Help with Numbers Preshot 394 +6 260

Status
Not open for further replies.
L

lovey11

Member Since 2013
I tried about 1.25 tonight to see what would happen and got a 260 at about 6 hours and 10 minutes.

I used this dose about 2 weeks ago and got 97 and 123 at hour 6, but the preshots were less. could my cat be more nervous and it is affecting my readings?

Let me know if anyone has some thoughts.
 
I don't think you cats nerves have much to do with it. When you shot late (yesterday morning?) that acts a little like a dose reduction, so the numbers don't surprise me.

Also, you had a 110 during the PM cycle on the 28th. Just dropping that low when Lovey's body isn't used to that low a number can cause a "bounce" where the liver "panics" and releases hormones and glucogen to bring them back up to where it's "used to". Bounces can take up to 72 hours to clear.

Was there a reason you reduced to 1.25 tonight? If anything, I think you'll be looking at an increase soon since his nadirs have been mostly stuck in the yellows

I think you should go back to your 1.5 in the morning and hold it for awhile ...several days..and try to get some more tests over the weekend. By the end of the holiday weekend, you might want to ask if you need to go ahead and increase to 1.75

Sometimes we just have to keep moving forward until we get some "breakthrough" numbers...or a test below 50 that tell us to reduce
 
I concur with Chris. Right now, it looks like it has more to do with reducing the dose too soon than anything else. It's called a "failed decrease" and the general rule of thumb is to raise it back up to the last good dose, which in this case was the 1.5. I looked through your previous posts and didn't see anything as to why you tried lowering the dose today. Maybe I missed it...was it a trial run? If so, it looks like it's too early to do so just yet. I'd bring it back up to the 1.5 and from the looks of things, she may even need an increase off of that.

Has she gained weight recently and/or been eating more lately? This can be a major factor of having to increase the dose (which is a good thing if she's lost too much weight to start with).
 
Thanks for your help. I just tried the 1.25 to try to rule out too much insulin because I was confused. I thought maybe she was hitting a low number and then bouncing up? when I started the 1.5, my numbers became worse? I have a U-40 needle so a 1.5 could be a little more at times depending on the way you eyeball it. I thought maybe
a little more insulin and I passed the right dose?

My cat lost weight as a result of the diabetes. she was down to about 10 pounds 2 ounces and now she is about 11 pounds 10 ounces. she gained most of the weight a few weeks after diagnosis and gained a little back a few weeks ago. She may be eating a little more now.
 
I am a teacher so I will be going back to work soon. I go back to work on Tues and Wed on this upcoming week and then Mon-Friday every week after that. I have off this Thursday and Friday for Jewish holidays.

I really wanted to get a safe dose that I felt comfortable with before leaving her. I have been spending a lot of time concentrating on the cat. when I work I will have to give insulin and then leave for 9 hours so ..
I moved up just a bit on my needle to a dose approaching 1.5 (maybe 1.3 or 1.4) Then, when I started the 1.5, my numbers changed.

What do you guys think?
 
The last "green" (double-digits) on your spreadsheet was from 8/11 at 1.25u, correct? And I'm assuming some of the weight gain has happened since then, which is part of the reason why she might be needing a higher dose this time around. How busy will you be throughout this weekend, i.e. how often will you be able to test? If you can get mid-cycle tests, I would suggest sticking with the 1.5 for now and we can re-evaluate by Monday on whether this is a safe dose to continue while you'll be gone during the day throughout next week when you start working again.
 
I was giving a little less than 1.5 for the past few days because of the wacky numbers I got with 1.5. Should I continue with this or try a straight 1.5? maybe it was just coincidence. I may have given a furs shot once or twice since I was so nervous. I can do some midcycle tests this weekend.
 
If you able to test over the weekend, it might be a good time to do a curve...every 2 or 3 hours through one complete cycle

The Preshot tests are #1 in importance..those are the ones that deal with "is it safe to give insulin at all"?

Then if you can get a +2 or +3, that can give you a good idea on how active the cycle might be. If the +2 is much lower than the PS value, it's most likely going to be an active cycle and you'll need to test more often. If it's about the same or a little higher, it's most likely going to be a calmer cycle.

Then if you can get one between +5 and +8 that'll probably catch pretty close to the nadir number

Do what you can to test over the weekend. The data is what will help guide us and you to how well kitty is reacting to the insulin
 
Thanks Chris. I used the 1.5 for about a week. Then I changed to slightly less for the past few days. Should I use the 1.5 dose or the skinny 1.5 I have been using the last two days?
 
With ProZinc, I know that a lot of the dosage depends on the pre-shot number. When is the next shot due?
 
I am trying to keep the dose the same. I am going to give the shot a little early so my preshot isn't sky high since I gave a smaller dose.
 
Paw wasn't bleeding for me. So I tested again at regular time. I was expecting a very high preshot with a +6 of 260, but my preshot was 316. What do you make of that?
 
As I said last night, I'm not as familiar with Pro Zinc...it might help to edit your first post's Subject line to "Using Pro Zinc...Need dose advice"

Since it's a holiday weekend, not as many people are going to be around to advise, but we'll do the best we can...and there's always someone around using Pro Zinc...it's just catching them that might take some time

I think I would have just gone with the 1.5 and try to get that "curve" in over the weekend. Just one cycle's worth of every 2 or every 3 hours will help tell you a lot about what's going on.

I still think you're probably looking at a dose increase soon, but let's see if we can get some input from the Pro Zinc users. Just because "3 weeks ago" at a lower dose you got better numbers doesn't mean much....lots of cats go lower when first started on insulin, then bounce through the roof, then level out...it's just finding that best dose that will bring kitty down into healing numbers that will give the pancreas a chance to heal that we're looking for...while keeping them safe too!!

I have to go pick my mom up from the hospital and get her checked into a nursing home this afternoon, but I'll be back later. Please try editing your subject line...and if you add the ? icon, it'll also help members when they're quickly scanning the posts to know you have a question
 
Do I need to Raise My Dose?

Thank you Chris.

I am sorry to hear about your mom in the hospital and checking into a nursing home. I hope everything goes Ok. I will keep her in my prayers.
 
Hi again Catherine...and extra sweet Lovey!!

Since you only shot 1.25 last night instead of the shy 1.5 that you'd been shooting, I'd go ahead and go to 1.5 and hold that dose for awhile. Don't shave any off of it..just shoot the 1.5

I should have explained a little better about editing your post too. The only post the members can see without expanding the whole thread is the first post, so if you want to change the subject line to "Using Pro Zinc, Dose advice please" (or whatever) and add the ? icon, you have to go back to your very first post at the top of this thread to do it. That way when people scan through the posts, they can see you have a question, and that you're looking for dose advice


Thank you for your prayers for my mom. It's been a frustrating week with lots of questions and no clear answers as to what's going on, so she's where she needs to be for now. We're all hoping it's only a short stay and she can return home soon
 
Hi Chris,

Hope you made out Ok yesterday with your mom. I am sure it is draining when parents need more care.


I got some readings for Lovey but I slept through reading +6. My cat doesn't like the paw pricks so I maybe can do more in a day or so.

The readings I got were in the 200's. I slept through the +6 so that may have been lower. It doesn't look like is was much lower low though. I ended up with a really high preshot as well. Some members mentioned that I check for bouncing due to my inconsistencies in dosing responses. It doesn't seem like this was bouncing just maybe not enough insulin? What do you think? A few members mentioned that 1.75 might be a good dose when the preshot is in the high 300's or above.

thanks again, Catherine
 
My cat doesn't like the paw pricks so I maybe can do more in a day or so.
Click to expand...

Have you tried getting your tests from the ear? The majority of us prick the edge of their ear to do our tests. There are less pain receptors there so once we got past the usual complaints of "Leave my ears alone period!!", our cats now don't even notice their being tested

Here's where you're poking:
file.php


If you warm the ear (a little rice in a sock warmed in the microwave or a small pill bottle filled with warm water) it'll help bring the blood into the ear. Just make sure you test the temperature on your wrist like you would a baby's bottle before putting it on the ear.

If you're using the lancets that came with a "kit", you're probably using 31 gauge. They're generally too tiny to get good results with at first. You might try finding some "Alternate site testing" lancets that are 28 or 29 gauge. The smaller the gauge, the bigger the poke.

As for the dosing, let me see if I can find someone more experienced with Pro Zinc. I think most of us use Lantus and they work differently.

Bouncing is the liver's reaction to blood glucose numbers it's not used to. It's gotten used to much higher numbers being "Normal", so when we start giving insulin to bring it down, it panics and releases hormones and glucogen to bring it back up to where it feels it should be. It's totally normal to bounce, and they can take up to 72 hours to clear, but as you get the diabetes under better control, the bouncing will reduce, as well as clear faster. China used to bounce into the 400's and take the full 3 days to clear...now she generally only bounces into the 200's and can clear them in a cycle or two. This is why it's important to do the home testing and "Know Thy Cat"...Once you've been keeping track for awhile, you'll start to recognize those patterns and can better predict what's going to happen

Edited to add...Thank you for thinking of Mom and I. We did get her successfully moved and now the hard part starts. Getting her settled into a new routine and being willing to accept the help they're there to give. She's always been a very independent woman, so asking for help goes against everything she's ever believed. I'm just glad she's only about a mile away, so I can visit often and make sure everything is ok. We're hoping it's a short stay, but I'm not sure I'll ever be comfortable with her going back home to live alone again, so lots of decisions still to make. For now, we're facing one day at a time!
 
Thanks great that you are close. Losing some of one's independence is quite an adjustment. It is not easy sometimes as you get older, but it

is great that you can support her.


Thanks for the ear information. My vet showed me how to do the paw pricks last month. The ear seemed a little scary to me at that time, but

I like the idea of less pain for the animal. I will read up a little.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top