High Dose Cat Owners- where to buy Lantus?

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Deena and Malby

Deena and Malby

Member Since 2016
Hello everyone,
Hoping to get some direction from high Dose cat moms/dads.

I'm currently purchasing my Lantus Solstar pens (5 pack) at Marks Pharmacy in Canada.
Malachai is currently on 6 units and is only going up as he isnt regulated.

I feel like I am burning through insulin. Is this the best place (most cost effective way) to buy Lantus or can I possibly save more buying vials/pens somewhere else?

Thanks in advance!
 
I've never heard of any place that can beat Mark's prices. Insulin is just stinkin' expensive.

Have you had Malachai tested for high dose conditions? We usually recommend that once they get to 6 units.

Some people have reported that their cats seem to feel a sting with high doses of Lantus. You might want to consider switching to Levemir.

Our most experienced high dose mamabeans are @Wendy&Neko and @julie & punkin (ga), if you have any questions specific to high dose cats.
 
From what I understand Marks has the best prices. As for burning through insulin - I hear ya. But it lasts longer than you think...1 pen lasted about 30 days for me following TR and starting at 8.5U and ending at 15U. Just to give you an idea...
 
Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey said:
I've never heard of any place that can beat Mark's prices. Insulin is just stinkin' expensive.

Have you had Malachai tested for high dose conditions? We usually recommend that once they get to 6 units.

Some people have reported that their cats seem to feel a sting with high doses of Lantus. You might want to consider switching to Levemir.

Our most experienced high dose mamabeans are @Wendy&Neko and @julie & punkin (ga), if you have any questions specific to high dose cats.
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Hi there,
I have not had Malachai tested yet for the two high-dose tests although I have brought it up to my vet and we are probably headed there soon.
Thanks for the response!
 
Wendy&Neko said:
I think most of the high dose kitties in the US buy from Marks. I live in Canada and it was cheaper at the pharmacy. Tagging a few high dose caregivers in the US who are or were using Lantus @Adrian and Chino , @Phoebes , @Susan G & Jimmy G . Tricia is right that most of the high dozers switch to Levemir at some point. Not that it's any cheaper.
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I've heard most switch to Levemir because some cats experience a "sting" with high doses. Are there any other reasons for switching bedsides that? Malachai doesn't seem to have any issues with a "sting" just yet.

Thanks :)
 
Deena Traina said:
I've heard most switch to Levemir because some cats experience a "sting" with high doses. Are there any other reasons for switching bedsides that? Malachai doesn't seem to have any issues with a "sting" just yet.

Thanks :)
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Jimmy never experienced the sting even at 15. We switched because of its longer acting effects. From the depot sticky:

Unlike glargine, detemir does not form a precipitate upon injection. Instead, detemir's action is extended because its altered form makes it stick to itself in the subcutaneous depot (the injection site), so it's slowly absorbed. Once the detemir molecules dissociate from each other, they readily enter the blood circulation, but there the added fatty acid binds to albumin.

More than 98 percent of detemir in the bloodstream is bound to albumin. With the albumin stuck to it, the insulin cannot function. Because it slowly dissociates from the albumin, it is available to the body over an extended period.
 
Phoebe gets 40 units a day, I hear ya and feel the pain. I usually get the insulin from the storage closet, but yes Marks seems to be the cheapest so far. I also have had friends help me out in a pinch. It definitely depletes the bank account. If you find it cheaper please pass on the info. Trying to figure out how to get some lantus for the end of the month. The well is running dry. Good luck in your endeavors. Head bumps:cat:
 
Deena Traina said:
I've heard most switch to Levemir because some cats experience a "sting" with high doses. Are there any other reasons for switching bedsides that? Malachai doesn't seem to have any issues with a "sting" just yet.
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Chino gets 14 units of Lantus twice a day and I haven't observed a reaction that might indicate pain, though I've noticed how much flatter the cycles can be when I look at the spreadsheets of cats who switch to Levemir. That's why I'll be switching when I run out of Lantus. Sometimes people are also able to reduce the dose. The way I see it, if we're able to reduce the dose, the Levemir pens lasts longer, which makes it less expensive in the long run.
 
Sorry to be so late responding to the tag - I'm not on the board much anymore.

The one other place I'd suggest looking is on Craigslist. You have to be selective and wary, but I scored several boxes of pens - it's been years but I want to say it was 5 boxes for about $200 - from the daughter of a diabetic man who had passed away. The pens were all fine. Check the story, check the expiration date, make sure they've been kept cold.

Another time I bought 2 vials of Lev in Portland (I live in a smaller city) for another member after Punkin had passed away. I think both were about $100. Also years ago, but it was still a great buy. The man selling them had been switched to a different insulin and had those 2 vials left.

Punkin got up to 15.5u before his SRT, but he never even flinched from the Lantus. Some cats seem sensitive to the acidic base, some don't seem to mind it.
 
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