10/7 Samwise Considering a change

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sueandsamwise

sueandsamwise

Member Since 2010
Hi: I am considering changing Sam to Levemir as I am not getting anywhere with Lantus. He's been on it for awhile and no regulation as yet. He's been very high lately and this can not be good for him or me! :o How much does it cost. I've read where it is a higher cost than Lantus and was curious as to price. Since the insulins last so long I'm sure the price is worth it though. I've never used the pens at all, just the vial. I'd like to try pens since it seems to be cheaper to buy pens. Any body?? confused_cat
 
Some cats just seem to do better on lev over lantus. I think it just feels better to their system.

Looks like Samwise is bouncing a lot on lantus. Part of that is probably too much insulin. I think he was doing better on .6u to .8u, but without mid-cycle sport checks its really hard to tell what the dose is doing.

If you switch to lev, I would suggest starting at .5u in order to, hopefully, come in slightly below his optimal dose - although the caveat there is that he may need even less. Beau was on about 1u of vetsulin (.9u to 1.2u) and I switched him to lev at .5u - it turned out to be too high, but I had a hard time figuring that out for months.

I don't know what the prices of the two insulin are, but I had thought they were nearly the same. I would suggest calling nearby pharmacies and asking. And I would definitely suggest getting the pens. Because you open them one at a time and they hold less insulin, you will probably be able to use up the pen before the insulin losses potency (assuming stored in fridge on a shelf away from the freezer vent air and handled properly). So there is no waste of insulin. Also, the pen is designed to keep air out (had a vacuum-type action with a sliding stopper on the other end) unlike a vial that has a larger and large amount of air entering it, which causes the insulin to loose potency faster.
 
Yes, I'll call around to the various pharmacies to get prices. Sam may be getting to much insulin or he's a chronic rebounder. I've been doing a mini-curve of sorts today. He seems to be coming down pretty good. I've thought about lowering his dose and he does well for a while then up he goes.
 
My kitty had been on Lantus for a year and we didn't get anywhere, either. Lots of bouncing, too. We haven't been on Lev for long, but so far I am happy with it. Even tho her numbers weren't better (at least not yet) she seems to feel better on it. So, can't give advice, but I am happy with Levemir, so far. And, I buy mine at Walgreens and it was cheaper than the Lantus I was getting at Target. Not a lot...but anything less is good. :-D
 
Costco was $135 for the vial. The pens are more expensive at first, but then cheaper over the long run, but I haven't checked on the prices because we just switched to Levemir and trying to figure out if this will be any better or not.

I called a lot of places and just read the other day in an article that Costco has the best prices on meds - and you don't have to be a member. If you do buy the membership then Levemir is $114 a vial.

There was one small pharmacy that was selling it for $125 in Chicago, but it was further away and not worth the trip for me.

Walgreens and CVS are definitely the most expensive at around $154.

This is all in Chicago - but I think the prices are usually nation wide - although I could be wrong. I think all of this is consistent with the price of Lantus - which we were on before.
 
Definitely let your fingers do the walking. I called WalMart, Walgreens and a local pharmacy 1 block from home (I'm in a town of 50,000). Walgreens won the price war.

PLUS, Walgreens has a prescription discount club that pays for itself ($35 I think) with the first vial you buy.

I was buying the 5 pen box for $189 and change...for the same reason you said. But since Grayson is a High Dose Acro kitty, he guzzles. The last time I priced the difference in the vial, and it was $99 - so a $39 savings from the pens. Provided you keep your vial in the fridge, it should last til you finish it, but certainly the pens are a great option.

When I first switched from ProZinc (May 2012), I had both options. For an Acro, Lev is usually the preferred choice. It was also LESS expensive than Lantus.

Also, my last purchase, I took a coupon I printed out from NovoNordisk (mfr). My $99 vial was $25 off!

It can't hurt to call around and see who's gonna give you the best deal. And go on NovoNordisk and print off the coupon!

Lu-Ann
 
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