First Day on Lantus +2/225 +5/315 +9/298

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Shawna & Davidson (GA)

Shawna & Davidson (GA)

Member Since 2014
Hi..........
I've been posting on the main Forum here and thought I would post here since Davidson is on his first day of Lantus starting at 1.5 units.. His first shot was at the Vet today at 9:45am and I've been doing BG tests all day in 1-2 hr increments and at 4pm (+6) was his NADIR at 6.88 or 124.

I did two other BG at 5 and 7 and ready to do another at 9pm with a shot of 1 unit based on his levels - you can see them on the SS.

I want to try to get on the 9/9 schedule but realize I will be off a bit by giving him the shot at 9pm when he started this morning at 9:45...........will it be a problem?

Your suggestions will be appreciated

Shawna
 
Re: First Day on Lantus

Hello Shawna, and a big welcome to Lantus Land (LL). There is lots of information on the yellow starred Sticky Notes at the top of this forum. Feel free to post any questions, we love to help.

For others following, here is Shawna's first post on Health. She started on Caninsulin (so did we by the way) and has just switched to Lantus and made the switch to low carb wet.

ETA: We always include the link to our previous post, so people can follow the history. Just select the URL of the old post, then click on the URL button in the edit post and past the URL in there.

You can change the shot times either 15 minutes per shot time, or 1/2 hour once a day. So you should be able to make it up to your desired shot time in 2 days. I wouldn't make the 3/4 hour change all tonight. Either do 15 minutes tonight, tomorrow morning and night, or 1/2 hour today and 15 minutes tomorrow. Or whatever works best for you.
 
Re: First Day on Lantus

Just wanted to say welcome! There are a lot of great people on this board with a lot of experience. They'll be along to answer your questions. I haven't moved Cobb's shot time so I don't know exactly how to do it without drastically affecting the depot.

I do know that on Lantus, the nadir doesn't always hit at +6...just keep that in mind. It drove me crazy until I just figured Cobb hit his nadir whenever he hit it.

Good luck! You're in the right place!!!
 
Re: First Day on Lantus

Hi Shawna - Welcome aboard! As we like to say here, Lantus Land is the best place you never wanted to be. You will find tons of technical and emotional support here - just ask as many questions as you need!

One thing I wanted to point out is that Lantus likes consistent dosing - the same amount, shot 12 hours apart. The mechanics of how it works is a little different than some other forms of insulin, so when you shoot different doses on the same day, you can end up with some wonky numbers. Since this is Davidson's first day on Lantus, he's still filling his shed, so you might not be seeing the full effects of how he works the juice just yet. Testing is a big thing here, and it sounds like you've got that down pat!

ECID (every cat is different) when it comes to nadirs...it differs from cat to cat, and can differ within one cat, too! I think it's Sienne who refers to the nadir as a moving target. My Trix usual nadirs at +2, then surfs for a while before she starts heading up. So all those tests you are getting are going to be really helpful in figuring things out for Davidson!

Once again, welcome, and don't be shy about asking for help. This stuff can be overwhelming, and we want to make it as easy as possible for you!
 
Re: First Day on Lantus

Thanks!! Do I post here or on the the main board? I don't want to confuse people.........his PMPS was 17.38

FYI, just to Clarify what Wendy said - my old Vet gave Davidson 3 units of Caninsulin on Jan 7th 9am and that was it. He was not on insulin until today's start with the Lantus and was changed to wet food only Jan 7th. I'm giving the Caninsulin to the local shelter along with all the dry food (prescribed or not - it's garbage) and will monitor him daily since I'm his best babysitter and he loves me!

Shawna
 
Re: First Day on Lantus

Hi Shawna and Davidson!
Welcome to Lantus Land! There isn't much more I can say then what everyone else has already said. There are some extremely knowledgeable people on here who will be glad to answer any questions you may have.

Will
 
Re: First Day on Lantus

Welcome, Shawna!

It's entirely up to you whether to shoot 1.5u or 1.0u. Whatever dose you choose, you'll want to stick with that dose for the next 5 days so that Davidson's depot stabilizes.

There is a huge amount of information in the starred, sticky notes. Please let us know if you have questions. Lantus is very different than Caninsulin so please let us know how we can help you become familiar with using Lantus.
 
Re: First Day on Lantus

hi Shawna! welcome to you and Davidson!

there's a ton to learn in the first couple of week on insulin - so just keep asking questions. we'll also keep telling you what to do! :lol: we try not to overwhelm people with information, but we'll keep adding bits of info for you!

i'm not sure why you reduced the dose tonight but that's fine. just stay there at 1.0u now unless you see a number under 50. we follow the Tight Regulation Protocol - the goal being to keep the cat's blood sugar in normal numbers, which allows the pancreas to heal. many, although not all, cats go off of insulin if they are newly diagnosed (less than 1 year) and if their blood sugar can be brought down to stay under 120. So that's what our goal is.

Lantus is a depot-type of insulin, meaning that it builds up in the body and slow releases, which helps even out the cat's blood sugar. When you first start on Lantus, it takes a few days for that depot to build up in the body, so we hold the dose and wait to see what it does.

Here is the Post on Tight Regulation Protocol and the pertinent part about the first week or so on Lantus:

REQUISITES WHEN FOLLOWING A TIGHT REGULATION PROTOCOL WITH LANTUS OR LEVEMIR:

Kitty should be monitored closely the first three days when starting Lantus or Levemir.
Blood glucose levels should at least be checked at pre-shot, +3, +6, and +9.
More monitoring may be needed.
It will be necessary to test kitty's blood glucose levels multiple times per day.
Learn the signs of and how to treat HYPOGLYCEMIA and prepare a HYPO TOOLBOX.
Test regularly for ketones and know about DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS (DKA).
Use U-100 3/10cc syringes with half units marked on the barrel for fine dosing.
Feed a high quality low carb canned or raw food diet.
Feed small meals throughout the day. Some kitties adapt well to free feeding.

"General" Guidelines:
Hold the initial starting dose for 5 - 7 days (10 - 14 consecutive cycles) unless the numbers tell you otherwise. Kitties experiencing high flat curves or prone to ketones may want to increase the starting dose after 3 days (6 consecutive cycles).
Click to expand...

Great job getting the spreadsheet going and getting testing! glad to have you here!
 
Re: First Day on Lantus

update.........did a BG at 11pm and it was 12.5

Look at my SS and let me know if you think I have to wake up at 3am to do another BG test. I shot him tonight at 9pm with 1 unit, his first shot at 9am was with 1.5units so not sure if the change is enough to do another one middle of the night.

Your thoughts...........

Thanks

Shawna
 
Re: First Day on Lantus

i don't know what time it will be - we speak in a 24 hr clock because people are from all around the world - but I'd get another test 2 hrs after your last one.

when the +2 is significantly lower than the preshot, that means we need to pay extra attention. so yes, you probably need to check again, and depending on what that number is, you might have to check again.

you won't have to do it every night, but i think you need to tonight.

recheck and post your numbers in the subject line by editing your first post of today, then edit change the subject line - you can leave "first day on Lantus" so people know you're new, and add "+4/##"

if you need help, put it there. lots of people scan the main page and only the subject line from the first post of each thread shows up on the main page.
 
Re: First Day on Lantus

Given the size of the drop, can you get a test at +4?

Also, it will help enormously if you put your BG numbers in US format (mg/dL). Most of the folks here are in the US and it's hard to keep converting. It also means that if you need help, it may be slower in coming since the numbers are in a less familiar format.
 
sorry for the confusion...........I'm learning and will insure numbers roll over or are posted manually to the US side. I know I messed up with the dose as reduced it to 1unit at 0 PMPS as looked at the wrong reading.......but was told by others it was okay. Did the following BG last night:

+2 - 225
+5 - 315
+9 - 298

I believer I'm good to just shoot at my 12 hr intervals now and keep the 1 unit dose for a week. He's going through the 'wonky' stage and this is normal I was told.

Thanks for your input........
Shawna
 
hi shawna! it was totally ok to drop the dose - no worries. it's less nerve-wracking to be increasing the dose instead of having it be too much and going down the dosing scale.

looking good today. just stay at the 1.0u for several days and we'll see how things go.

great job. don't worry about absorbing it all - nobody can. we'll just keep telling you stuff over and over! ;-) don't let it drive you crazy! :-D

hope you guys have had a good day.
 
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