08/01 Marvin AMPS~16.8 +2~16.1

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Marvin

Member Since 2012
I have a question about how long an opened vial of Lantus (kept refrigerated) should last. The vial that I am currently using was purchased about 30 days ago. Marvin's numbers seem to be staying on the high side (yellows and blues) after one day of being in the green. Could the insulin be losing it's potency even though some threads have stated that Lantus can last for more than the 28 days?

Another question - which do you recommend we use to get more use out of: the vials or pens?

Thanks!
Carolyn
 
Marvin said:
I have a question about how long an opened vial of Lantus (kept refrigerated) should last. The vial that I am currently using was purchased about 30 days ago. Marvin's numbers seem to be staying on the high side (yellows and blues) after one day of being in the green. Could the insulin be losing it's potency even though some threads have stated that Lantus can last for more than the 28 days?

Another question - which do you recommend we use to get more use out of: the vials or pens?

Thanks!
Carolyn
Click to expand...

Forgot to add one more question - should I try increasing the dose or get a new vial of insulin?
 
Hi guys .. Not sure how long a vial should last .. we always used pens with mocha .. we generally got about 26-28 days out of a pen, before making the switch to a new one .. BUT there are people on this board that get upwards of 40 days or more off a single pen .. While the pens might cost more up front, they do last long and there is generally less waste with them as well ... hope that helps!
 
Re: 08/01 Marvin AMPS~302 +2~290

As long as you're not shaking or otherwise mistreating your insulin, a vial can last for more than 30 days. You should inspect it to make sure there are no crystals forming (i.e, "Floaties"). If you see crystals, discard the insulin.

Most of us use the pens. Overall, they are more economical. In addition. if something happens to a pen, you don't sacrifice a lot of insulin.

Marvin may have yellows and blues but he also is seeing greens. I suspect your insulin is fine and he's bouncing. I'm not comfortable making any recommendation regarding dose until you are able to routinely get PM test data. It's quite possible Marvin is seeing lower numbers at night as is typical of many cats. You're missing half of your data without having at least one PM spot check. You might want to take a look at Jill's post on whether to increase the dose.

A housekeeping note: Can you please put the test data in your subject line in mg/dL (U.S. format)? We use US numbers since the overwhelming majority of people here are from the US. Since you're using the World template, the numbers are on your SS. Having the numbers in a meaningful format helps us to figure out if you need any input.
 
Re: 08/01 Marvin AMPS~302 +2~290

Sienne and Gabby said:
As long as you're not shaking or otherwise mistreating your insulin, a vial can last for more than 30 days. You should inspect it to make sure there are no crystals forming (i.e, "Floaties"). If you see crystals, discard the insulin.

Most of us use the pens. Overall, they are more economical. In addition. if something happens to a pen, you don't sacrifice a lot of insulin.

Marvin may have yellows and blues but he also is seeing greens. I suspect your insulin is fine and he's bouncing. I'm not comfortable making any recommendation regarding dose until you are able to routinely get PM test data. It's quite possible Marvin is seeing lower numbers at night as is typical of many cats. You're missing half of your data without having at least one PM spot check. You might want to take a look at Jill's post on whether to increase the dose.

A housekeeping note: Can you please put the test data in your subject line in mg/dL (U.S. format)? We use US numbers since the overwhelming majority of people here are from the US. Since you're using the World template, the numbers are on your SS. Having the numbers in a meaningful format helps us to figure out if you need any input.
Click to expand...

Oops, I forgot about the US vs international format - sorry about that! I will remember going forward.

Obviously I can't stay up all night to test Marvin (I have a 10 month old baby so I need to go to bed at a reasonable hour;). What do you suggest are the must-have PM times?
 
Hi Carolyn and Marvin,

We're relatively new year. Just wanted to say welcome to you guys, and kudos to you for still staying committed to Marvin's health and well being with all the work you must have with a new baby. Right now, our Charlie is like a VERY intensive crash course in having a baby (large amount of added responsibility add on all at once). We love her so we are happy to take it on if it can help, but on some days it is exhausting, especially since Charlie has had some complications over the past month and hasn't normalized in any way yet.

When I look at your figures as a new person (1-2 months in), I think it's great that you're seeing so many blues and greens. Keep up the great work in testing and definitely don't arbitrarily increase or decrease until you have the data (and advice from the guys on this board who seem to have a wealth of experience with when is the right moment to increase).

All the best to you guys, and you have our full support and friendship from Amsterdam. :smile:
Keep up the good work.
 
Hi Carolyn and Marvin,

We're relatively new year. Just wanted to say welcome to you guys, and kudos to you for still staying committed to Marvin's health and well being with all the work you must have with a new baby. Right now, our Charlie is like a VERY intensive crash course in having a baby (large amount of added responsibility add on all at once). We love her so we are happy to take it on if it can help, but on some days it is exhausting, especially since Charlie has had some complications over the past month and hasn't normalized in any way yet.

When I look at your figures as a new person (1-2 months in), I think it's great that you're seeing so many blues and greens. Keep up the great work in testing and definitely don't arbitrarily increase or decrease until you have the data (and advice from the guys on this board who seem to have a wealth of experience with when is the right moment to increase).

All the best to you guys, and you have our full support and friendship from Amsterdam. :smile:
Keep up the good work.
 
charliesmom said:
Hi Carolyn and Marvin,

We're relatively new year. Just wanted to say welcome to you guys, and kudos to you for still staying committed to Marvin's health and well being with all the work you must have with a new baby. Right now, our Charlie is like a VERY intensive crash course in having a baby (large amount of added responsibility add on all at once). We love her so we are happy to take it on if it can help, but on some days it is exhausting, especially since Charlie has had some complications over the past month and hasn't normalized in any way yet.

When I look at your figures as a new person (1-2 months in), I think it's great that you're seeing so many blues and greens. Keep up the great work in testing and definitely don't arbitrarily increase or decrease until you have the data (and advice from the guys on this board who seem to have a wealth of experience with when is the right moment to increase).

All the best to you guys, and you have our full support and friendship from Amsterdam. :smile:
Keep up the good work.
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for all of your kind words and encouragement! I wish you the same luck with Charlie and kudos to you too! Our kitties certainly are worth it :)
 
There really aren't "must" times to test. A lot depends on your cat. I'm a big fan of a +2 or +3 test. If they are considerably lower than your pre-shot test, then it's likely that you're going to see an active cycle and may need to do some extra monitoring. We recommend always getting a "before bed" test.

The reason there's no best test is that Marvin's onset and nadir may be very different than the average cat's. For example, Gabby has an early nadir. I get a lot of early tests but most of the time, by +4 the action is over. If Marvin has a late nadir, it's a different scenario.
 
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