Feeling disheartened

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Sue484

Sue484

Member Since 2015
I know each cat is different, but it seems whenever anyone increases their dose, they get great numbers. I increased Frankie's dose 10 cycles ago, and on the 6th cycle, he gave me a lovely 6.1 (110) on AT meter. Since then....nothing. Is he still bouncing from that or does he need another increase? On a positive note, he seems to be feeling stronger and managed to come downstairs and jump in the bath yesterday, so it's not all doom and gloom. I just wish his numbers would stabilise a bit.
 
I know the feeling Magellan is all over the place, yes his dose is small but he is also mr. sensitivity lately and every burp, fart, squeak as me wanting to check his sugars. I've been told this to shall pass so I shall pass it onto you much hugs and luvs. :bighug:
 
I've been doing this dance for 14 months now with no real improvement. I would love Frankie's SS to look like Magellan's!!
 
Big hugs at this point in my knowledge the best thing I can offer is hugs and a person to rant at. Magellan and I have just very recently started this dance and I am more than willing to be vented at.
 
:bighug::bighug::bighug:...This dance is tough on both us beans AND our kitties! We are very numbers oriented here at FDMB, so sometimes it is hard to forget the big picture and what really is most important: how a kitty is actually feeling and doing. It sounds like Frankie is feeling pretty good, and that is a huge thing when it comes to treating FD!

With that said, since you are following TR, you can be a little more aggressive with your increases until you do consistently start seeing better nadirs. If Frankie sits in higher numbers for too long, his body will think these numbers are normal and therefore it will become harder to find that magical breakthrough dose. This is from the TR stickie at the top of the forum here:

Increasing the dose:
  • Hold the dose for 3 - 5 days (6 - 10 consecutive cycles) if nadirs are less than 200 before increasing the dose by 0.25 unit.
    • if your cat is new to numbers under 200, it is recommended to hold the dose for at least 8-10 cycles before increasing.
    • when your cat starts to see nadirs under 100, hold the dose for at least 10 cycles before increasing.
  • After 3 days (6 consecutive cycles)... if nadirs are greater than 200, but less than 300 increase the dose by 0.25 unit.
  • After 3 days (6 consecutive cycles)... if nadirs are greater than 300 increase the dose by 0.5 unit.
Click to expand...
You could start increasing every 6 cycles until you hit the breakthrough, keeping in mind that you may need to monitor just a little more in case you suddenly hit that magical dose!

Another possibility and/or option is that, since Frankie is a longer-term diabetic, you can use the "Three under 68AT" rule for giving reductions. It seems that Frankie doesn't hold reducies too well right now, so you can wait until he drops under 68AT three times before taking the reduction, rather than giving the reduction after just one drop under 68AT.

Also remember that you are not alone....many other folks here have been in your shoes, too. We all understand, we've all had the FD frustrations. Take comfort in that - vent as you need, ask for help as you need...we are here for you!
 
Thanks @Julia Rae I might just take you up on that vent!!

@Amy&TrixieCat I just wasn't sure whether I should increase while he is on a bounce or see when the bounce cleared. The Three under 68 AT rule sounds good. I think I will use that in future, and go up to 3.25 units tonight. Thanks for that.

Vent postponed....for now!!!
 
Bounces can throw a curve in there for sure, but I definitely think you're OK to increase tonight - unless he throws another curve ball at you and really drops today, of course!

Also - there are a number of cells in your SS that show up (at least on my computer) as #value rather than a number. Can you check those out and see if you can get them to show the actual number you got for those tests? It will help with seeing the trends!
 
The ones that show up as #value are where I've put the reading in as "18 @ 5.5" for example. I've colour coded the US version to make it easier I thought! I don't know how to change it to actual figures as it converts automatically. Can it be done?
 
So it's the "@ 5.5" that's causing the cell to turn to "#value"? I have to admit, I'm not super-slick with solving SS problems :confused:, but @Marje and Gracie is....if she has a chance, maybe she can help with that. Another thing you can do is put the number in the appropriate cell and then add the "@5.5" type information in the notes column.
 
After Tuxie's dose decrease he went 9 cycles with higher numbers and just a few blues thrown in. So last night I increased him .25 units and he kept me up all night with green numbers low enough to earn a reduction back. Every cat handles dose changes and bounces differently. For my Tuxie, the bounces can take him days and days to level out from and once he has been away from the blues it seems to cause him to bounce when he finally hits them again.

There is really no "answer" about what is happening since ECID. I think you have to really know your kitty and how they respond to dose changes and bounces. For me anyway, I am more inclined to allow longer periods between increases especially if there has been bouncing going on. But that is just what works for me, you need to figure out what works for Frankie. Trying a dose increase just may push him into action, the same way it did for Tuxie last night.

My opinions only. You still make the final choice.

Come on Frankie...time to get some action going here!!!
 
It took a year for Max to show real improvement. Yet he never came down the dosing ladder. Now at least he is mostly blue and green yet not under renal threshold. You are really early in the dance and it's way to soon to be discouraged. Many that had much higher numbers and were more eratic than Max are now in remission or close to it. I understand how you feel better than many around here. :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
I'm at 18! Sorry. I guess I was looking at when you joined. Have you thought about switching to lev? I have. Many times. Some cats have made huge reversals omit. Just a thought.
 
I will be increasing tonight, lets see if that prompts some sort of reaction, other than a few half hearted low numbers that disappear as quickly as they came!! I know Frankie can takes ages to clear a bounce and as soon as he does and goes low off he goes again.
 
Do they do Lev in the UK? It was hard enough to get him on Lantus and that was only after the RVC got involved. I didn't like the vet there though and the less I have to take Frankie there the better. He goes annually for his heart scan there, but the cardiologists are great. I saw an oncologist at the RVC for his diabetes!!
 
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Well @Amy&TrixieCat you were right. Frankie did throw another curve ball and gave me a 12.9 at PMPS. I retested to be sure and got 13.8 so I've left him at 3 units and see what tonight brings. A sleepless night methinks.
 
SO that converts to 232, right? Even though he was still coming down from the morning, I would have been inclined to increase to try and nudge him into consistently better numbers. It will be interesting to see what he does with 3.00U tonight!
 
I will do it tomorrow morning now. +3 and he's at 26.8 (482). Damn and blast, he's bouncing again.
 
Yeah, unfortunately there sometimes is just no predicting it and it seems that the FDMB crystal ball is permanently on the fritz :(.
 
Sue --

I agree with Amy. With TR, you can evaluate the dose every 3 days until nadirs are under 200. You may be holding the dose a little long.

Just to clarify, it's OK to increase if your kitty is bouncing. You just want to try to avoid increasing when the bounce is breaking. That can cause a good amount of momentum behind a drop in numbers. Even that is feasible if you're comfortable with steering dropping/low numbers.

 
I can relate. Mikey is totally out of control. No matter what decision I make, it's the wrong one. I have to keep telling myself that I'm doing the best I can. He's happy, affectionate, and all systems are working well. And so, on I plod.
 
Sue

I'd br happy to take a look at his SS if you like. You would just need to PM me so I can get editing permissions.

Each cell on the U.S. Sheet has a formula to convert the number from the corresponding cell on the World sheet. The formula does not recognize symbols, such as "@" and so it puts, in essence, an error code in that block. So you can PM me and I'll fix it, or do as Wendy suggested, or you can delete the formula for that cell only. To do that, click on the cell you want to enter the number in on the U.S. Sheet, go up to the function bar and delete the formula that shows. Then manually enter your numbers in the cell. But be careful! Don't wipe out the formatting by accident for any other cells. Also, that is the only change you should make on the U.S. Sheet because if you make any others or enter w number on the sheet and then delete it, you'll wipe out the formatting.
 
You've gotten a lot of excellent advice, etc., from the ladies above. I know it can be disheartening as I've been there... We have all been there. Never give up, though. You WILL find a way to lower his #s and keep them level. Just takes a lot of time, patience, and also a lot of experimenting with foods, food schedules, etc. You're doing an excellent job. :D
 
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