HELP...high number after being OTJ 6 months

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yogakat

yogakat

Member Since 2013
Hello all. I have not been here in quite a while since Coleman has been doing so good. Unfortunately, I've been doing bad :sad: ...after 5 months of constant testing and no insulin because he is OTJ, I have not tested in a few weeks. So I test tonight because I have noticed him at the water bowl more than usual yesterday and today and it's 290! Worse, I gave a newbie my insulin last month because it was close to expiring and Coleman was not using it...so now I can't even dose him.

He had been holding steady about 80-110. His dose before (and he was only on insulin - Lantus - about a month before being OTJ, was .5 I have been extra bad because I do put down a few kibbles of dry EVO (7%carb) right when I go to bed because my DH gets up at 4:30am and the kitties are merciless about bugging him to get food. Otherwise I feed: Fancy Feast Classic Chicken Feast/Flaked Trout, Friskies Special Diet Turkey and Natural Balance O'Fishally Scampi...and PURE BITES freeze dried chicken treats. Needless to say, no dry kibble tonight no matter how much they terrorize us (and DH is under strict orders to not give them any no matter how relentless they are).

FYI, Coleman is eating well, looks great, has not lost weight, is active...no obvious signs until I noticed the extra water yesterday and today.

So, I'm feeling like a bad kitty mom angry(2)_cat and am extra worried because I can't get any insulin until HOPEFULLY tomorrow if my vet will get me a same-day scrip (it's usually 24-48hrs for a refill, but I would think they'll make an exception for this). I have texted the friend that I gave the Lantus to, but it's almost midnight so I won't hear from her until tomorrow morning.

So my questions are...
1 - Anything I can do until I can get my paws on some insulin? (I will be testing every 6 hrs to see what's going on)
2 - Can anyone tell me about the Lantus pen and what the possibilities are of getting just one instead of the whole pack?
3 - If I have to buy the pen pack, they last longer.....right? Because they are sealed until you open that particular pen?
4 - Will it be bad if I get a dose or two of the insulin that I gave to my friend? It was at 6 months last month.
5 - How badly have I doomed poor Coleman????? nailbite_smile
 
- You'll want the vet to check for signs of infection, a common reason fro relapse - dental and bladder are 2 common kinds.

- 6 months old Lantus may not be effective.

- aggressive management may be needed to restore diet-controlled status.

- a Canadian pharmacy may be less expensive for Lantus but takes time to get here.

- you use a syringe with a Lantus pen, not the pen needles.

- some Target, hospital pharmacies, CostCo may sell 1 pen at a time if the Rx is written that way.

- mini meals diligently until you get some insulin and/or treat any infection.

- Pet Safe 5 automatic feeder and/or a frozen puck or two of food to be eaten as it thaws may help minimize the night time marauder behavior.
 
yogakat said:
So, I'm feeling like a bad kitty mom angry(2)_cat and am extra worried because I can't get any insulin until HOPEFULLY tomorrow ...
...How badly have I doomed poor Coleman????? nailbite_smile
Click to expand...

Hi,

Please don't beat yourself up. You are not a bad kitty mom at all! On the contrary, your vigilance picked up the fact that Coleman was drinking more. You've done a great job. (((Hugs)))
And I don't expect that another day or so without insulin will make a huge difference in the scheme of things. (But if your kitty is ketone-prone then you may want to get some ketone strips and test his pee).

As BJ says, infections are a common reason for relapses.
Here's hoping that Coleman's situation can be turned around, and he goes back into remission soon.
But if he doesn't go back into remission then at least you will have had 5 months of him being insulin-free. That may sound like cold comfort right now, but really, even having remission for that length of time is quite a blessing.

Keeping fingers and paws crossed for you that Coleman goes back off the juice soon.

Eliz
 
((((Coleman))))) sure could be a cold when Trey had an infection his numbers stayed up for 4 months each month had him on antibiotic and dry food thing so don`t beat yourself up we learn something new everyday. When Trey got into dry his numbers did spike so I would watch that bad stuff I have 5 boys and of course 3 of them need the dry because they don`t care for can.I am always on guard but Trey did get into it and if he wouldn`t have broken the dish I would never have guess why. Sending tons of beautiful green light to help get him back in the low green where he belongs....Hugss Kath
 
I just wanted to send you a hug. My cat, Dimitri, was only OTJ a month when I noticed him not acting right (he was hiding under the bed, and then lost his appetite.) I hadn't checked his
sugar for two weeks, and when I did, he was up (161, which is too high for him.) The vet couldn't find anything. So Dimitri is back on insulin (I had tried to give away my extra Lantus, but
I'm so glad I didn't!), and he is responding well. I've learned my lesson that I've got to monitor him consistently from now on. Take care! And if you can't get a single pen of Lantus, let me
know and I'll be glad to mail you one (I'm still using the first one out of my set, so I've got plenty to share.)
 
Thanks to all who have replied. So, this is where we are...

~I found a Target pharmacy that would sell a single Lantus pen...my vet called in the scrip...I am holding off on the dosing until what would be his 'normal' dose time, otherwise he would have to wait a long time until his next instead of 12 hrs...still expensive at $80, but MUCH less than the $200 vial

~the vet recommended a dose of one unit 2xday...I am going to follow the 'start low go slow' rule and start him at .5 since a whole unit usually caused too much of a drop too fast...his doses ended up being .5 and then .25 right before OTJ

~his numbers have been 290, 343, 293 and 274...at ~6hr checks

~always have keto strips on hand...negative test!

~we have a vet visit for Monday morning (these things always happen on weekends and holidays, don't they?)

Now, I have a question about the Lantus pen...do I refrigerate it or not? I have looked at lots of sites and some say yes and some no...what does everyone here do? And, about how long does the pen last? A month or two?

Also, I gave away the rest of my Lantus awhile back as it had just under a month left before expire and I had a friend who was in need with a newly dx kitty. So, I could not have used it now if I still had it due to the date. FYI, she asked her vet (who is also her boss) and was told that she could use it after the exp date...this seems dangerous to me as you no longer really know the potency of what you're giving...am I right in thinking this? I was just going to get a dose or two from her if I could not get my scrip called in in time.

Coleman is still doing just fine. Looks great, as pesky as ever. No sign of any upper resp and he doesn't seem to have pain when palpated around bladder or kidneys. Still, I am going with you guys and getting him looked at...could be early stage of an infection. FYI, I know it's not dental...he has no teeth! At least that's one less thing to worry about.

I am going to see if my DH will work on setting up a spreadsheet for me...that's beyond my computer know how.

THANKS AGAIN ALL!
 
I refrigerate my Lantus. It is my understanding that an opened pen CAN last up to 6 months, but not everyone agrees with that. I agree with you that it
doesn't seem wise to use a pen past its expiration date. That's like a "crap shoot" because you don't know if the insulin is any good or not.
 
After reading the reply here and looking at the Lantus boards, I decided to go ahead and refrigerate our Lantus pen. I am curious see where more people fall on the do or don't refrigerate the Lantus pen issue.

Also, Coleman's numbers came down a lot after a .5 injection, from 291 to 162 (woohoo!). A drop that big is why I went with .5 instead of a whole unit (and, the 162 is at the 7 hour mark, not the 6, so it was probably lower...yeah, I set an alarm...and slept through it...that middle of the night check is tough...I even sleep on the couch until that check so the alarm won't wake DH who gets up early to work...on the flip side, all of the kitties think it's fun that I'm having a sleepover with them).

Okay, back to bed...so that I can get a bit more sleep before doing the next test!
 
Remember that the Lantus effects will build up over the next 5-7 days, so really watch those nadir periods.
 
Hey all! With all credit to my DH, I think we have the SS up! Please take a look and let me know if it contains everything it needs to.

Also, Coleman got no shot this am due to low number...but it's on it's way back up, so we will see in a couple of hours if he gets another shot. And, he goes to the vet in the morn. Numbers are crazy bouncy, but he seems to be doing great.
 
okay, first error on SS...there should be a 343 at the +6 after his initial check...I will figure out how to make that change.
 
Give a big hug to your DH because he set up the SS just fine and got the share options correct and the link to your signature. Good job!

Hoping this is a temporary blip for Coleman and you can get those BG readings back down.
 
Whew! Glad the SS is working. I still have to enter today's #s.

We went to the vets today. They said Coleman looks really good. They are running a urinalysis and also a blood test for pancreatitis (tho he has gained a small amount of wt and has a really good appetite which would make it less likely...but dr. wanted to run it cuz it's a common reason for relapse).

We are really fortunate that the dr. that has been working with us for this also originally suggested this site to me as a good source of support and info. And she uses dr. Lisa's food list!

Coleman's #s are staying high, but he is acting fine, looks good and has a healthy appetite. Now it's a waiting game.

Coleman's #s are staying high, but he seems fine, looks good and has a healthy appetite.
 
This is the best place (((Coleman)))) you are doing great buddy tons of healing green light surround you......and to all furry ones Hugs Kath
 
yogakat said:
Now, I have a question about the Lantus pen...do I refrigerate it or not? I have looked at lots of sites and some say yes and some no...what does everyone here do? And, about how long does the pen last? A month or two?

Also, I gave away the rest of my Lantus awhile back as it had just under a month left before expire and I had a friend who was in need with a newly dx kitty. So, I could not have used it now if I still had it due to the date. FYI, she asked her vet (who is also her boss) and was told that she could use it after the exp date...this seems dangerous to me as you no longer really know the potency of what you're giving...am I right in thinking this? I was just going to get a dose or two from her if I could not get my scrip called in in time.
Click to expand...

Yes, you want to refrigerate the Lantus pens. It's only been tested 28 days unrefrigerated, so that's why many places say to toss after 28 days. I've used every single pen to the last drop (2-4 months, depending on dosage). The only "worry" when it comes to expired insulin is a reduction of potency, meaning the numbers will start to creep higher. For the pens, you use them up before that happens. With the vial, that usually happens around 4-6 months in. Some people have gotten longer use out of it, but that's more rare.
 
Thanks for the info about the Lantus pen...I've been keeping it in the fridge as advised. I just syringe out how much I need. Also as an FYI, I draw blood with the small lancets. I am lucky that Coleman's ear (yes, ear...for some reason only his left ear works for blood...) bleeds easily and that he is super easy to do. As soon as he hears me pulling stuff out of the box, he comes running and won't leave me alone until all is done and he's eating.

Anyways, the Dr. recommended shooting .5 2xday if over 180. So, after 2 days his #s are staying high 200s, low 30s. I increased to 1 unit today and am hoping that this will help bring the numbers down. FYI, his first dose since being OTJ was 6/14, pm...so this is day 5 of first week. I am hoping it will level soon...it's keeping me nervous. When he was initially diagnosed, he was under control by the end of week 2.

Any advice on dosing would be awesome.

You guys rock! :RAHCAT
 
Hello again. So, Coleman went to the vets Monday...they said dose at .5 BID. His #s didn't come down, so we are up to 1.0 BID again and they are still not budging. Today is day 8 of being back on Lantus (this will be the first day of 2 doses). So...what's up? His #s the first go round with this were getting under 200 even 150 at least once a day. I would think that there would be SOME sort of trending decrease by now.

Also, I have looked at the two Lantus boards and would like advice on which to post to. I test 4Xday...every 6 hours (except sometimes I oversleep the middle of the night test alarm so it might be 7 or 8) and dose twice daily if over 180. No dry, canned only...in addition I give PUREBITES chicken treats. I use the Bayer Contour meter and test strips. I do NOT use a lancet device, just the lancet itself to prick. My syringes have 1/2 dose markings. I am using a Lantus pen to draw from. Ketone checks are negative.

I am getting REALLY nervous and need some advice...and a little hand holding nailbite_smile nailbite_smile
 
I think you might be happy posting in the Tight Regulation forum. It is very active (you'll get feedback often) and folks often test 4 or more times per day there.
 
Good luck over in the Tight Regulation forum! They are a great, helpful group of people. Remember to introduce yourself over there as new, so people know to keep an eye out for your posts every day
 
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