10/25/10 AMPS 289 .7 Better days? (anti-jinx!)

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judy and squamee(GA)

judy and squamee(GA)

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AMPS 289 .7U

If I could see to give .75 on the syringe, I would be doing that. Last night I shot at +10 or would have given .8. I am thinking of upping to that next shot. Will try to get nadir today. THe good news is that she is acting more like herself, hiding less, and best of all---coming under the covers with me for awhile when I go to bed! (Snuggly fur nestled against my stomach is the BEST). She is able to eat more, and is just slightly under her normal weight. THe bad news is that the mouth symptoms persist, and the worst is when I give her the meds, especially the gabapentin. SHe has a FIT of symptoms, that last on and off several minutes, and she usually develops a long thread of white drool hanging from her mouth (that is her way of getting rid of the medicine?).
I'll take what I can get! Have a nice day, all.
 
Do you have any idea what they are using as a base for the liquid suspension on the gabapentin? I don't know a lot about this, but I know that at this new pharmacy I go to they use :
water
tuna flavor
gaba powder

I used to get cisapride made up at a different pharmacy that was much more expensive ($40 anytime they compounded anything) and they used something oily which was kind of gross. Maybe they could try a different suspension...? Cody never drools from the gabapentin. He actually comes looking for me when its time.

Or maybe you could do what Ele and Blackie do,
-which is to buy the 100mg capsules,
-use a mirror and razor blade, open the capsule, dump out the powder, divide it into 3-4 equal sections,
-transfer them into separate foil "envelopes" for later use,
-and sprinkle the appropriate dose into her food as needed.

Oh, and seriously, a lot of folks use reading glasses to draw up precise doses. And I put an extra floor lamp, with 3 spotlights where I shoot. It helps to hold the syringe up to the light, to measure those xx.25u doses that I frequently use. (Cody's on a u 100 insulin) I even saw one lady in a video that had a 6 in lighted magnifying glass mounted to her wall (on a flexible arm)

glad to hear she is doing better. :-D :-D :-D
 
"mirror and razor blade" lol - funny imagery. Despite the stigma, lines are actually a fairly decent way of splitting up powders. Glass bakeware [lowest sides & colored even better - some glass bakeware tops are particularly good] is a good sub for a mirror - then spilling is not an issue. If one wanted to get really fancy, there are small "jewelry" ziplock baggies available to sub for the tinfoil.
 
I could enjoy playing with Mirrors and razors, but she won't eat the food with the medicine in it---and the one capsule is the dose she is supposed to take BID.
The anti-jinx did NOT work. +6 was 410 and PMPS (at +11.25) was 499. (UGH. I keep reminding myself Gator said to stop focusing on what caused the numbers--so I am trying to just let it go and move on). I shot 1U.

I will call the pharmacy and see if I can find out what they compound the gabapentin with. I tasted a teeny little bit, and it left an unpleasant sensation on my tongue. I can see why she doesn't like it. It is helpful to me to think that perhaps it is bringing on her symptoms, not because she is in intense pain, but rather because she wants to get rid of the taste on her tongue.

Reading glasses are a great idea!
 
Did they flavor the compounded? F has some med that is compounded with artificial tuna flavor that he will sometimes just lap up on his own. AFAIK, our gab was not compounded with any flavor however - he did not have drooly problem with it. But who knows? I think I'm off to taste the gab now.

EDIT: OK I tasted it, it is a bit bitter - not REALLY horrible though. Whatever our is compounded with tastes really sweet - thank goodness he is not a sugar kitty!
 
I tried 2 different flavors---fish and beef. SHe reacts the same way to both. She also struggles with the Phenobarb which is compounded by a different pharmacy with a beef flavor, but she doesn't seem to drool it--maybe because there is less of it? Or maybe it doesn't taste as bad--I did not taste that one.
 
Nancy and Gator, do your pharmacies ship to NY? Could you give me the contact info, please?

edit--Both my gabapentins have almond oil in them. And they seem to make my lips and tongue slightly numb. I tried the phenobarb, and that was a worse bitter taste, but not numbing.
 
almond oil - yeah Im pretty sure thats what the old pharmacy put the cisapride in.

can you ask your pharmacy to just mix it with water? Maybe thats why this is only $9.50/14days. Of course your dose is much higher
 
This is one we have worked with in the past [from F's old home town]:
http://taylorspharmacy.com
I know they do the Tuna flavor [not sure if the can do Tuna gab]. I'm pretty sure they ship - I think they have shipped to Indy. We've used them for years. They are very accommodating and have helped me chase down artificial flavorings in the past. We found a compounding pharmacy here in Indy that is willing to sell the flavoring without prescription. If that is what you are after then I can find that one. The Valley Drug and Compounding linked in the PZI sticky would not sell me the flavoring without Rx.

The parm that our current compounded gab is from is the University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital pharmacy to the north here. I can give you that one or I'm sure you can work with one closer to you if necessary.

Hmm interesting about the gab - I'll have to see if it makes my lips numb. EDIT - nope, you must have the good stuff. Ours is compounded at 50mg/ml. It does not taste like beef or tuna either but I'm not a cat - maybe the secret sauce only tastes like tuna to a cat? It is bitter definitely - but not overwhelming to me. I'm scared to tasted the one [I think prednisilone] that I know is supposed to taste like tuna - yuck. nailbite_smile . I think it may smell lightly of tuna. I'll do it though on special request.
 
Is it a foaming at the mouth sort of drool? I've seen that before, where their mouth just generates the goop, which invariably ends up flung around on the walls (ewwww). I think the vets told me it is a reaction to the taste (although I don't know why some cats get that and others don't - I have had ones before on the same meds, and some are foamers and others not).

Sounds like you are on the right track, hope you find a compounding solution that she loves!!!!

p.s. That definitely needs to go on a list somewhere of something related to cat-parents, like: Top 10 signs you are COOL CAT MOM/DAD :-D "You've actually tasted your cat's medicine to decide if the beef or the tuna flavoring is a better choice."

p.p.s. Our local mom & pop pharmacy literally opened a can of tuna to get that special "secret sauce" to add to the meds. I was kind-of dumbfounded (and pretty suspicious). I mean... I can do THAT at home!!!!!!!!!!! They closed down, hmmm.
 
Judy,
I just noticed on Taylor's website:
We can make many medications in a transdermal gel that can simply be rubbed on the hairless portion inside of a cat’s ear or on the bare skin under a dog’s leg.
Click to expand...
http://taylorspharmacy.com/veterinary-services/
Might be something to ask about? If on the ear, it would have to go on an area of the ear that did not get poked. Maybe one could shave the back of the neck and rub it in there?

I think I also remember something about using a fentanyl patch on a cat? She would have to have an area shaved permanently - or at least while you were using it.
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Conten ... &A=534&S=2
http://www.cfa.org/articles/health/fent ... tches.html
 
Joanna, that is a great description of the drooling process, which does end up on my walls, furniture, etc. How do you estimate how much of that drool is the medicine itself?
Gator, the idea of transdermal patches sounds great to me. Am pretty busy till Thursday. WIll try asking around them. Anything to reduce the ordeal. At the moment the phenobarb is not as much of a problem as the gabapentin. Thanks for the info.
 
It's probably an unknown, the drool to meds ratio, lol. I always stopped after the 1st foaming experience, since it generally resulted in running like a crazed beast all through the house flinging drool everywhere (the cat, not me :lol: ). I tended to figure the meds didn't really get down at all, given the apparent auto-protect drool event, but I don't really know. I like the transderm idea, I hope they can do something like that!
 
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