12/1 Tiggy AMPS 294 +6 242 PMPS 240

Previous condo

Gave him the dose increase this morning. He had some very soft poo yesterday even though he is on Flagyl so I am hoping it was just an intermittent thing and that the Flagyl is still working.. we will find out over the next few days. Otherwise though he is behaving fine. He is curled up on my knee fast asleep as I type. I am getting cramp

Question though.. what are the difference between Lantus and Levemir? Has anyone had success moving their cats from Lantus (having been on lantus for a while) to Levemir and then gone OTJ as a result? Just curious if making the switch could make a difference.

Re: 12/1 Tiggy AMPS 294 dose increase - lantus vs levemir

I don't know that I have records of cats that have switched and then gone OTJ. There probably are some cats but I can't think of them off the top of my head.

Lantus and Lev differ in they are biochemically constructed and their method of action but they are similar in that they are both long-acting, depot-types of insulin. This link is to an article describing their differences. From the standpoint of practical differences, for some cats, the nadir on Lev is later than that of Lantus.

Re: 12/1 Tiggy AMPS 294 dose increase - lantus vs levemir

Wendy&Tiggy said:

...Has anyone had success moving their cats from Lantus (having been on lantus for a while) to Levemir and then gone OTJ as a result? Just curious if making the switch could make a difference.

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Hi Wendy, that's a great question!

I switched after one pen of Lantus about the time we last spoke. Chip has since had the breakthough for which Sienne is famous around here. She wasn't directly cracking the whip at the time but she taught me everything I know. ;-) Of course the digital calipers and Terumo syringes (also vital to the process) are courtesy of the the Borg Queen.

Lots of people have been switching, I'm curious to see how Zeus does once he settles into Levemir.

Could you likely tightly regulate Tiggy on Levemir? I would think so but does that translate to OTJ? I'm still waiting to see that. Levemir can produce very flat curves and may keep you up later with the late nadir, but it may be more prone to stagnation if you don't keep up with the dosing. That little extra punch you get from Lantus that keeps you on your toes may keep things moving slightly better for some. And Lantus is famous for OTJ, but that may be because far fewer people start out on Levemir.


Looking at Tiggy's SS, I doubt Levemir would be much different right now. And once he gets back on track with Lantus you probably wouldn't want to switch. As Jill says Levemir is no magic cure. It has worked out well for Chip (so far) once I finally got less timid with the dosing. Of course I never gave Lantus a chance. We will keep our eyes on Zeus and Pumbaa who recently switched as they were on Lantus longer than Chip. Many long timers do swear by Levemir.

BTW glad to see you got that Bayer Contour meter. I have the Contour USB and love it for everything except for the price of the test strips. :smile:

Wendy:

For a comparison, I'd take a look at Marje/Gracie's SS vs. Barb/Checkers. For Marje, Gracie's bounciness on Lantus has quieted down. This hasn't been the case for Checkers. There may be other issues at play -- Checks has some chronic back pain issues. I agree with Jill -- Lev isn't a magic cure and your schedule needs to be able to accommodate what can be a later nadir. I've given consideration to switching Gabby over but my schedule can't manage the later nadir given Gabby's proclivity to dive.