4/1 Max amps 121

Yesterday: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=10703

So...I went home last night and pmps was 109, which seemed pretty good considering it was a skinny shot and MC food in the am. I shot a regular .5U and gave the normal LC food. He ate normally--some still left in the bowl, but not a ton. He was acting normal, trying to sneak out the front door, and talking to the birds through the storm door. We got the kids off to bed, and just for the heck of it, I test...and get a 60. NOT what I was expecting. Since it was only +2, I gave some MC food, but didn't get to test again for an hour (he disappeared and I had to look hard to find him), and he was up to 74, so I didn't sweat it and went to bed.

Had a bad night with the baby...not sure if he's teething, has an ear infection, or was just too hot, but he was up to eat twice, and that's unusual for him. I spent way more time on the couch with him last night than I have in months...and I probably need to go find some coffee to make it through the morning.

AMPS today was 121, which is higher than it's been since we started this crazy slide...but after last night, when I thought we were okay with the 109, I did a skinny .5 again, but with 2/3LC and 1/3MC food. His +1 this morning was 154. I left out some raw chicken cubes on ice, which Max was looking at me funny for--but just a week ago he wolfed them down, so I don't know what's up with him. And of course Guinness ate his raw chicken and was looking for more.

So what do I do now? The vet (who isn't working again until tomorrow, but I'll call this morning anyway) wanted me to stick with the .5 for the rest of the week and do a curve on Saturday. She said she'd never heard of a cat crashing on a .5U dose, but clearly Max keeps trying to do it. Should I reduce him tonight to a .25 and see if we can get that dose to hold for a bit? I'm still planning to do a curve on Saturday, and probably again on Sunday just to get more data, but I can't be home tomorrow evening, and I'm sure DH won't keep as close an eye on him as he should--he tends to get a little overwhelmed with the kids when he's by himself.

 

Re: 4/1 Max amps 121--DOSE ADVICE? (again!)

Mindy I just looked at Max's ss. I think one of the problems is you are getting dosing advice from vet and advice from the board and it may be conflicting at times. I am not telling you not to listen to vet and only listen to the people here but I know you will get a different answer here than you may get from your vet.
I also think that Max's numbers are getting higher because you lowered the dose too soon and the doses have not been consistent. Going from 1.0 unit to .5 is too much of a decrease at one time. Having said that I realize it is hard for you when you are home because you don't have computer access so you cannot post and get advice right away if you need help.

When Max drops to the 50s he is not crashing. It is low for early in the cycle but you can control the drop with food. You can feed a few tablespoons of lc to see if he comes up and retest in 15 minutes. If he doesn't then you can add a little gravy to the lc.
Reductions are earned by a newly diagnosed cat going under 50 or having 7 straight days of all green.

I think Max has a very good chance of going OTJ but I do think it is best if you follow the protocol to get him to that point. Max is your cat and you should do what makes you comfortable. I do think your vet is correct in saying to hold the dose.

It sounds like you have a lot on your plate with work, kids and Max so it is a lot to handle. I can say that a few sleepless nights and a little extra work now will bring great rewards not far down the road. :mrgreen:

 

Re: 4/1 Max amps 121--DOSE ADVICE? (again!)

60s and even into the 50s is not crashing, they are good numbers. I am new to this, but a decrease really isn't warranted when you have have so many blues, especially a 122. Let Max settle at .5U and put the MC/HC food away unless you see him trying to go under 50. Max appears like he might be a low number kitty which means you will need to get confortable with greens, even down to the 60s or you may risk not getting him permanently into remission.

Some vets tend to think under 200 is good enough and try to keep cats in the mid-100s. That is not OTJ material, thats regulated with insulin shots. Trying to hold Max out of the greens works against the protocol to get him in remission. It is a balancing act to stay above 40 and under 100, but Max looks like he's leading the way there.

 

Re: 4/1 Max amps 121--DOSE ADVICE? (again!)

Good advice from peeps here...you are a busy lady for sure! hang in there...you are doing such a GREAT job!!
The weekend will show a lot with the upcoming curve you a re planning...Hope you have a great day today!! :thumbup

 

Re: 4/1 Max amps 121--DOSE ADVICE? (again!)

You're all right--I'm having a hard time figuring out what to do when I can't actually get advice at shot time. The vet doesn't like 50s...doesn't really want me to shoot under 80. She's happy if his number stays under 150. The lowest I've let him go is 52--I can't keep my eyes on him well enough to let that go and see if he goes lower and is okay. Either I'm not home, or I'm occupied with the kids, or well, just plain exhausted.

Here's the thing with the 50s and 60s I've been getting--I know they aren't crash numbers, but that's where he's heading because they're only at +1/2/3. Based on the numbers I've been able to get on previous weekends, he's not hitting nadir until around +8. It's just not possible for me to watch him that long and see what happens at night. I simply can't do it--between testing the cat at the right time and when my son wakes up, I won't sleep at all. DH is no help with these things--I'll still be awake.

The 121 this morning was concerning to me as well...but more concerning was the possibility that he'd crash while no one was home.

 

Re: 4/1 Max amps 121--DOSE ADVICE? (again!)

Mindy you're doing such a great job!!! There are things you can do like freezing food mixed with water and then leaving it out for Max at night. That way he will have food to eat if he starts going low. Leave one for your other guy also so he won't feel left out
There are things you can do to make yourself feel more comfortable and less overwhelmed. Gosh...I really do think you're doing swell. ALL of your kids are lucky to have such a great Mommy