How to shoot low

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Karisa and Tasha(GA)

Karisa and Tasha(GA)

Member Since 2011
confused_cat confused_cat confused_cat confused_cat I've read everything here and understand about the shed, but I'm still nervous about shooting when she is running 80's.

I guess since this is still new, and working in a hospital, shooting this level scares me, as I don't want to make her hypo. Shot her last night at 107 and not sure how far down she actually went. It was at 89 this am. It's just realy scarring (sp) me.

I love my tata and will do anything for her, but i don't wanna maker her hypo

I'm gonna talk to my vet and show her what numbers i have and see what she says. She never said anything about giving smaller doses, just wait 30 mins and shoot, well that did a drop last night.

I really appreciate everyone here. You have all been so helpfull.

Thank you so much
 
Hi Karisa and Tasha and welcome to Lantus Land,
I think that you were wise not to shoot this morning, because you don't have enough data to shoot an 89. It is especially important to get tests near the middle of a 12-hour cycle, because Lantus dosing is based on the nadir (the lowest point in the cycle), not on the preshots. There are two very good posts that deal with shooting low numbers. I'll link them below. But for now I would suggest that you only open one condo each day for Tasha. All updates and questions can be put in one place and it will make it much easier for those helping you not to have to skip around. Here is the "formula" for the subject heading that we all use:
4/5 Tasha AMBG 89 (it is "AMBG" because you did not shoot: A.M. Blood Glucose. Otherwise it would be AMPS--A.M. pre shot). Since you have question about dose, please also add something like: 4/5 Tasha AMBG 89. Dose question. This will get experienced eyes on your condo.
Do you have a profile set up for Tasha? People will want to know what kind of food you are feeding, how often you feed, etc. etc. There are instructions in the Tech Forum for setting up a profile.
Here are the links to shooting low numbers:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=40073
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=39309

So, first thing, go to the other condo you have for Tasha today, edit the subject line as follows: 4/5 Tasha AMBG 89. Dose Question
Next, wait for an experienced person to help you figure out what to do.

Good luck, and we are glad that you found the FDMB. You will get lots of help here.

Ella & Rusty
 
The most important issue related to shooting low is being data ready. You're not data ready yet. Once you have more data, there are 3 options if you don't feel that it's safe to give a shot.
  • Stall. If you stall, you DO NOT FEED. You retest in 15 -30 min. You want to see that the numbers are rising.
  • Shoot a BCS (big chicken sh*t) dose. This is a temporarily reduced dose.
  • Skip the shot altogether.
All of these options have an impact on the shed. You don't want to stall and shoot a reduced dose since this has double the impact on the shed. A late shot acts like a dose reduction vs. an early shot which acts like a dose increase.

One thing I would suggest is getting a curve as soon as you can. You need to know where the Lantus onset point and nadir are as well as it's duration. If it were me, I would not have gone to sleep until I knew whether my cat's numbers were still dropping last night (or I would have set an alarm and gotten a spot check).

If I'm remembering correctly, you are transitioning Tasha from dry to canned food? If so, it's looking like the lower carb food is helping to lower Tasha's BG numbers. You noted that you fed WD last night. Just so you are aware, WD is over 20% carb for the canned food.
 
Thank you both for the input. Ta has completely switched to canned. I am feeding FF classics, the W/D was for the carbs to see if it would go up. She was acting fine and frisky thats why I didn't retest again.

confused_cat Now i'm confusled, you say to not feed and retest in 15-20 mins, and the vet said feed and shoot in 30.

I'll try to get a profile set up sometime soon since i have classes today
 
The reason you don't feed while you are stalling is because food will raise the bg level. You want to get an accurate test, not one based on food. When you don't feed and retest in 15-30 minutes, you will be able to see if your kitty has a rising number on its own (not reflecting food). Two rising numbers in succession = it is OK to shoot. (But remember that your next shot time will be 12 hours from when you shoot now.) Since you are already pretty late, perhaps it is best for this morning to skip the shot. That way you won't get off schedule.
btw: I think you should ignore your vet's suggestion about feeding, waiting 30 minutes, and shooting. That doesn't make any sense! You would be shooting a "food number".

Ella
 
If you are stalling, you don't feed because you want to know Tasha's # when you do shoot independent of any influence from food. a food bounce could give you a false sense of security... it will wear off rather quickly, and Tasha could end up going too low because you based your shooting decision on an inflated #.

Still give your LC treats with each poke.

And note that one exception to the "don't feed" rule is when a +12 number is under 50. you do want to feed a little in that situation.
 
Thanks again, I'm taking some info into the vet since she doesn't have hardly any diabetics. I think she said one other in the past.

This makes alot more sense now thanks again
 
I was always nervous shooting low, but if I'm not incorrect, using the Alphatrak means your 80's are 50's on a human meter which is the standard here. That is real cause for hesitation, particularly with no data on how she'll react. Make sure you mention in your Condo's that you're using the Alphatrak so folks can advise you accordingly. The numbers you'll be posting wouldn't be particularly low on a human meter.

Good Luck,

Jason
 
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