10/25 Neko PMPS 335 +3 295 +9 180

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Wendy&Neko

Wendy&Neko

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Yesterday was a record for me on fewest strips used since on Lev. Must have been an evening fur shot. ohmygod_smile

10/24 Recap:
AMPS 142 +6.5 265
PMPS 185 +3 293

Well the only upside to a fur shot is that the bean got sleep. I was surprised to be awoken by the alarm and not the cats. Normally if Neko is higher she is mewing up a storm for breakfast. She's doing OK in spite of the numbers. She had a little trip outside this morning and then settled down in her solarium basket. It's just cloudy, but that seems to be her favorite day bed.

A question to those who use Levemir: how long does your pen usually last? I'm using a cartridge (the pen refill) and am on day 46 but still have almost half the cartridge left. I thought things seems to be getting a little yellow on the SS, but Neko threw me a 56 a couple nights ago so don't know how to tell when it's getting toasty.
 
Re: 10/25 Neko AMPS 311 - Lev pen duration?

I hope Neko comes back down soon. It must have been nice to sleep until the alarm went off.
 
Re: 10/25 Neko AMPS 311+9 272 - Lev pen duration?

Wendy&Neko said:
A question to those who use Levemir: how long does your pen usually last? I'm using a cartridge (the pen refill) and am on day 46 but still have almost half the cartridge left. I thought things seems to be getting a little yellow on the SS, but Neko threw me a 56 a couple nights ago so don't know how to tell when it's getting toasty.
Click to expand...
Interesting question, I'd really like to know too.

I suspect two *failure* modes for the FlexPens/carts. First when they are open for an unknown period of time they may become (gradually?) infective perhaps much like toasty Lantus.

But possibly a more important problem is they seem to get wonky or uneven. With the second issue it may behave more like furshots or shooting a sliding scale. Regulation may become more difficult with numbers both too high and too low. Often I can tell a difference from the beginning of the pen to the end. Usually "wonky" at the end, regardless of how long it was open. But nearly impossible to prove anything with Levemir since the cycles are less defined than with Lantus. So it leaves you wondering about the pen whenever something strange happens. If money was no object I'd like to try a run of vials and see how long those actually last.

I'm sure Marje has some ideas about it. I could never figure out why they discarded so many pens, until I gained experience with Levemir. :smile:

Of course it's possible it's just a failing reduction for Neko? The furshots don't help clarify matters.
 
Re: 10/25 Neko AMPS 311+9 272 - Lev pen duration?

Wendy, Neko is really sweet keeping Tigger company in the pinks & yellows, today, but really, it's not necessary :lol: :lol:

Ann & Tess use Levemir & I think theirs lasts for ages - but you might want to PM her & find out?

Wendy, have you ever tried feeding Neko a higher % LC carb to help level those numbers out or is the situation different with an Arcocat?

Sorry about the fur shot - that doesn't help you figure out the situation. either. At least Neko's heading in the right direction.
 
Re: 10/25 Neko AMPS 311+9 272 - Lev pen duration?

Back to bidness, Neko. I don't know about the lev pen duration. Did you ask Marje?
Liz
 
Re: 10/25 Neko PMPS 335 - Lev pen duration?

+9 272 PMPS 335
Ugh - officially Neko's worst cycle on Levemir. Since she started Lev at a lower dose than this, I decided it's time for a new cartridge. If that doesn't settle things down, then the dosecrease threat will come out.

@Carla - She came down but then back up. Yuck! Sleeping in was novel.

@Dale - I did look at a few SS to see how long in between Pens, but there wasn't any clear answer or often no reason in the SS that would explain the switch. I started with a Lantus vial - I really prefer the cartridges. And they are cheap enough here I'd rather stick with them. I was wondering about the failed reduction before Neko threw me that 56 the other day. Since she only (well since February :roll: ) does the lowest of her lows at night and I don't monitor as much then, I try to stick to a dose that keeps her nadirs around 70. Her pancreas occasionally kicks in so the 70 gives me some wiggle room.

@Suzanne - I am so not used to seeing Neko in so much pink lately. Gotta fix that, even if it means leaving Tigger. :lol: I did look at Tess's SS. Neko being an acrocat does mean I can't play much with carbs. For her, at least, a higher carb food can cause her pancreas to kick in and drop the BG, instead of raise numbers or ease the drop as you would do with Tigger. I had one bad experiment with 8% LC causing a drop to the 30's, so I stick to her 3-5% LC or HC when I need it. I also haven't changed Neko's feeding schedule since the change to Lev. I probably should, but she has such a sense of entitlement to food and the timing of meals that it'll be a real battle.

@Liz - She went the wrong way instead. ohmygod_smile I'll PM folks if they don't spot my ?
 
Re: 10/25 Neko PMPS 335 - Lev pen duration?

45 days in the middle of a cart isn't where I'd expect wonky Levermir. But Marje has discarded boxes of pens before.

The 56 looks like a dive off the pink bounce? Or should I say momentum from clearing the bounce.

We'll see if she does that again now?
 
Re: 10/25 Neko PMPS 335 - Lev pen duration?

Looks like time to try the new pen and see if it makes a difference....

Come back down Neko.... we like the green so much better.
 
Re: 10/25 Neko PMPS 335 - Lev pen duration?

Dale - When she dove to 56 after pink, it wasn't after a bounce. My fingers were wet after the shot the night before so it was definitely a fur shot. Last night was not so conclusive, although the numbers look like what happens after a fur shot. But not tonight, that was just weird. I've been sniffing her fur all day, just smells like good Neko smell. :lol:
 
Re: 10/25 Neko PMPS 335 - Lev pen duration?

I noticed you said that higher carb food can cause Neko's pancreas to kick in so you stick to the lower carb or HC. I gave Pepper some FF chicken for dinner because I have heard it acts more like medium carb. Do you think that might have caused the drop that was hard to stop tonight?
 
Re: 10/25 Neko PMPS 335 - Lev pen duration?

The pink "peak" from the furshot. I call those bounces.

When they clear those highs they may go lower than usual?

That may be the same type of pink "peak" she has right now?
 
Re: 10/25 Neko PMPS 335 - Lev pen duration?

Hi Wendy,
All the cats seem to react differently to the different types of foods.

With regard to Lev., I use the cartridges, also. I find I can use them until they are virtually empty (at Rusty's recent dose that was about 56 days or so; I always draw out about a unit more insulin than I need so that I can fine-tune the dose). I have had an occasional Flexpen and never got that kind of mileage out of them. One developed a floating plastic disc (they said they were sending me a replacement, but I never got it). The other one just seemed to poop out before the "official" 42 days. I think the cartridges work much better than the pens. Most people in the US use the pens because the cartridges are only available in Canada.

Good luck with the new juice.

Ella & Rusty
 
Re: 10/25 Neko PMPS 335 - Lev pen duration?

Nancy - EAID, each acrocat is different. Neko always gets a snack around +9 in the AM cycle, but that can be near her nadir. If she is low (I usually test just before), then try to give her a primarily 0% carb snack. And her snack is really small (1 tsp LC plus some freeze dried heart/liver/gizzard or a piece of chicken neck). Her main meals are PS or early in the cycle. Her pancreas doesn't always kick in, just sometimes. I've heard mixed results with the FF chicken. Sometimes it raises BG, sometimes not.

Dale - Her pink today from missed insulin is different than a pink from a bounce where the liver has dumped counterregulatory hormones and glucagon. Dropping from true bounces can be faster. I'll be setting an alarm tonight for sure.

@Ella - Interesting on the Penfill cartridges being different from the FlexPens in duration. I am over the official 42 days, so that's one of the reasons I was wondering about it. And it's my first Lev cartridge so didn't know what to expect. I also draw an extra unit out when I dose so I can deal with the bubbles I get in the BD syringes.
 
Re: 10/25 Neko PMPS 335 - Lev pen duration?

Well......I haven't thrown away boxes of lev :lol: :lol: :lol:

I have had some issues with the pens and Novo Nordisk has replaced two boxes of pens. It seems that I start to see wonkiness starting at around day 40 or so. I usually have about 20u left. What I read can happen is that, as the pen gets towards the end, temperature changes (taking in and put of frig) can affect the smaller volume that remains when you get to 20u or so. I always overdraw doses by at least 1.5u but if you aren't overdrawing, then your pen might last longer than 40+ days? I know some have used lev pens until they are empty but I suppose that depends on how big the dose is.

The other thing... :roll: ...whenever Gracie has all of a sudden started looking not so great, Mike has been insistent we change the pen before we raise the dose. I'd prefer to do the opposite and I feel that several of the pens were probably fine.
 
Re: 10/25 Neko PMPS 335 +3 295

Neko?
What are you doing up there?

Wendy, I'm glad she's feeling fine despite the pinky.
Interesting info on pens vs cartridges.
We are lucky we can get the cartridges in Canada. :smile:

I hope Neko slides back down to her "new normal" blue/green numbers soon.
 
Re: 10/25 Neko PMPS 335 +3 295

+3 295
Whew - go pancreas! Neko doesn't onset for a while yet but at least she's trending in the right direction.

Thanks all for the discussion on Lev cartridges and how long they might last. This is the smallest dose I've ever had Neko on, so the cartridges are lasting a lot longer and I don't know what to expect with Lev. Back when Neko was on over 8 units, we zipped through these things and used them right up. :lol: :lol:

@Marje - I've been thinking about sneaking up the dose, but with the fur shots I want to get the depot back in shape first and then evaluate.

@Mariko - It doesn't seem like just the fur shots happening, but since I've used over half the cartridge and they are cheap enough here, I don't feel so bad tossing out one. I sure hope she gets back to blue/greens soon. I was just starting to fade the pink out of the SS too. :YMSIGH:
 
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