? Finally! BG below 150 - dosing advice for tonight?

Status
Not open for further replies.
shelaghc

shelaghc

Member Since 2017
So after days of high numbers for Jester's AM/PM PS and mid-cycles, I crept his dosage this morning to 1.75u and his +6 dropped to 113 after a +4 of about 200.

Knowing that I use generic strips which register lower than OEM, this still means he's likely below 150 on a pet meter.

So how seriously should I take his PMPS tonight when it comes to his dosage?

The last time I reduced his dosage in response to a lower PMPS, his mid-cycle later showed I could have kept him at the higher dosage.

I realize some of this is guesswork and trial and error. Any wisdom for me for tonight?

Jester's PM shot will be around 8:00 or 8:30, if anyone can be available during that time frame.
 
shelaghc said:
So after days of high numbers for Jester's AM/PM PS and mid-cycles, I crept his dosage this morning to 1.75u and his +6 dropped to 113 after a +4 of about 200.

Knowing that I use generic strips which register lower than OEM, this still means he's likely below 150 on a pet meter.

So how seriously should I take his PMPS tonight when it comes to his dosage?

The last time I reduced his dosage in response to a lower PMPS, his mid-cycle later showed I could have kept him at the higher dosage.

I realize some of this is guesswork and trial and error. Any wisdom for me for tonight?

Jester's PM shot will be around 8:00 or 8:30, if anyone can be available during that time frame.
Click to expand...
Unless a PS is telling you BG is too low to give insulin more weight has to be given to mid cycle numbers. The 113 today is a nice number. If the PMPS is above 200 keep the same dose but be prepared to test at +2 to see what he's doing.
 
Kris & Teasel said:
Unless a PS is telling you BG is too low to give insulin more weight has to be given to mid cycle numbers. The 113 today is a nice number. If the PMPS is above 200 keep the same dose but be prepared to test at +2 to see what he's doing.
Click to expand...
tyk

And if the PMPS is below 200, any suggestions on how much I might want to reduce the dosage?
 
shelaghc said:
tyk

And if the PMPS is below 200, any suggestions on how much I might want to reduce the dosage?
Click to expand...
Under 200 you wouldn't unless you have a lot of data. Then, you experiment with giving the same or a reduced dose on a slightly lower PS. It's a trial and error process that you undertake when you know you can monitor. There aren't any hard and fast rules and you rely on what your SS tells you about his responses.
 
I really don't have much data on this high a dosage at all. I've rarely given Jester more than 1.5u since I started home testing in earnest.
The last time was Christmas day and his BG dropped like a stone immediately, going down to double digits in his +6. Mind you, he popped back up to the 300s for the next morning. But that was likely because I chickened out and dropped his dosage to .5u Christmas night.

Before that, you have to go back to November when the vet had Jester on 2u for over a month starting in October. His BG was high at that time, but he was dealing with a UTI too. I had only started home testing around then, and only a few times a week at mid-cycle - no AM/PMPS until mid-November.

This month is the first he's been on anything over 1u regularly while I've been keeping track of his numbers more diligently.
And I really can't do the kind of testing you all want because of the expense of the equipment.
I'm nearly out of test strips and probably won't have the new batch until next week .
 
You can only do what's possible for you. That means you should err on the side of being cautious so you (hopefully) don't get into an intensive monitoring situation. We all have to work within different sorts of constraints. :)
 
You're getting enough tests to assess the dose, and keep Jester safe. You're doing fine. Kris has given you good advice on dosing for tonight. It's great to see that 113 for your mid-cycle test today! Hopefully there will be more of those in his future!
 
shelaghc said:
So if by some chance Jester is - say - 190 for his PMPS - even considering the generic strips usually registering about 10-20 points lower than OEM strips, I should give him a pass for the night?
Click to expand...
When it's that close you can try a slightly reduced dose, say 1.5 u. If that worries you, try 1.25 u.
 
It's really a judgement call. I think you have enough data showing that he needs his insulin, that if he's close, I would probably shoot at least something, if not the whole dose. And as you said in your original post, you do have data showing that a couple of times when you reduced, you didn't need to. He could have handled a bigger dose. The problem is that there is risk involved and it will be up to you to monitor and steer and keep him safe. So it's hard for us from far away to tell you to shoot a low number when all of the risk and responsibility falls on you, not us.

Stalling is usually the best way to go if it's an unusually low number. If you stall without feeding and re-test 30 minutes later, you can see if the AM dose is really wearing off and he's rising. If so, then you can be more confident that it's okay to shoot since Prozinc takes a couple of hours to start working. Of course while you are stalling, Jester will likely make you feel like you're the meanest human ever to make his dinner late, so you might need to go for a walk or take a shower during that 30 minutes so he doesn't pull your heart strings too much. ;):cat:

A Prozinc dose only very rarely lasts more than 14 hours, and onset is usually around +2, so even if they are a little low at shot time, it's reasonable to think that the new dose won't kick in until the old dose is done. However, the problem comes when it does last longer than +14, or if you have a cat (like mine) with a very early onset. Then you can end up with too much overlap and as you've seen with Jester - a cycle where he drops like a rock.

At this dose, given his recent cycles, it seems unlikely. My bet is he would be safe. However, this is a new dose for him, and even a drop or two can make a difference with insulin. Which is why the decision to shoot lower (if he had a lower PMPS) is really up to you. I hope that helps at least a little. If I just ended up confusing things, please ask for clarification, or just ignore me. ;):D
 
He's bouncing from the unusually low number. His body isn't used to hitting low blues, so his liver dumped a bunch of glucose into his system. It sucks, but it's normal. Dose as usual tonight (1.75u), give him some love, and try not to worry (easier said than done, I realize). And if applicable, pour yourself a glass of wine ;). He'll likely be high and flat for a few cycles after this. It can take awhile to clear all that extra sugar out of his system.
 
Can't afford wine right now, unfortunately.
The only bottles I have are a couple that were a 2016 Christmas present that I've been saving for a special occasion.
And only one bottle of beer left. Saving that for the next time I might be able to afford a Friday pizza.
 
Djamila said:
He's bouncing from the unusually low number. His body isn't used to hitting low blues, so his liver dumped a bunch of glucose into his system. It sucks, but it's normal. Dose as usual tonight (1.75u), give him some love, and try not to worry (easier said than done, I realize). And if applicable, pour yourself a glass of wine ;). He'll likely be high and flat for a few cycles after this. It can take awhile to clear all that extra sugar out of his system.
Click to expand...
If I were to pick a time to check Jester again tonight, would +5 be good?

Or should I not make him and me crazy. save a BG strip, and just chill for the night?
 
I think +5 could be good. Or you could sleep. Every time I decide it doesn't matter and skip a test, come the next cycle I am kicking myself and really curious what happened. But as far as safety, he should be fine tonight.
 
Djamila said:
I think +5 could be good. Or you could sleep. Every time I decide it doesn't matter and skip a test, come the next cycle I am kicking myself and really curious what happened. But as far as safety, he should be fine tonight.
Click to expand...
I'll see how sleepy I am come midnight.
+5 is about 1:30AM.
 
shelaghc said:
AMPS is 206!
Figuring for the generic strips, that's more like 220ish.
Should I stay at 1.75?
Click to expand...
Here's where the rubber hits the road! The only way to know how he'll respond to getting a full dose at a PS like this is to try it. If you're at home today to keep an eye, try the full dose and test at +2 for sure to see where he's heading. Post here if that +2 test is 50+ points lower. It'll mean you should "steer" with little snacks. If you don't have enough strips to monitor, should that be necessary, then try a 1.5 u dose. Experiments like this are the way to get your kitty's BG under better control but they're stressful.
 
Kris & Teasel said:
Here's where the rubber hits the road! The only way to know how he'll respond to getting a full dose at a PS like this is to try it. If you're at home today to keep an eye, try the full dose and test at +2 for sure to see where he's heading. Post here if that +2 test is 50+ points lower. It'll mean you should "steer" with little snacks. If you don't have enough strips to monitor, should that be necessary, then try a 1.5 u dose. Experiments like this are the way to get your kitty's BG under better control but they're stressful.
Click to expand...
According to Amazon , I should be getting those new test strips tomorrow.
I'm home most of the day. So I'll give it a try.

Will you be around if I need to panic
 
shelaghc said:
According to Amazon , I should be getting those new test strips tomorrow.
I'm home most of the day. So I'll give it a try.

Will you be around if I need to panic
Click to expand...
I'll be here for the next 3+ hours. Will check in. You might not need it but do you have some higher carb gravy style wet food and/or honey, karo, etc. on hand? Not trying to alarm you ...
 
Kris & Teasel said:
I'll be here for the next 3+ hours. Will check in. You might not need it but do you have some higher carb gravy style wet food and/or honey, karo, etc. on hand? Not trying to alarm you ...
Click to expand...
Jester starts his day with as much low carb pate as I can get him to eat - usually around 1/4 to 3/8 of a 5 ounce can.

After that he'll only eat medium carb Friskies shreds - around 14 - 15.

I have honey in the place too.
 
shelaghc said:
Is it weird that Jester's BG went *up*?

His +2 was 221.....
Click to expand...
Not weird. Those two yellow numbers are essentially the same, allowing for meter variance.He hasn't dropped so that can mean you won't have an active cycle. I'd get a +4 just to have data. He might be going into a spell of flat yellow numbers. It's a common pattern after a low like yesterdays' blue. A drop will sometimes come after a yellow flat streak - for reasons unknown. It's a common observation so we pay attention to it.

It's a good exercise to go back over your SS data to see if you can spot his patterns. That way you can learn to focus on overall trends instead of individual numbers - unless one is lower than usual, of course. The goal is to learn to "read" your cat so you can make safe dosing decisions when you can't get a response in time here.
 
Jester's snoozing in his favorite hard-to-reach kitty bed right now. I hate dragging him out of there for a test and it's next to impossible to test him in it (it's a very dark corner of the room).

Do you think a +5 would be okay?

It's possible he might come out on his own between the +4 and +5 too. I just don't want him to start associating his favorite place with something uncomfortable.
 
+6 is 157.

Although he's not as hungry as I would have expected at this point. He's been nibbling after each test and not much more.
 
I deliberately stayed awake until after 1AM so I could get a +5. Little brat found a hiding place and it took ten minutes to find him! Frankly I was about to give up and just bag it for the night when I finally found him on a dining room chair pushed under the table.

Last BG of the day was 231 and he'd only eaten about half an hour before.

Tomorrow I only have OEM strips - a batch I saved for emergencies and to use as controls when I doubt the generic strips - which tend to give a slightly lower reading than the OEM strips.
My delivery of generics is due sometime tomorrow , but I think it'll be less confusing if I just use the OEMs all day.

Does that sound logical or am I over-complicating things?
 
Bumped back up to 320 this morning - even considering it was with the OEM strips, that would still be in the upper 200s for the generics.

:(
 
Kris & Teasel said:
Just a bounce. Stay the course. :)
Click to expand...
Oh, I am.
But I don't think I'll need to test quite as much today. Plus I have an appointment around 11:30 today and need to leave at 11:00. Likely, I'll just do a mid-cycle at +5 (around 2:00PM). That seems to be a good middle of the cycle point.

I wish I could afford to buy the OEM strips regularly though. Unfortunately, they're about $1 apiece. The generic are way more affordable, but I have to mentally adjust the reading up to what it might be on the OEM strips and then again to the pet-calibrated meters.

My life is governed by adjusting numbers......
 
shelaghc said:
Oh, I am.
But I don't think I'll need to test quite as much today. Plus I have an appointment around 11:30 today and need to leave at 11:00. Likely, I'll just do a mid-cycle at +5 (around 2:00PM). That seems to be a good middle of the cycle point.

I wish I could afford to buy the OEM strips regularly though. Unfortunately, they're about $1 apiece. The generic are way more affordable, but I have to mentally adjust the reading up to what it might be on the OEM strips and then again to the pet-calibrated meters.

My life is governed by adjusting numbers......
Click to expand...
One mid cycle test is fine.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top