first day on Lantus, questions

[dd & savannah]

I set up my spreadsheet with the last few days of using Humulin N. I have to say I am a little nervous about using a new insulin. I know Humulin N gets a bad rap but she never had a hypo in the past four years she had been using it. The only unknown experience was a month ago when we thought she was having a hypo and it later turned into these small focal seizures. The neurologist thought it was related to her diabetes even though at the time of the seizures she was not low but she thought since her blood sugar goes on roller coaster rides that is what might have caused the seizures.

In any case, her bg has increased in the past 1 1/2 hours from 359 to 394. Is that normal? It was really hard to see .5u even though we have 1/2 unit markings. Lantus is much more clear than Humulin, any tips for filling the syringes accurately? It was also difficult not to shoot back into the vial when I messed up or thought I saw a bubble.

My vet said I should roll Lantus before use and keep it in the fridge, but this conflicts with the info on the vial carton. Any thoughts?

Thanks for all of your help,
D

 

[chriscleo]

you're just starting, so lantus hasn't had a chance to build up under her skin yet. takes about a week to 10 days at first.
some cats see a lot of action when switching from one insulin to another (very good numbers) but we won't really start to get an inkling of how she's doing on lantus til that first week's out.

nope, don't roll the lantus. don't need to do anything to it but put it in the refrigerator. try to keep it between 36 and 46 degrees. (i bought a small fridge thermometer and put it next to my lantus.) i use an empty pill bottle to hold the lantus cartridge or vial but just wrap some bubble wrap around it so it's snugly in the bottle. cushions it a bit in case i drop it.

lantus is not as fragile as some people think. it should last a couple months at least. when you draw the insulin up, if you see a bubble give the syringe a sharp flick with your fingernail (i'd pop my pointer finger off my thumb to flick) and then pull the syringe down a little more to have air at the top and even out the level of fluid, then push that air out til you see a drop at the tip of the syringe.

hope that helps.

 

[Roni and Moonie]

First Welcome to Lantus Land--Moonie was also on Humilin N and switched to lantus--First, lantus should never be rolled or shaken. and must be refrigerated..You will find that lantus is much more gentle than the N, and is easier to control--You should read the Stickys at the top of the lantus page which will explain everything, but Ask Questions, stay on the board here, and read--We will help you & are available 24/7!

 

[heidi and doodles]

Welcome to Lantus!

Yikes, Don't roll!!!

Doodles started with Humilin N just in April I changed her to Lantus 3 weeks after starting the N. Give it a chance to build a shed. It's lots to learn but you are already
ahead of the game since you've been dealing with DB for years. Anytime you do something different it can be nailbite_smile but you both will be fine. You will probably notice
that we poke and check all the time :smile: I'm known for the most smiley faces in a post :lol:

I love this board they are the best people and sugar babies ever!!!

Good luck today and what's your sugar babies name?

Just a little tip: my mother who's a NP told me that medicine is not perfect so quit trying to make it perfect :lol: that's the perfectionist in me.

 

[Angela & Blackie & 3 Others]

Welcome to Lantus Land! I just switched from ProZinc to Lantus last Sunday, and my cat's been on it since (this will be day 6). It does take time for your cat's body to adjust to the insulin, and it also takes time to build a "shed", too. I would recommend reading the stickies at the top as they'll give you more information about Lantus.

Also, do not roll Lantus. It's not like ProZinc where there's a white solution at the bottom of the vial, and you have to mix it to make it cloudy. I'm still very new with this insulin, and am continuing to work on getting my cat regulated.

I wish you much success!

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

It sounds like you have a 10 ml vial vs. the 3 ml pens or cartridges? If so, there are some differences. What is the same is to not shake or roll the container. If you have a vial, it's still probably best to not inject air back but it's not as crucial as if you're using a Solostar pen or a cartridge. In the latter two forms, the system for the insulin is such that you don't want to inject air since there's the potential of cracking the glass. Most of us use the pens since it ends up being more economical since there is less waste.

When starting Lantus, it takes from 5 - 7 days for the shed to form. Lantus is a depot-type of insulin. This means that a small amount goes into what amounts to storage until the depot is formed. So, not all of the insulin you're giving is immediately available for use. Since you've been using N, this is going to take some patience on your part.

Also, one other difference is that you are best advised to get at the minimum, a before bed spot check every night. Lantus dosing is based on the nadir. Many cats experience lower numbers during their PM cycle so it's important to get checks during the day and evening cycles.

Also, when you have a chance, could you complete a Profile for you and Savannah? We won't keep asking you the same questions over and over again about what you're feeding, any medical issues, etc. You can attach the Profile to your signature just like you did with Savannah's spreadsheet.

 

[dd & savannah]

Thanks everyone for your well wishes! I am a nervous nellie when it comes to her but always feel supported on FDMB.
I have successfully attached Savannah's profile information.

Thanks again for all of your help!
Talk soon!

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Have you tried methyl-B12 for the neuropathy?

 

[Libby and Lucy]

Hi D! Welcome to Lantus Land!

I'm quoting your other post here just to keep everything together (LL is so big that we try to keep all of a cat's info for the day in one thread, otherwise it can get confusing).

Hi all,

My cat tends to pick or nibble on her food throughout the day, is this something I should still let her do? In the past (on Hum N) I've always left a ton of food out in case of hypo so that she always has access.

Do cats on Lantus follow a 12/12 schedule?

I will post more info on her other spot checks tomorrow but her bg did not move much at all today. I know I need to give it time but I am afraid of it getting too high.

Thanks!

I think many of us free feed. I feed twice a day, but I feed enough for 12 hours so they'll eat some right away, then nibble on the rest. It works fine.

So far so good. Patience is unfortunately the name of the game at first.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

I handle food a little differently than Libby but it's because Gabby tends to plummet in the early part of the cycle. She has her food for the day divided up into 4 small meals that are fed at PS, +1, +2, and +3. I also give a snack around +8 or +9. I do think most here do not give one big meal at shot times. Rather, the trend is for frequent, smaller meals or allowing the cats to graze. A number of us use timed feeders if we can't be around to to provide meal service in person.

 

[Ella & Rusty & Stu(GA)]

Hi DD and Savannah, All your questions thus far have been answered, so we will just say welcome! This is a great place and you will get excellent advice and lots of support.

Ella & Stu