Previous hercules dosing thread: https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hercules-dosing-needs-help.237028/ He went from 22 to 4 in 5 hours! I guess I need to go down on his dose again.... We've been around 0.8 to 1.2 range a couple of times, but we can#t seem to find the sweet spot. Any suggestions?
Just a thought, he seems to bounce when he reaches green, not as much in the blues. Maybe he isn't comfortable down there yet, and his body is overreacting. So maybe aim for the blue until he doesn't react and jumps back up. Are you doing anything different in the am cycle? Exercising, playing with him? He has a funny reaction to the insulin... Just thinking out loud, I'm not experienced enough to give advice.
Looks like he went hang gliding, expecting an updraft and the winds pushed him down more than expected. Not down into the neon green zone, but only into the tree green BG level zone. You did a good job, keeping his BG levels in the green zone, with more food at +5 and another test at +6. Greens are where you want to see his BG numbers. AND THEN after those lows, Herc's bounced sky high, into the red BG zone again. Unfortunately, Hercules is going to bounce until he doesn't anymore. His body is still having a hard time adjusting to the low BG levels. Remember, red is bouncing, black is bouncing. Did Hercules have a good appetite today, this morning? Eating all of his food? Would you take a close look at your syringes, and see if the dosing lines on the insulin barrel line up in the same spot for most of this recent batch of syringes you are using. Simply something else to confirm.
I am coming to terms with his bounciness, but frustrated about how to better manage it.... Because we have been going between 0.7 and 1 for a while I am trying a "dynamic approach", doses on the higher for PS shots >20, and around 0.8 or 0.7 when PS <20. I don't know if it is the green nunber per se or the speed with which he goes down that throws his body off. he has managed to stay for a while on blues (as Sasha pointed out), so my hope is that if I could reduce the decrease, I might get smaller bounces? This probably makes no sense! But it seems like when I hold on the dose high for more than few days, a crisis always happens... Behaviour wise he is fine. However, in the last week he is definetely back to being desperate for food (climbing cupboards, attacking people's food, crying at night, etc). He might be also be drinking more water. Hence, I am worried that I am loosing the battle
Why is Hercules lower at day-time, rather than the usual drop in PM cycle? @Deb & Wink is it possible, and does it make sense to try dosing him every 8 hours? He obviously can't can't tolerate higher dosage, and the effect is wearing off fast and he's keeping his numbers fine when he's in the blues. Maybe it would work to dose every 8 hours, to push him down in healthy numbers, more flat pre-shots. Just for a short period to see if it stabilizes him? Again, just thoughts.. If my suggestion is totally off, just tell me and I'll butt out
Interesting observation... I was wondering whether perhaps he skydives later in the cycle and I am just not seeing? Need to plan a PJ party, although really do not feel like it.... hummmm...never thought about that... what do you think Deb? Please, keep your ideas coming!
I would definitely test him at +5 or +6 pm. He looks to hit nadir at +3/+4 in the am cycle. So I'd test later in the PM cycle, to be sure you're not missing a drop. 25/9 he went higher to go lower again. I think he's doing the same thing as Mauer. Not showing where they're heading at +2, as "usual" I test at +4/5/6 depending on the pmps. The +2 rarely tells me anything so I skip it, and test later so I'll catch her if she goes low. I usually run to bed literally right after the pmps. If I'm awake ill do a +2 just to see.. most nights I sleep around +1 and up later to test. Good thing is I'll have had about 4-5 hours of sleep IF she goes low
I have thought about this strategy, but my teenagers won't really let me get any proper sleep until 11 PM . You think babies are the difficult ones... ha! I came up with the+2, +4 and +6 schedule because they are all 2 hours after the last meal. Is there any point in meassuring if they have just fed? I agree though, that the +2 is rarely useful in the AM, but somehow seems more useful in the PM? perhaps is just wishful thinking....
Since Prozinc usually lasts 10-14 hours in most cats, sometimes up to 14 hours, dosing every 8 hours would overlap the effects of the dose and lead to nadirs that are too low. You are risking hypoglycemia, and perhaps a prolonged hypoglycemic event. The 8 hour dosing is NOT something you want to try with a longer lasting insulin like Prozinc, ( or lantus or levemir). Too dangerous. I can't say what I really mean, as we are not supposed to use profanity on the message board. But translate this "he double hockey sticks" will give you a good idea of what I think of this every 8 hour dosing idea for Prozinc. In the end, you hold the insulin syringe and are able to make the decisions for yourself. But I think this is a bad idea. A very bad idea.
I am clearly staying up too late, if I am overlapping with you Deb! Hercs is going for a blue night....just to prove that he can go low in the PM cycle.... I managed to plant all my garlic and onions last sunday. I seems like I also managed to kill my Daphne by moving it... I didn't know it doesn't like being moved...Do the have Daphnes in the US. I never seen (or better, smelled) Daphnes until moving to the UK. I have gotten more into a garden for smells since moving, probably because there are more plants overwintering green.
I was on a bit earlier tonight, as it was rainy here so no gardening today. People often end up staying up at odd hours, if their cat is getting lower numbers in the cycle. Looks like you are doing that tonight. Imagine the interrupted sleep you would be having every day, if you tried dosing every 8 hours. It's really tough on the caregiver. I've only helped one person do that, and it was with Caninsulin (Vetsulin) not Prozinc, as the Prozinc was not working for her cat. She ended up switching to Levemir in the end, and only dosing every 12 hours after a couple of weeks. Jacque said it was too hard to keep to the every 8 hour schedule. About to head off to sleep myself. Narcissus. There are quite a few narcissus or daffodiils that have a nice scent. Lilies, like stargazer lilies if you don't have problems with the red lily leaf beetles. Nicotiana is an annual (aka flowering tobacco) that gives a nice scent to the air, especially at night. Hyacinths of course. Clethra alnifolia (summersweet) is a summer time shrub that is nicely scented and blooms in July here in New England. Some of the swamp azaleas have a nice scent in the spring. Lots more to choose from. Yes, there are daphnes in the US and they hate being moved too. Since you love the scent, try to find another daphne and plant it where it will be in it's forever home.
Have a good night! I'm daring going to sleep with him at 9 @+5.5. Should be ok Ah! Hyacinths. I did a bike trip through the netherlands when everywhere had blooms. It was an amazing experience to smell the hyacinths minuts before you actually see them! Hopefully we will all be able to travel again in the future and I can try to hit the tulip live "museum" one of these days....
The idea was to shoot low, like 0.2U low, using the advantage of a carryover to make it last longer. But I hear you Deb! Always been a dream of mine to go to the Netherlands and see the flowers bloom! I've only been there for a drive thru, when my dad drove a truck and delivered grinede fish for the Iams factory. But it was absolutely beautiful with all the water running through the towns!
