Let's talk specifically for Lantus and Levemir. This is about fine tuning your curves.
Are you data ready to handle a lower preshot number?
This is where the very early cycle spot checks (those +1's, +2's) and those very late cycle spot checks (the +10's, +11's) come into play. Call them the "neglected" spot checks. Everyone gets those +6 spot checks, but there is a reason to collect data in the very early and very late part of the cycle.
Say you get a preshot of 150. Well if you've collected the data on the average time it takes the insulin to start having any effect for your cat and what happens after +12, then you might see that shooting a 150 is actually very safe in your cat. Kitty will be in the 200's before the insulin starts working. You are then using the lag time (aka overlap and carryover) between shooting and effect time to your advantage.
So why the +10's and +11's? Well say you are on day 5 of a dose increase change and your storage shed is now not only full, it is overflowing... and your +10 or +11 was way higher than your preshot. Good way to stay out of trouble cause now you know you would have shot a still dropping number, not a good idea. so what is the plan then?.... keep testing, and not 2 hours later, every 20-30 minutes would be better, so you can catch the minute it turns and do not loose all your overlap. If you miss the rise and cat is way up there BG wise before you shoot, remember the number is just going to continue to rise in those hours before the insulin has a chance to kick in, and you have a roller coaster curve going rather than the flat curve that is ideal.
Also some Lantus and Levemir users notice a dip at the end of the cycle, meaning that their preshot is always a bit lower than their +10 or +11. It is important to know if your cat is one of those because if you are not raising your dose because your PS doesn't seem to call for it, yet your nadir is not so hot... this could be the reason why.
If you want to choose less important times to test, really the +8's and +9's and the +4's and +5's are the numbers that yield the least amount of important data once you have well established the nadir in your cat. Yes, get them here or there on spot checks, but do not forget to get the "neglected" spot checks... the very early and very late parts of cycle. They are more useful than most realize.
Know thy cat. Be data ready to handle the situation.
hahahaaa
