Am I being overly cautious with Derek’s Lantus dosage...

Status
Not open for further replies.
JohnZ

JohnZ

Member Since 2015
Still a newbie here...

I think I may be overly cautious here with Derek’s Lantus dosage.

I’m not at home for about 11 hours- Monday thru Thursday and every other Friday and cannot monitor. I do leave a lot of low-carb wet food out. There are 10 other cats in the house.

He had a reading of 127 a few days ago and I reduced the dosage from .75 units to approximately .6 units (a little bit more then ½ units)… just eyeing the dosage...

This may have been more out of fear then anything else. He had a bad hypo experience back on 4-12-15 when he was on Humulin N.

Did a semi-curve today… his spread sheet is up to date.

His numbers seem to have stabilized but are a little high (upper 200’s for most of the curve).

Any thoughts on increasing his dosage back to ¾ or even 1 unit?...

If I do will he be safe when I’m not here to monitor him?

Also- some of his numbers seem to be at the same level or ever lower at +12 hours (from his shot)... is this normal (shouldn't they normally be higher at +12)?

Thanks!

P.S.

I may also post in the Lantus forum later… not sure.
 
Last edited:
I myself would decrease the dose. When you get an essentially flat curve with sometime getting abnormally log reading that typically means the dose is too high
 
Hmm...I think I'd go the other way and increase - he's never really got a good run of green numbers and his dosing has been fairly conservative so far. He didn't actually earn a reduction from the 1 unit unless there's something missing on his spreadsheet. While high and flat CAN be a sign of too much insulin, in this instance, I'd be more inclined to think that the one green number you did get was a one off - it's only one reading in over 2 months.
 
I agree with @manxcat419

I think Derek could use a dosecrease back up to .75

Can you get some more tests in over the weekend? It's also very important to try to start getting at least a "before bed" test on every PM cycle just to make sure he's not going too low at night
 
Thank you...
I tend to agree on maybe a small increase.
I can try to get in more before bed tests.
I am concerned (maybe needlessly) about him possibly going to low when I'm away at work.
His numbers seem to swing a lot more on even a slightly higher dose.
My vet seems to think that this is not an issue... and that I should just go ahead a shot even if his number are fairly low (like the low 100's)... this seems a bit dangerous...?
 
With SLGS, given that dose changes have a cumulative effect which stabilizes in 3-5 days, time any increases so that you'll be able to snag a test mid-cycle, ex on a Saturday when you can run a curve. That would mean starting an increase on Wednesday or Thursday.
Some folks will set an alarm to test in the +5 to +7 period overnight, given that is when many cats run lower. The trick to doing that is to time it so your sleep cycle is ending and it is easier to wake. The average sleep cycle is 45 minutes, so wake up at 3.0 hours, 4.5 hours, or 5.25 hours, etc. after going to bed.
 
BJM said:
With SLGS, given that dose changes have a cumulative effect which stabilizes in 3-5 days, time any increases so that you'll be able to snag a test mid-cycle, ex on a Saturday when you can run a curve. That would mean starting an increase on Wednesday or Thursday.
Some folks will set an alarm to test in the +5 to +7 period overnight, given that is when many cats run lower. The trick to doing that is to time it so your sleep cycle is ending and it is easier to wake. The average sleep cycle is 45 minutes, so wake up at 3.0 hours, 4.5 hours, or 5.25 hours, etc. after going to bed.
Click to expand...

This is really great... Thanks!
 
The sleep tip is due to my experiences with a sleep disorder. I did a lot of reading to learn how best to manage it, but it turned out that meds were needed.
 
BJM said:
The sleep tip is due to my experiences with a sleep disorder. I did a lot of reading to learn how best to manage it, but it turned out that meds were needed.
Click to expand...

Sometimes I also have problems with falling asleep (racing thoughts)... I've tried all kinds of over the counter sleep remedies... the only one that has worked for me is a homeopathic product called 'Sleep' by Hyland's... and no side affects in the morning :coffee:
 
Last edited:
With the racing thoughts, you may find learning some relaxation and/or meditation techniques helpful. Doing them mid-way through the day may help lower some stress and keep it from building to high to get to sleep. Sometimes, just doing some of those for 20-30 minutes can help you feel rested.
The Relaxation Response written by Dr Herbert Benson is a good starting point.

Another option is to get a small journal and write things down or a voice recorder that you can dictate into. That way, you know you won't forget and can come back to it in the morning.

Racing thoughts can be a symptom of some specific conditions, so if interested, send me a private conversation.
 
BJM said:
With the racing thoughts, you may find learning some relaxation and/or meditation techniques helpful. Doing them mid-way through the day may help lower some stress and keep it from building to high to get to sleep. Sometimes, just doing some of those for 20-30 minutes can help you feel rested.
The Relaxation Response written by Dr Herbert Benson is a good starting point.

Another option is to get a small journal and write things down or a voice recorder that you can dictate into. That way, you know you won't forget and can come back to it in the morning.

Racing thoughts can be a symptom of some specific conditions, so if interested, send me a private conversation.
Click to expand...

Thanks- that all makes a lot of sense... I just went out and bought The Relaxation Response... looks really good... thanks for the suggestion!! :)
 
I've been a member of the wacky world of chronic anxiety for years and years, really 'great' stuff! :/ It potentiates my OCD as well, which is good for studying/treating my cat correctly (at least!).

Seriously though, I think exercise is the best thing you can do for sleep. If you don't exercise at all it's advised to at least start walking 30 mins a day, that'll work wonders on sleep typically (if you had 0 exercise before).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top