Hi there! Preparing for the holiday with a catsitter. Last time we had help we used insulatard with insulin pen - very easy, but now with the prozinc and drawing up insulin everytime with regular syringe... I was wondering - how is it to prepare the syringes in front, with other words - will the insulin be okay for several days in the syringe (in the fridge)? (And of course the bottle will be there too, if there should be a need for change in amount of insulin). Anybody know? Best regards, Gøril and Panter
Hi Goril , While I know that prefilling syringes is not advised here I have found myself in situations where I had no choice. I’ve experimented with efficacy several times and have not found that prefilling for a few days has effected the insulin. Again, I’ve only done this when I’ve had no other choice but have had to several times.
No, the lubricant inside the syringe barrel can alter the insulin. Here is a quote from a study done using Lantus, but it applies to insulin in general.
I'm not so sure that Prozinc mixes the same way with the syringe lubricant as Lantus does. Prozinc has a different base than lantus. The issue with pre-filling the syringes with prozinc, is getting that insulin back into suspension in the tiny volume of the syringe. Hard to shake the small dose in a syringe, and get it mixed back up well. Goeril, Is your cat sitter going to be able to test Panther?
Thanks everybody! Understand. I guess I can let the two catsitters draw it up them self - it is just me being a control freek trusting myself more with those small amounts and tiny differences.. About testing Deb - not really sure yet, but yes I believe I will be able to teach the catsitters. It's pretty easy now - his ears are use to it and the weather (and ears are warm... But I think I will stick close to the insulin dose we are on now (2.4u) - kind of high in the +12, but down in yellow/blue on nadir. Right now I'm trying tiny increase to 2.5u. The two cat sitters are not stepping in before the beginning of July. Does this sound like a good idea?
A tiny dose increase sounds fine. Sure wish there were some BG tests in the PM cycle, after the pre-shot test, to see what is going on with Panter's BG levels then.
There are people that use calipers to measure the tiny doses in the syringe, to get some better consistency. A good thing to do, especially since the markings on the syringe barrels are not always printed accurately. Calipers work.