10/25 Mikey AMPS reading states HI, no number! So I listed 599

[Mikey’sDad]

Mikey’s AMPS was so high the caliber just read HI. Scary stuff. Like it did yesterday, it will probably come down to 150 or so in 4 hours. I will monitor him closely this cycle, I set my alarm to get up last night late cycle, but slept thru.

Could his dose be too high, and that is why he is bouncing. I understand that bouncing does show that the Lantus is working, but this can’t be good for him to bounce like this. I apologize if I sound like a pest. I have been looking at other kitty charts on here and I don’t see many black entries. I know all cats are different. Have you had black readings? Thanks,
thomas

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Hi Tom, it’s not much fun seeing the hi on the meter but it’s not that uncommon. It just means that the BG is higher than the meter will read…….different meters have different cutoffs. If you look at Sheba’s 2015 or 2016 SS you will see some hi BGs. She used to have many more before I joined FDMB.

Looking at Mikey’s three black BGs I think they are the result of him dropping low and fast in the previous cycle and then bouncing. In the first one he went from 563 to 242 in 2 hours then dropped to 174 in 4 hours, then you didnt test again and I would say he kept dropping. The same thing happened two nights later when he had a preshot of 596 and had a drop to 242 in 2 hours. both those drops would have triggered a bounce.
Bouncing happens when the BG drops too fast, too low or lower than he is used to. He then dumps stored glucose and counter regulatory hormones into his system which sends the BG up high.
Mikey is dropping too fast and possibly too low. You need to try and slow down the drop by feeding him when he is so hi. So give him a snack at +1 and +2 to try and slow that drop and possibly +3. You might have to do it a few times. Then when he is still dropping around +4….keep testing and giving a snack to stop him dropping too low.

 

[Sue and Luci]

Good Morning Tom, Try not to despair over those really high numbers! However here's a trick that I used to use when Luci would give me those awful high numbers.

Test at least 2 hours after the shot - if the number is more than 100 points lower than it was previously, then it's time to feed, slow the drop with some LC and test again in an hour. Yes, I know this sounds like a lot of testing, but you want to figure out how fast and how low he's dropping - this is a good way to do that.

Once you figure out his routines you won't have to test quite as much -but it's a good rule of thumb to set an alarm whenever there's a drop of 100 points or more - that means there's some activity happening - either the insulin is hitting hard or the food isn't propping him up...or his pancreas/liver are working overtime to help out with making his own insulin - it's a combination of factors that drive he blood sugar down as well as up...those high numbers are just from his liver dumping all the reserves into his bloodstream because at some point in the last 12 hours it perceived an 'emergency' situation - BG was too low for it's comfort.

Here's a little story I wrote a while back for some other members who were perplexed about all the swings in their kitties' blood glucose numbers:


I wish I could draw a picture of that little pancreas...it's got a little tired face today on your kitties @Butters & Lyla and @Lisa & Oberon - that little guy is just pooped out...and has it's little tiny feet up on the sofa...just kinda taking a little nap...only problem is it's so tired and worn out, it's having trouble waking up from that nap...

So while that little guy is resting, help him out and gently, slowly and carefully, increase the dose of 'helper juice' aka insulin - that you're giving. The thing with these little pancreas fellows, is the darn thing wakes up from it's nap and gets all energized and says, 'Hey I can help!'...and starts making insulin and making a contribution...and that's when you've got to back off from the help aka insulin you're giving...and let the little fellow help out...but then he'll get tired again...and well 'sigh'...just gotta sit down and maybe even put it's tiny feet up again and take another snooze...how long will he rest for this time? No one really knows...but when you're helping with the insulin you give and get those greens, it's really hard to tell if he's actually allowing a little bit of homegrown insulin go...or if he's holding onto it tightly while he's resting - but the green numbers are healing numbers...so either way, that pancreas is happy when those numbers are down - less demand - so he's not running so fast on his tiny little 'gerbil wheel' trying to crank out the insulin...

And then let's not even get started on what Mr. Liver thinks of all this activity...because he's the guy in charge of STORAGE! He's constantly storing a supply of gylcogen (sugar basically) JUST IN CASE! He's a real life-saver when it comes down to it...because when that blood sugar goes too low (from your contribution and little pancreas fellow working a little too much)...then he comes to the 'rescue' and dumps a nice big load of sugar into that bloodstream...because he doesn't want anything bad to happen to those organs - like the brain and heart and other important organs that need that 'food'...sugar is a form of energy to the body...and that makes everyone happy except for you...and well, the liver gets a little over-enthusiastic sometimes and dumps all it's got reserved and then there's too much sugar in the blood stream and that's not really a very good thing either - all that sugar coursing through the veins isn't very healthy...kinda hard on those kidneys to deal with all that sugar then...

And so it goes...it's a real merry go round in there with all these players...so just test, test, test...and count based on your dosing method - since those are tried and true and will help you with the pace of a healthy progress back towards a regulated orchestra in there...

And for now...I'm pooped just writing about it...

Have a great evening ladies

 

[Summer and Susie (GA)]

Hi Thomas,

All good information you have been given. I always fed when Susie dropped a lot between the preshot and the +2. It is important to slow the drop down. I would give her mid morning l/c meal (about .75 ounce) at +3. Are you following TR or SLGS? I don't see it listed on your spread sheet or signature.