? Ashfur AMPS 284 +1 139 +2 103 +3 96

ASHFUR

ASHFUR

Member Since 2021
Lately I can't figure out why Ashfur seems to be having his nightly nadir at his AMPS time? The last time this happened it was the insulin but this time my insulin is still within the first month of purchase.

For example on the 3rd of July (PM) he was in the 300's at his +5 so I went to bed after he ate. Then I woke up the next morning to find him at 78! The insulin should have well been worn off and not working anymore to pull him all the way down to the 70's was shocking to me.

I've skipped/reduced many shots lately (and I know most of you are going to frown at this) but I am still not 100% confident in the lower numbers and I'm new at doing ear pokes as well. Im still getting into the grove of his patterns and sometimes it's hard for me to tell if he's coming off a bounce and going to keep coming down off of that lower number or if it's a low number and he's going to bounce up, so I decide to skip to be safe.

I need to point out that My shot time kept getting later and later one week due to my work schedule so I usually do them at 9:30. One week it was pushed back to 9:45 then 9:50 then 10:10 then one day when I skipped a shot, I figured because I skipped it it was safe to go back to the old time again. Could all those variations be the problem? I never usually do that but I also rarely get pushed that far off of my 9:30 time frame, and I thought the depot was just one shot worth in the system...is it more than one?

And then today was another surprise. I checked him an hour before his shot time and he was at 300 then at shot time he was 284 (clearly going down for some reason already). I fed and gave him his dose and BANG he just took off faster than ever before. It makes me wonder if it has something to do with his late nadirs from the night time....What is going on here?!

Thanks for any input



LAST POST https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/posts/2809646/
 
Hi . I can't advise but I'm sure a pro will be on board shortly. From what I see you are bouncing around a bit with the insulin dosages. Maybe that is part of the problem. Glad you put the "?" in your title. Hope you get some answers soon.
 
Nadirs will move around when the kitty isn't regulated yet. All of the skipped shots aren't allowing for a depot of Lantus to build up (it can take 6 cycles or 3 days to do so), so you're getting a lot of bouncing, plus giving insulin early can act like an increase in dose and giving it late can act like a dose reduction. You've also reduced doses when it wasn't necessary to do so if following TR. It looks like he's been riding on high numbers for a while so some glucose toxicity has set in, which requires more insulin to break through it, not less.

The difference between 300 and 284 is not a big one, especially if you take into account the fact that meter readings can vary by about 20%, so I wouldn't worry too much about that in the future or let it hold you back.

Perhaps if you got a +11 test and then post here for help, you can avoid not giving the shot? I know the last time no one responded, but if you can post a little earlier than a few minutes before you're supposed to give the shot, you'd give yourself more time to get a response from someone who can help you with Ash.
 
Summer and Susie said:
Hi . I can't advise but I'm sure a pro will be on board shortly. From what I see you are bouncing around a bit with the insulin dosages. Maybe that is part of the problem. Glad you put the "?" in your title. Hope you get some answers soon.
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I know what you mean.. I'm not comfortable dosing the lower numbers and based off of the sticky it says to do a half dosage or no dose all together when I see a lower /number. I want to be able to dose like you do! It freaks me out....I guess looking at Susies Chart for example on 7/1 AM she was going down and on her PM dose she was still going down and you still gave her the dose. That is where I would have been stalled out. I always am looking for a rise in his BG levels like a up swing. I guess I just need to remember I can fix any problem with food and last case with honey. Its been a long road of anxiety for me getting even to this point. I literally go to work and worry everyday I am going to come home to a cat who is in a coma.

Its very odd for him to start going low from his +6 to his +10 at night instead of his +2 to his +6 which I don't understand and then it causes me to stare back at that low number and not know what to do.....SO I either reduce the dose (if Im going to be home and its above 100) or I skip it if I have to work. I know other people shoot any number even if its a green number, and I am literally preparing myself mentally to go there. I have been studying other peoples SS and reading and reading and I think the next low number I'm just going to go for it....I know I have to do it at some point.

Maybe there is no answer for it and I just have to start dosing no matter what number he is at.
 
PerfumedCatMom said:
Nadirs will move around when the kitty isn't regulated yet. All of the skipped shots aren't allowing for a depot of Lantus to build up (it can take 6 cycles or 3 days to do so), so you're getting a lot of bouncing, plus giving insulin early can act like an increase in dose and giving it late can act like a dose reduction. You've also reduced doses when it wasn't necessary to do so if following TR. It looks like he's been riding on high numbers for a while so some glucose toxicity has set in, which requires more insulin to break through it, not less.

The difference between 300 and 284 is not a big one, especially if you take into account the fact that meter readings can vary by about 20%, so I wouldn't worry too much about that in the future or let it hold you back.

Perhaps if you got a +11 test and then post here for help, you can avoid not giving the shot? I know the last time no one responded, but if you can post a little earlier than a few minutes before you're supposed to give the shot, you'd give yourself more time to get a response from someone who can help you with Ash.
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Yes I agree. I have no issue now with numbers from 150-200 giving his normal dose now. I've now done reduced doses and tested the waters on those numbers and see that he will be ok. I am a bit slower than everyone else on here I know. I guess Its just the way I am.

So its normal for him to start dropping at night after his +6. I just have never seen it before in his numbers and its just messing me up everyday. Its like I'm shooting at his nadir at his morning shot time. I wish I didn't have full on anxiety over this stuff. I guess the next step is to just shoot all numbers no matter what...
 
ASHFUR said:
I guess the next step is to just shoot all numbers no matter what...
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Well, don't do that. You definitely should not shoot anything lower than 50, and if you do get a low number at shot time and have to be out of the house all day, I'd think twice about giving him his full dose as well. I'd try to get his shot time to a place where you'd be able to get a +10 before you leave the house, and if the number is low to feed him some low carb food. Then post here and test again before shot time. Do you have an autofeeder to leave him some medium carb or high carb food?

I'm not sure if you've read this yet, but this makes me feel a lot better about being away from my cat all day (I start a full time job tomorrow! :nailbiting:): https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB...ion-possible-with-a-full-time-job-yes.129378/
 
No, don't shoot no matter what. That is wrong. If you look again at Susie's numbers on July 1st, they never got too low. They were all in the safe blues. I understand your anxiety but let us work with you here so you can be more confident that Ashfur will be okay. From what I see your kitty is too high. You must maintain the same dosage of insulin every 12 hours unless he drops low and at this point I don't see that happening. I am seeing some really pretty numbers in the blues and a green. Let me try to get you some expert help here. @Wendy & Neko or @tiffmaxee or @ Jaxbenji or @ Bron and Sheba (GA).
 
By the way, if you ever feel you baby is going too low in numbers feed a little medium carb food or high carb food. Do you have the food chart? Don't panic. I have the anxiety myself.
 
Shooting lower numbers is scary until you do it a few times. I would not recommend trying it if you won’t be able to monitor closely for as long as needed. The first few times if you get a +11 and ask for help, one of us could guide you through the cycle, steering with food if needed. With TR we shoot anything over 50. I’m no suggesting you start with a preshot that low but a high green number would be ideal.
 
BTW, shooting at 9:30 is kind of late for the night cycle for me but Bhoona could help. With Max shot at 6:00 because he dropped lower at night often and I would need to stick with him until +6-7 sometimes. In the morning I could shoot and be gone for a few hours most days even if he were to drop if if higher could leave by +3-4. It has to work for you though.
 
tiffmaxee said:
BTW, shooting at 9:30 is kind of late for the night cycle for me but Bhoona could help. With Max shot at 6:00 because he dropped lower at night often and I would need to stick with him until +6-7 sometimes. In the morning I could shoot and be gone for a few hours most days even if he were to drop if if higher could leave by +3-4. It has to work for you though.
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I know I WISH I could do an earlier time. Im looking for an at home job so I can better moniter him. I work from his +5 to his next shot time. Its the only way I can arrange it so I am at least home to steer his drop before I leave for the day.
 
Christie & Maverick said:
@ASHFUR what is your feeding schedule?
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Honestly I feed him alot based off what his numbers are like for the day. He refuses to eat food that is left out for him because he wants it heated first in the microwave. I'm sure if he was REALLY hungry he would eat it though.

On a given day he eats at shot time about 1.3 oz LC then again at +2.5 (or sooner if he is dropping faster than normal) LC unless HC is needed. and then he eats at his +5 and that is it. sometimes on a day off Ill feed him a snack of chicken breast mid evening. At night he eats much less because for some reason when my husband tries to feed him he wont eat (my husband works lates and he is up all night so he gets night duty with Ashfur). Which could account for the reason he is so low every morning because he doesnt eat after I go to bed, its bizaar. Ill wake up and he will eat when I make his food but will not for him. FRUSTRATING
 
tiffmaxee said:
Shooting lower numbers is scary until you do it a few times. I would not recommend trying it if you won’t be able to monitor closely for as long as needed. The first few times if you get a +11 and ask for help, one of us could guide you through the cycle, steering with food if needed. With TR we shoot anything over 50. I’m no suggesting you start with a preshot that low but a high green number would be ideal.
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I went swimming after his +6 and thought he would be fine. I came back and checked him and he was at 42. I fed him HC just now with a drop of honey, rechecked and he is 57 . Now at shot time again which is only 2.5 hours away its going to be another low number. I'm fine with fixing lower numbers with food once he is at the end of a cycle. The part the scares me is doing it ALL night long. If your starting with a low number and a normal dose and he starts going down you have no where to go but hours left of a cycle. So the idea of it is daunting to me. Does that make sense?
 
tiffmaxee said:
Shooting lower numbers is scary until you do it a few times. I would not recommend trying it if you won’t be able to monitor closely for as long as needed. The first few times if you get a +11 and ask for help, one of us could guide you through the cycle, steering with food if needed. With TR we shoot anything over 50. I’m no suggesting you start with a preshot that low but a high green number would be ideal.
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Thats where I think I have been at. I have just been hesitant. Which is why my chart looks like a big fat MESS. Now my fears of shooting low 200 numbers seem like a joke to me. I see what you mean about the +11. I think that is something I will start doing is checking that number in the morning.
 
He’s earned a reduction. Congrats. His new dose will be 1.25. Feed a little lc now to prevent more of a drop.
 
ASHFUR said:
Thats where I think I have been at. I have just been hesitant. Which is why my chart looks like a big fat MESS. Now my fears of shooting low 200 numbers seem like a joke to me. I see what you mean about the +11. I think that is something I will start doing is checking that number in the morning.
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Despite a skip he’s earned a reduction. :D
 
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