Home testing, BG curve & costs

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nkace

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So Azrielle has been diagnosed a few months ago & I have posted before & read some things on here that have proved helpful.
I am going to start doing home testing but need to know what is the cheapest way to go about this? Iam currently unemployed so the BG curve at the vet's on a weekly basis is something I can't afford right now. We have switched insulin because we ran into some problems, I now have a box of BD syringes that I can't use anymore so am wondering if I can sell them or something. I refuse to enter a Wal-Mart so is online the best & cheapest place to buy a home testing kit? I spoke to my vet about this thoroughly & she is going to see if she can have a drug rep get her some materials.
 
You can get a free newbie kit from Lori and Tom. It will have a meter, strips etc. viewtopic.php?f=28&t=19541 You will need to get some more strips on your own - hers have a small supply, but it will get you started.

So glad you are going to hometest! It will be much less expensive than the vet and more reliable. Many kitties are stressed at the vet and stress raises blood glucose levels, so they are higher at the vet than they would be at home. This can result in dosages of insulin that are too high.

While you are waiting, put together a rice sack (thinnish sock filled with raw rice, heated in the microwave until very warm but not hot) and start messing with your kitty's ears. Have a spot where you use the sack, and touch her ears and give her treats.
 
Short of Wal-mart there are lots of places to get cheap diabetic testing supplies. The first place would be from right here through Lori and Tom and the newbie kits...that would get you a meter and some testing strips to get you started at least and all she asks is that you pay the shipping around $5.00. That would get a good start, the other would be to check the local pharmacies, and see what they have to offer, most of them have a "house" brand meter that is fairly cheap as well. The biggest thing is to look at what the strips cost and find something that works with your budget. The strips are where the biggest expense it, so those prices are what is going to determine which meter you want. But any human glucometer that takes a small drop of blood with strips you can afford will do just fine.

As for the syringes, you might try selling them or donating them to the supply cabinet here.

Mel, Max & The Fur Gang
 
Trying to figure out the conversion is tricky since I have the needles that go 1-12 & then the others go 1-30.
 
Which insulin did you switch to and why? And what needles do you have (suggest that you write down what is on the box) ie u40 or u 100, etc.
 
I switch from humulin to prozinc bcuase we were having problems w/ it. So I now have a box of these needles that I don't know what to do with.
 
ok - with Humulin, you were using U100 syringes with orange cap

With Prozinc - that is U40 insulin (dilute compared to U100) and the syringes usually have a red cap

It is ok to use U100 syringes with U40 insulin using the 2.5x conversion factor --

example:
1u U40 insulin = 2.5u mark on U100 syringe

the U number indicates how many units of insulin are in 1 milliliter (1cc) of liquid.

U40 = 40 units per CC
U100 = 100 units per CC
 
But the orange cap ones say 30 total, am I missing something? If I am giving her 1.5 on the red cap one, how much would it be on the orange cap syringe?
 
So does it make sense, or not? We want to make sure you understand the conversion so you don't give more insulin than you are planning on.
 
nkace said:
But the orange cap ones say 30 total, am I missing something? If I am giving her 1.5 on the red cap one, how much would it be on the orange cap syringe?
Click to expand...

Orange cap syringes are marked for U-100 insulin. If is says for 30 units, then
that syringe can hold up to 30 units of U-100 insulin if filled completely up.

It's a 3/10cc capacity syringe. 3/10cc of U-100 insulin = 30 units.

The concept of insulin CONCENTRATION is a completely different thing.

U-100 insulin contains 100 units of insulin per cc of liquid measurement.
U-40 insulin contains only 40 units of insulin per cc of liquid measurement.

U-100 insulin is 2.5 times more concentrated than U-40 insulin (100 divided by 40 = 2.5).

If you hold a U-40 syringe up next to a U-100 syringe you will see that the "1" mark
on the U-40 syringe lines up with the "2.5" mark on the U-100 syringe.

Now here is the easy math:

1 units of U-40 insulin x 2.5 = 2.5 unit-mark in a U-100 syringe
1.2 units of U-40 insulin x 2.5 = 3.0 unit-mark in a U-100 syringe
1.4 units of U-40 insulin x 2.5 = 3.5 unit-mark in a U-100 syringe
1.6 units of U-40 insulin x 2.5 = 4.0 unit-mark in a U-100 syringe
1.8 units of U-40 insulin x 2.5 = 4.5 unit-mark in a U-100 syringe
2.0 units of U-40 insulin x 2.5 = 5.0 unit-mark in a U-100 syringe

This is why we suggest you get U-100 syringes with 1/2 unit marks.

Also, you will note that I did not calculate for 1.5 units of U-40 insulin.

Even with 1/2-unit marks, you would have to eyeball that one:
1.5 units of U-40 insulin x 2.5 = 3.75 unit-mark in a U-100 syringe.
There are no syringes with 1/4-unit marks.

Those who use U-40 insulin with U-100 syringes generally adjust the dose
in increments of .2 units, per the above chart, using U-100 syringes with
1/2-unit marks.

IMPORTANT: Always discuss your dose with the vet and here on the FDMB
in terms of the TRUE DOSE....the number of U-40 units before the multiplication
of 2.5 to get the unit-mark on the U-100 syringe.

If you are giving 1.4 units of U-40 insulin in a U-100 syringe, the TRUE DOSE
is 1.4 units, not the unit-mark of 3.5.
 
I figure the easiest thing is to just give the needles away I am not using so I don't get confused & screw up the dose.
 
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