6/10: Sammy - AMPS - 72; +5 84;PMPS 90

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Tina & Sammy

Tina & Sammy

Member Since 2010
Yesterday's Condo

Well, I guess you could say I did a BCS dose this morning. When I measured out 1.20mm which is what I had been giving the last couple of days, I freaked out. The plunger was at 1 unit. I know the syringes can vary, but because he had a GREEN PS this morning I didn't want to chance it. So I only gave about 1.05mm.

For those of you who use calipers to measure you dose, do you see this much fluctuation in syringes?

I really need to find that video on how to measure so that I can make sure that I am measuring correctly.

Sammy had a good night last night, he was still a little picky eater, but I left a smorgasbord of food out last night so he would have plenty to eat, and then when he dropped to 49/50 at +3 I pulled out some higher carb food just to slow him down a bit. At first he turned his nose up at the gravy, but then I found one he decided to gobble up.

Hope everyone has a great day. I wanted to go back to bed this morning, but I know I am going to want to get a +1 to make sure that he at least has a slight food spike or is level. He dropped from 108 to 61 last night. I guess I can always take a nap a little later.
 
Okay, I found the video, and I am measuring correctly. But what I didn't do was I didn't find out what one unit measures on the syringes I am using. I simply measured the dose that I would normally give and then measured that and based my dosing on that. So I think today I will go through a few syringes and measure. I am using the BD syringes and based on information I found they are the most difficult and most inaccurate to use, so I might have to pick up some Relion syringes today. I use to use the Relion, but found it was easier to measure on the BD. But now that I see such a difference it worries me about how much insulin Sammy is or isn't getting. That might very possibly be why his numbers go so wonky sometimes.
 
I use calipers and there is quite a bit of fluctuation in the markings on syringes. It is amazing. It's no wonder I saw so many ups and downs in Furball's numbers before I started using calipers. I've learned to ignore the lines on the syringe and trust the calipers.

When I started using the calipers, I took a syringe that had a "good" zero line and measured all the doses I could think of and made a note of the caliper settings.
 
I am such a dope, I am using Monoject syringes not BD. OMG, I guess I do need a nap today. I am still going to measure the units and figure out what a unit is on my syringes and then calculate what the dosing should be for Sammy. If I have been giving him 1 unit then I guess that is what we need to go with, but I might drop back down and increase more slowly.
 
carfurby said:
I use calipers and there is quite a bit of fluctuation in the markings on syringes. It is amazing. It's no wonder I saw so many ups and downs in Furball's numbers before I started using calipers. I've learned to ignore the lines on the syringe and trust the calipers.

When I started using the calipers, I took a syringe that had a "good" zero line and measured all the doses I could think of and made a note of the caliper settings.
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What syringes do you use?
 
Gorgeous AMPS for Sammy! I've never used calipers, but I'm sure you'll hear from others along with Carla who do use them. I'm glad he's eating better today...that pickiness is so darned stressful. Enjoy that nap once you can take it!!
 
I used to use mo objects. They vary a lot and the hub holds extra juice. It took a week to get the dose right when I switched syringes and yes the terumos lines vary too.
 
Peg and Toby said:
Good luck with the calipers I am sure you will get a more accurate dose with them. I haven't used them with Toby yet. Probably should.
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Had I not tried them I would never have realized how big if a difference one syringe to the next could be. Yes, I have heard others talk about it, but until you experience it for yourself you just don't understand.

Seeing how today is going it looks like I could have gone ahead and given the full dose of 1.20mm. I have discovered that 1.17 mm is pretty accurately 1 unit on my syringe. and the 1.05 mm dose that I gave this morning was about .90 unit. So I suppose we have been given more than .5 unit for the last week. I wonder if that is why his numbers jumped up so much.

Any suggestions on whether I should drop back down a bit, keep the 1.17 mm (1 unit), or drop to the 1.05 (.90 unit). I am so confused.

I have always thought that sometimes a cats numbers go up and stay up if they are getting too much insulin. Sammy seems to be doing okay on the .90 unit today, but I could really use some advice on this.
 
tiffmaxee said:
I used to use mo objects. They vary a lot and the hub holds extra juice. It took a week to get the dose right when I switched syringes and yes the terumos lines vary too.
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Yes, I have noticed that the hub holds extra, and that hub does seem to vary a bit also. I see this now because I am looking at it under a magnifying glass, I would never even noticed before. Are you still using the Terumos? I heard they were discontinued.
 
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Tina & Sammy said:
Yes, I have noticed that the hub holds extra, and that hub does seem to vary a bit also. I see this now because I am looking at it under a magnifying glass, I would never even noticed before. Are you still using the Terumos? I heard they were discontinued.
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I'm still use BG them because I ordered 10 boxes when ADW got them back in. I thought I was silly doing it at the time as I thought they decided to continue to manufacture them. I wasn't silly after all. Out of the last two boxes I still have a bunch with lines that are way off. I want to use the ones I like first. The reason tgey are better is they don't have the hub.
 
Tina & Sammy said:
How do you like them?
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I like them a lot. They are easy to read and the syringe moves smoothly. I used to use the Relions until I had a hassle with getting them from Wal-Mart. When I switched I had to get used to them. The relions didn't move as easily and I had to use more pressure for the shot.
 
I am using the BD's, they pretty much have a monopoly in Canada and several other countries. And yes, I've seen as much as 1/3 of a unit from the top of the syringe to what is supposed to be the zero line. Calipers made things much more consistent.

As for dose, maybe go back to the last couple of syringes and see what you've been giving. The idea is to try to be consistent with dosing moving ahead. Sammy will tell you soon enough whether you picked the right dose. ;)
 
Well, I don't have the old syringes. I guess I will have to just assume that I was giving a full unit the last few days and go with that or the slightly reduced dose that I gave this morning. I figured out that the .78 mm dose I was giving earlier this week was actually more like .6 units instead of .25, I have updated my spreadsheet to reflect this. It seems like that was not enough, but then again I could have measured the first initial calipers dose on a syringe that had bad markings, and maybe I was giving closer to .25 units. I am afraid to go back to a true .5 unit, which would be .59 mm, because I don't know if that would be enough, but then again I am nervous about keeping him at this dose if it is too much. This is what I mean about being confused.

Last night he might have gone below 40 if I had not intervened with HC gravy. Even after the gravy he surfed the 60's most of the night, but today he did a steady rise. Which makes me think the dose might be too high.

For all I know what I though I was measuring at .1 and .25 these last couple of months was way off.

I need more definitive advice on what dose to go with.
 
Since I don't think there's going to be any way to know for sure what's what on your old dosage versus the new one, I'd err on the side of safety and shoot the lowest dose that you're fairly sure about.

You can always go up if you have to in a few days
 
Chris & China said:
Since I don't think there's going to be any way to know for sure what's what on your old dosage versus the new one, I'd err on the side of safety and shoot the lowest dose that you're fairly sure about.

You can always go up if you have to in a few days
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Well, your advice came a little too late, but thank you. I went ahead and shot the .9 unit dose 1.05mm. Hopefully that was not the wrong decision. I will monitor him closely tonight and if he drops below 50 again tonight then I might consider decreasing the dose tomorrow morning.
 
Chris & China said:
I think that was probably the right decision....You kind of have to start somewhere and he did well on that dose today.

Surf safely Sammy!!
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Thanks! Yes, I did have to start somewhere. Even though I would prefer to get some sleep tonight I would rather have to decrease the dose tomorrow than have to way 2-3 days to increase if I decrease to a number that isn't enough insulin. Like I said I will monitor closely tonight. Since I don't have to work tomorrow I can be prepared to stay up with only a few cat naps during the night without too much trouble, other than being a little tired.
 
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