do. The only way you can increase even after six cycles is if you are following TR and have two tests each cycle so you know how low the dose is taking the cat. We do know that 1 unit did take Squeaky to under 200, which even under TR would have you hold the dose even longer.

 

What I said was you need to hold the 1 unit unless she drops under 90.

 

Oh got it. Thanks!!!!!

 

The two posts have been merged into one.

 

Thank you we are not ready to test every two hours. Still too new at this and a bit shaky each time we test. We have just learned how to get BG successfully without panic, and we have just worked up to getting a mid-cycle test. We both need to stabilize that for a few days. Really. Two days ago I was crying every time we had to do this.

 

What is a condo? Seems I have messed something up?

 

You don't need to test every two hours to follow TR, you need to test 4 times per day. Two preshots, plus two others.

A "condo" is your post or the thread that you post daily. It is called a condo, cause kitties hang out in condos. It was named that way before I started.

We do ask that you start just one post per day. There are enough cats there, that it's hard to keep track of the latest action if there multiple posts going per day per cat.

 

Wow! Great to be finally getting this piece by piece so I can post here. THANK YOU. Okay only one post. Tomorrow is another day! I'll do better then. For sure!

 

Wow, four shots per day. Okay we may have this!

 

Just to clarify....it's 4 tests per day, not shots!

Two tests are the AMPS and PMPS....If you want to follow Tight Regulation (TR), you also need to get at least 1 mid-cycle on the AM cycle (like 5-7 hours after the morning shot) and then at least 1 "before bed" test on the PM cycle (at least 2-3 hours after the evening shot)

You also have to understand and be willing to test more often if necessary (like if he's dropping fast or getting too low) as well as losing some sleep occasionally if he's dropping at night.

 

Hey Chris, thank you so much. Oh yes, oops I meant tests. To the cat it all feels like needles poking him, right?

Okay I think I will re-read the TR instructions. What happens is the lingo and the abbreviations are so many, it takes me a while to catch onto things.

I think I can probably test him 4 times a day, for how long does this need to happen? Always or just for a while?

 

Oh wow, change the title if I have questions. Thank you so much. This forum is SO different from the other! I will get the hang of it!!!! Thank you.

 

Okay interesting. Thank you. Keep talking at me and I will eventually catch on. I've already come so far thanks to the great folks like you. I feel very hopeful.

 

As long as he requires insulin.

Have you made a testing routine? Same place every time? And a special treat whether you get blood or not? Most kitties really do catch on pretty quick that anytime mom's near the "testing spot" and getting the supplies out, there's a yummy treat on the way and they come running.

 

Thanks I wish it were that simple.

 

Four times a day forever? I'm not sure we can do that on an ongoing basis.

 

It's testing 4x a day until you have a better idea of patterns, your cats onset and nadir, how to handle lower preshot numbers, how you cat responds to dose changes and different carb amounts...you want to keep them safe.
You can also do SLGS - which requires 2 test per day and a BG curve once a week to evaluate dose changes ( A BG curve is testing every 2 hours for 12 hours or every 3 hours for 16).

Don't think of it as a life sentence- think of it as maintenance to gather enough information to work towards better regulation...

 

Thanks Ari. I don't think of it as a life sentence.

Well, I just feel very discouraged at the moment. Squeaky is having a bad day. He went and hid in the closet two times today, and he is there now, which is a bad sign. He's feeling crummy, and when he feels crummy I feel crummy. We've been at this 12 days already, and so far there's no real sign of improvement. Also he didn't eat much tonight, which has me worried. He only ate a small amount after his BG and before his insulin. His numbers are not coming down. He hates the ear prick, he hates the shot. I do everything I can to make them fun or interesting, but he also has so many food allergies that we're limited, plus he is not eating treats any more. He stopped. More fun, gone. The only real thing he likes these days is sitting outside on the grass. He's not even feeling well enough most of the time to purr, and that used to be one of his favorites.

I am trying desperately to get some help through this, and I'm getting some help with the diabetes through this message board. But my life is a mess now. 10 days of not getting anything done. I'm so tired. I need more help with my life. Sorry for the rant. Squeaky is feeling lousy yet again. We've been three years like this, not with diabetes, but with the IBD. We're so tired of this type of thing. I just wish he felt better.

 

Thanks Chris. He's not eating treats any more. He stopped. We do have a routine that goes with the inhaler. But now I also have to pill him, which he hates. And the glucose testing, better but he doesn't like it. The insulin, well he runs away when he knows it is coming. Yes I love him up and down and talk to him and pet him and rub him and massage him. Doesn't change anything. This is not so much fun. He is not feeling well tonight. If all of this trouble made him feel better, I think that would be a good thing. But, it's not. Now I must sleep as I have to wake up and torture him again in 5 hours. At 4 am.

 

I hear ya.
It's especially hard to try and see through all the numbers when your baby just isn't feeling well either...it took us about 3.5 months before I noticed my cat actually looked better and wasn't showing obvious symptoms anymore.
It'll get better, but it takes annoying amount of time.

 

Thanks, yah. It's hard to see him suffering.