Felix PMPS at 238- reduce dose?

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Yea, definitely reduce. He is bouncing from lows like the 62 up to the 500s. I think I'd cut the dose in half and see if you can't get flatter cycles without the roller coaster differences. It must feel awful for him to go from such a low to such a high in such a short amount of time.
 
That was my thought. Should I keep him on the lower dose a few times to see what happens? I guess that depends on AMPS. He does seem in good spirits most of the time so that is good.
 
I would try the 2.5 and see what your numbers look like. With ProZinc, you want a smile shaped spreadsheet with amps and pmps in the same range, dropping to the lowest point 5-7 hours after the shot.
 
Felix and Ron said:
That was my thought. Should I keep him on the lower dose a few times to see what happens? I guess that depends on AMPS. He does seem in good spirits most of the time so that is good.
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Ron, your pic of Felix looks like a little lamb. Sending you good vibes for your little pussycat.
 
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Hey Ron - So glad you posted. We missed you in the Prozinc forum. I have been watching sweet Felix's spreadsheet. I am really glad that you are testing every AM and PM now. It is so helpful knowing those numbers in case Felix is too low or too high. Great job in catching his lower PMPS number tonight. Can you imagine if you didn't test and gave him 5u?

Can you also start testing somewhere in the mid-cycle range; like +5 or +6? With Prozinc, you really need the whole big picture in order to figure out what the proper dose should be; i.e. AM pre-shots, PM pre-shots and midcycles. With Prozinc, you need all three numbers to determine a proper dose and to keep Felix safe. That would give us a better picture of how the doses are doing. It looks to me that Felix is getting too much insulin. On 8/31 and 9/2, I am guessing that Felix got really low at mid-cycle (+5 to +7). I am with Sue, I would almost start over to see how Felix reacts and then go up or down from there.

Regarding tonight, if you reduce to 2.5u, I would watch Felix like a hawk and get some extra testing in. I would almost go lower like even 1.00 u just because we don't have all the data that would support any particular dose at this time. Regardless, I would get some extra testing in. If you work during the day, maybe you can get extra testing at night. Keep up the good work of getting your AMPS & PMPS testing in. Oh and yes, I would reduce the shot and go 3-4 cycles.

Do you have your hypo kit ready and available?
 
Thanks. What do I need for hypo kit. I just thought I needed honey or syrup on hand. Anyway sky high BG this morning. Will stick with the 2.5 for today. Really hard for me to test in the day and I fall asleep early at night. Will try to get home a few times during the day this week.
 
Oh good, you have most of the hypo kit. I would suggest adding some medium carb and high carb food to your kit. Medium carb food would be like 10-18% and high carb food would be like 18% and above that would have gravy in it. I usually get just a couple of the little Fancy Feast cans for medium and a couple of the higher carb. If I catch a low number, and if it is right on the edge of 45-50, I give low carb food first. Merlin is pretty food sensitive and usually just eating the lower carb food first will bring him up or sustain that number. If a little lower, I give medium carb food (just a teaspoon). If in 20 minutes and he doesn't go up, then I give high carb food. I don't give the syrup or honey only if I can't bring his numbers up or if he is lower (as a last resort).

What kind of Fancy Feast food are you giving now?

Also if Felix gets a really odd or lower number, I would test twice just in case the meter didn't register it correctly. That may have what happened last night. So I would test two times back to back.

That would be great if you can get some mid-cycle numbers. I set the alarm if I go to bed early to catch some extra testing in if I have to. You don't have to do it all the time but just to get some ideas of what that insulin is doing.

Also, how about posting in the Prozinc forum? We have some really good users there that could help out. Since we are a smaller forum, if you don't get a reply quick enough, then I would post here in the health forum.
 
Obviously 2.5 will not work. He just read a 467 at +9. 8/28 through 9/4 he had good readings mid cycle. He will probably be off the charts at PMPS so will go back to at least 4.
 
Ron, it is better that he would be high for a night than too low. I would do what Sue and Cindi suggested unless you are willing to test the heck out of him tonight to keep him from going hypo on you. Just my 2 cents worth.
 
How about 3 units and monitor - even a before bed will let you see if he is headed lower. Our idea is to work you way up once it's clear a dose is too high. With ProZinc, you can increase safely every 3 cycles, as your testing shows.Much easier than the place you find yourself now - how much do I go up and guess.

On 8/31 and 9/1 (probably) and 9/2 he dropped low - maybe into hypo territory between the times you tested and then bounced. You want to avoid the highs and lows and subsequent bounces.
 
Yeah you can move the "increases" pretty quick but you got to know what it is doing in order to make the right decision of whether to increase or decrease hence the mid-cycle tests. There is no way to determine the right dose with just the pre-shot tests.

What kind of Fancy Feasts is Felix eating? Just wondering what the carb percentage.
 
Felix eats Fancy Feast classic for meals and flaked once a day. Gave him 5,this morning because he was so high, obviously a mistake. He was 57 at +10 and 184 at PMPS so I guess no shot tonight and I will drop to 3 tomorrow morning and get at least one mid cycle after I get home. Will stick with 3 for a few days and see...
 
Just fyi that it is suggested to only eat fish once a week due to the mercury content. Also, I checked the FF flake and the carb content is 8-10%. Not sure which classic you are giving, probably chicken which is good (4%). You may be able to find a lower carb food to replace the flake. That may help your numbers. I recently switched to another brand that was only 1% less (Friskies Special Diet was 5% and now I give Wellness which is 4%) and Merlin's number decreased just due to that 1% difference. I was really surprised so just a thought.

You can "stall" and test again say in about 20-30 minutes. If you get 200 with that 2nd test, then you can give a reduced shot. A little bit is better than nothing at all. If you skip, then you know that Felix is going to be sky high tomorrow and probably feeling pretty yucky.
 
Are you at +13? You might give a tiny dose just to help him stay a little lower tomorrow. Maybe one unit and plan to get a before bed test. If it's +13, you can still stay on your schedule tomorrow shooting an hour early (your regular time) My thinking is that your pmps was really close to 200. Also, I hate to have you skip completely.
 
It was at +12 1/2 Bg was 291. I did give him 3 unuts and he tested last night at 259 at +9. Felix was >600 AMPS. Gave him 3.5 and will test again mid cycle.
 
Sure looks like a bounce this am. When he has been in the yellows and blues and suddenly a 600, I'd call it a bounce. The next time you see a pre shot under 200 but close, stall and don't feed. (Food raises bg levels and you want a "true" number to base your dose on. Then, if he is rising, not still falling, and close to or at 200, then shoot)

Like his numbers better at this lower dose range. Now to get a nice calm smile shaped curve without the highs and lows.
 
Hey Ron - do you think you can get some curves in this weekend? I would do a full curve which is a test every two hours i.e. +2,+4,+6, +8 & +10? This would help to see where Felix is low and how long the insulin lasts.
 
Thanks for all the help. Hard to get a handle on this, but we will get there. I am doing full curves on both Saturday and Sunday. But at what dosage? That is the question.
 
Yes, it is. 5 is clearly too much. 4.5 is too much. Today is a puzzle. Was there a lower number in there and then a bounce before +10 or was it flat and pretty high all day. Robin's puzzle analogy fits beautifully. It's like the pre shot tests are the edges. You can get them all, but it doesn't give you much of a clue what the picture is... You need the middle pieces, in the middle of the cycle.

If he were mine, I'd stick with the 3.5 another cycle and wake up and get a number in the +5/7. If he is not coming down much, then you could try 4 tomorrow am (assuming he is still in the pinks or higher). If you see a 50% drop tonight, then stick with it another cycle. Or you could do 3.5 for tonight and tomorrow and, he is still running high, start your curve on 4. What's your gut say?

It's difficult. You don't want him sitting in high numbers, but you also don't want to miss a good dose and increase and start the roller coaster again.

BTW, are you getting ketones tests? You should get once or twice a week, especially while he is in high numbers.
 
Thanks so much again. You have been s helpful. Unfortunately I got home at +10 so have no info about day. Went with 4 and will test tonight at +3 and again at 7 or 8. We will see. Have not kept up with ketones. Doing it tonight.
 
Just stopping by to say hi, Ron ... & I just now noticed something is missing:
Could you please put the type of insulin you use to dose Felix in your signature? 'Cause then all the good info you've provided there will be PURR-fect!:)
 
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