I don't know what to do anymore.....

[DiaBeanies the Cat]

Since switching my cat to Lantus 10 months ago, I feel like we've never gotten a handle on this and maybe we were doing better on Caninsulin.

He takes 2 units twice a day.

However we find he crashes out, pre shot BG can be like 20 and then within 3 or 4 hours he will be down to like 7 (even to as low as 3 or 4 in about 4 hours I've seen) . And then back up to over 20 by the time the next shot is due.

Then a period of resistance seems to occurs for a day or two where the dose doesn't really seem to do much. And then we repeat the cycle all over again.

He's even had a few hypo episodes where he goes temporarily blind but corrected with giving syrup.

I suspect symogi effect counter regulation?

 

[Wendy&Neko]

Hello and welcome. Are you home testing your kitty? What sort of food is he eating? We will have more questions, but if you can read this post it'll tell you how to set up your signature and show us the blood sugar test data. New? How You Can Help Us Help You!

If he's having a real hypo, then the dose is too high and needs to be reduced. Cats shouldn't be going low enough that they go blind. A couple posts on safety:
How to treat HYPOS - THEY CAN KILL! Print this Out!!

jojo and bunny's HYPO TOOL BOX

The "period of resistance" as you call it is what we call bouncing. It's a kitty's self defence mechanism. Here is the description.
Bouncing is simply a natural reaction to what the cat's system perceives as a BG value that is "too low". "Too low" is relative. If a cat is used to BGs in the 200's, 300's, or higher for a long time, then even a BG that drops to 150 can trigger a "bounce". Bouncing can also be triggered if the blood glucose drops too low and/or too fast.The pancreas, then the liver, release glucogon, glycogen and counter-regulatory hormones. The end result is a dumping of "sugar" into the bloodstream to save the cat from going hypoglycemic from a perceived low. The action is often referred to as "liver panic" or "panicky liver". *Usually*, a bounce will clear kitty's system within 3 days (6 cycles).

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
If you could set up the spreadsheet and add a couple of weeks data, I think we could help you.
If you have any trouble setting up the SS we can help you

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

doing better on Caninsulin

That would be a step backwards. Caninsulin is a very old insulin developed for dogs, almost never lasts a 12 hour cycle and is harsh on a cat's internal systems. Before I came here I did get my first sugar cat stabilized on Caninsulin but that was partly luck, over the top monitoring and a great vet. I know the Lantus forum looks like a math test without multiple choice answers and needs closer monitoring but it's so much better than Caninsulin. When I came here our second sugar cat had a lot of other medical issues and he was way past his best before date so I just left him on Caninsulin. It didn't shorten his life, his enlarged heart and cardiomyopathy did that.
Just my opinion but Caninsulin reminds me of when people thought asbestos was a good idea. It needs to go away.
I know you're new here so just know no one will ever shame or ridicule you for using Caninsulin, I did and wish I hadn't.
The symogi effect is something I continually misunderstood. That and the temporary blindness is something I'm not qualified to answer.
Keep posting, don't get intimidated or discouraged. This really is the best place to learn.

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

How are things going @DiaBeanies the Cat ?