Any users that previously used PZI or are on high dose of L?

[Melissa and P]

I'm looking for users that were on high-ish doses of PZI or ProZinc that have switched to Levemir, or any Levemir users that are currently on high-ish doses. I thought it would be easier to post and ask for you to come to me than it would be for me to find you. Levemir Land seems to be pretty populated.

The amazingly knowledgeable bunni9 (Jen and Eddie from PZI forum) thought it would be a good idea for me to take a look at some of you guys because we've been talking about glucose toxicity and insulin resistance, and she just wanted me to see your doses, time-line increases and things like that. Just doing some research, compare and contrast.

Drop me a line, I'd love to have a look at your SS. :smile:

 

[Grayson & Lu]

Re: Any users that previously used PZI or are on high dose o

Hi - Grayson started out on ProZinc, and lived in a "sea of pinks". Check early tabs on our SS. He is insulin resistant (not that I needed a test to confirm that), but he's also Acromegalic (giantism). As a result of the two, we climbed to what is considered an obscene dose - but we broke through the resistance, and he's been holding around 12u currently (7.5u for most of Oct - Dec).

Lu-Ann

 

[Melissa and P]

Re: Any users that previously used PZI or are on high dose o

Thanks Lu-Ann! Nice to see someone else from NC, too.

 

[Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA]

Re: Any users that previously used PZI or are on high dose o

Melissa, I have not really had any cats on high doses. Beau and Jeddie both were/are low dose (below 1u) cats. But Cami has been a different story and seems somewhat insulin resistant. She is at 3 to 3.5u now. However, I wanted to comment on dosing and breaking through resistance.

There is real IR, where the cat has antibodies to the insulin, but then there is "regular" insulin resistance with cats that have glucose toxicity and aren't regulated. I think Cami is the later type, but I do wonder sometimes about acro because of other issues with her not important to this discussion.

You do want to steadily raise the dose, but I think the dose increases you have made over the past week or so are too fast. He does need to get out of those high numbers but there should be a settling period before raising again. With lev it would be 3-5 days. I'm not sure what would be standard with ProZinc. 3 days would probably be ok. So hold where he is now for another day or two the raise him to 4u and wait that out 3 days. Raising fast can cause rebound to get started - and you might miss the best dose. You just keep stepping up until you break the resistance. If he's in the "regular" group his BG, and dose, should start to come down. You probably can give him a break from all that testing. A few spot checks during the cycle, tests before each shot and a curve (every 2 hrs) before raising the dose is good.

Are you thinking of switching to lev? It really is a great insulin. I have used vetsulin (faster action than PZ) and lev is so much better!

P is really cute! I love the photo in his profile.

 

[Melissa and P]

Re: Any users that previously used PZI or are on high dose o

I'm not thinking of switching, P's only been on ProZinc since January. Jen just suggested that I reach out to see what other's have done in regards to insulin resistance due to glucose toxicity and IR. We both know levemir and lantus do not have the same "rules" as ProZinc, but she pops into the L-lands frequently to do some research. She's really good at analyzing and interpreting things to work for her cat and I'm just trying to do the same.

I think they call ProZinc an in-and-out insulin, so it is fine for us to increase a dose every 3-4 cycles, which is what I'm doing. And since his nadirs are higher, it's okay to increase by half units, rather than 0.25. I'm not usually able to test that much but I've been home so much from the snow we've gotten lately. I don't see the harm in testing that much because he tolerates being tested so well. I'm just trying to get as much data I can. If I hadn't been testing that much, I could have missed those yellows and I would have increased too soon.

Thank you! I love your avatar pic. I have three cats, but they'd NEVER lay with each other like that. Let alone have someone catch them and take a picture!

 

[Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA]

Re: Any users that previously used PZI or are on high dose o

Well, I have to confess to Photoshopping that photo. I had Jeddie (orange and White) and Beau together and added Cami in front of them. Since Jeddie was gone already by the time I adopted Cami I never would have gotten a real photo of them together.

 

[Melissa and P]

Re: Any users that previously used PZI or are on high dose o

Well it certainly doesn't look photoshopped to me. They're all gorgeous.