Help explaining Jenks insulin response/curve?

[AZJenks]

Jenks takes the "every cat is different" mantra to heart. But if there's any hope of regulating him on Lantus, I have to figure out what he's doing and why. To assist with that, I've made a couple of illustrations for comparison. Neither are to scale. They're only purpose is to represent what Lantus is expected to do versus what it is actually doing in Jenks.

On the left, we see what I understand to be the "typical" Lantus curve and it's twice daily midcycle nadirs. On the right is whatever the heck Jenks is up to.

If this was Sesame Street, we'd already be singing "One of these things is not like the other." So why is Jenks' curve so vastly different, and what, if anything, can be done to address it?

Interestingly, the graphs begin to approximate one another if you either put two Jenks graphs together (looking at a 48 hour period), or stretch out the "typical" Lantus curve to cover the same two-day time frame and then shift it around a bit. Does that hold any significance?

Feel free to add any insight you might have, or simply drop by and say "what the *bleep*!" (I know I certainly do.)

Happy Friday to you all

 

[Critter Mom]

That looks very familiar. Saoirse seems to do something similar, but I don't know why either. :YMSIGH: I was planning to post a question about this today. I will be watching for responses with great interest.

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Neko does the same thing. Many cats go lower at night, mini bounce during the day. Tiring for the beans! Over enough time in green they flatten out a bit.

 

[Critter Mom]

Would be very helpful if it were the other way round. :YMSIGH:

After reading more of the condos in the Lantus TR forum I have started wondering whether Saoirse's upside-down daytime curves might be mini-bounces. Thanks for confirming this, Wendy.

 

[julie & punkin (ga)]

it may be that Jenks' metabolises the insulin at a different rate than most cats. i can't say if it lasts longer, or it's shorter, but i think that is part of the issue. He has a very late nadir.

I'd suggest Marje look at it - she's fairly good with spreadsheets, but she's had a death in the family and will be off for a couple of days.

One thought i had for Jenks is to consider switching to Levemir whenever you are ready for new insulin. Sometimes that can make a huge difference in blood sugar control - sometimes not so much, but i haven't seen anyone decide to switch away from Lev after trying it. There's a link to the difference between Lantus & Lev at the top of the "What's the insulin depot? sticky.