I need some advice fast!!

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Patty & Champ

Patty & Champ

Member Since 2011
Okay, as stated in my early post, I decided in my infinite wisdom to reduce my cat's dose from 3 units b.i.d. to 1 unit this morning, thinking that since everyone thinks 3 units was a very high dosage to start out with. I now know I shouldn't have done this so abruptly. I just checked his +6 (actually +6.5) and it was 354!!! I don't like his number that high for just mid cycle since it's only going to go up from here. Should I give him a shot now? I still like how normal he seems at 1 unit, but I think that's too low. What dose should I give him for his 6 pm shot tonight?
 
I'm no dosage expert, but I don't think you should shoot a second shot before your next 12 hour shot. Wait until someone with more experience gives you advice about your PM shot, but I wouldn't double up on the shot.
 
I know that the pink numbers are no fun to see, but it is okay. You are starting over, and you will see some higher numbers for a bit.

Shooting now will wonk everything up even further. I'm not a dosing expert either, but absent some serious history of ketones, I think you hang out until shot time, shoot your 1.0u, and see where things take you. Stick to the protocol from there on increases/decreases and you'll be on track soon.

Kudos to you for taking the leap of faith. And remember, other than ketones, there is no immediate danger in having a dose be too low. A dose that is too high can quickly be fatal.

Hang in there!
 
Do not shoot the cat again before regular shot time.. Lantus is an every 12/12 hour insulin, and you could do your cat harm to shoot before then..Increases & decreases are done using our protocol, in 0.25U increments.
Please read the stickys at the top of the page, especially the one for new to the group..
You need to please read them all, chocked full of information..It will take some time for your kitty to get regulated..Not to worry, please keep asking questions, posting your kitty's numbers and it will all fall into place--Before you do anything with the dose, ask the dosing helpers here--OK?
Welcome to lantus land!
 
Christie is right. Please do not shoot any more insulin until it his next regular shot time (12 hours after this morning's shot). It's ok to start over and go slowly up the dosing ladder following the protocol but he might bounce. Bounces can take up to 72 hours (6 cycles) to clear. This is a tough time....believe me, I am not patient on waiting for those 72 hours to pass by while my kitty is in pink. But I rushed the last increase and ended up having to go way up to come back down. I really feel for you but hang in there.
 
Lantus is not meant to be used as a "bolus" insulin -- in other words, it won't quickly yank high numbers down. Rather, what would end up happening is that you would have 2 nadirs. One of those nadirs could overlap with your PM shot. This could cause numbers to plummet. In other words, giving a second shot is not a good idea.
 
We've all been there and know how hard it is to see the higher numbers. My kitty is King of the HI # ! The absolute worst thing to do now is to give another shot. 354 isn't great, but it's nothing compared to the mess you'll get yourself & kitty into if you start veering off the protocol now. Be patient. As long as there's no ketones, kitty isn't in immediate danger. Wait for the dosing experts. Breathe.
 
Patty, What dose did you decide to give at 6PM? How were his #s? The stickys will really help you to understand the action of this insulin. Good luck.
 
one thing i really had a hard time grasping is that it's safer for them to be in the higher numbers than too low...
of course, if they don't have a history of ketones...

bumping your post for more eyes...

celi & binks
 
I truly thank God for all of you. I was beating myself up about being so stupid and all of you have been so AWESOME. I seriously don't know what I would do without all of you here talking me through this, making me feel like I CAN do this.

I just checked his BG and it was 309 which is better than I expected because he ate about 2 oz of Wellness at 4:30. I'm okay with the 309...not as scary. I decided, after listening to all of you, to keep him at the 1 unit. He acts like his old self on this, even though his numbers are high. As a matter of fact, he's started to play again and I haven't seen that in a few years. He has no history of ketones, but I will get some strips to check this tomorrow. Unfortunately, his litter box is in the laundry room between the washer and dryer so I won't be able to sneak a hand under him with it there. I think I'll move his box out to the foyer for tomorrow and he's never been shy about doing his business in front of me so I should be able to do a check.

Again, all of you, thank you so much for not calling me all kinds of an idiot, even though I've done some idiotic things in the last couple of days. I just need to calm down so I can act rationale again and use my common sense. And I will read everything in the stickys again, maybe print them out, so I have it all in my head and I follow it to a "T".
 
I think it was OK to reduce the dose to 1 unit and start over. I did this with Stu last winter (he was over-prescribed on 7 units; at first I reduced gradually to 4 units, but then just ditched it all and started over at 1 unit). Just remember that you should wait the required number of cycles before increasing again (read the protocol). And only increase by .25 of a unit at a time. Lantus needs time to settle in. Keep testing, keep on schedule, and post your numbers so that the experienced eyes can help you.

Don't worry. Champ will be fine.

Ella & Rusty
 
Thank you, Ella, for your very encouraging words. As I sit here, Champ reached over, and grabbed my hand and then just "held" it, hanging onto it with his claws, but without hurting me. I just love him so much. He's the best cat ever (we all say that, don't we?).
 
Patty P said:
Thank you, Ella, for your very encouraging words. As I sit here, Champ reached over, and grabbed my hand and then just "held" it, hanging onto it with his claws, but without hurting me. I just love him so much. He's the best cat ever (we all say that, don't we?).
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Aww, how sweet is that!

When I first started here I printed out the stickies too. It helped me to have them where I could study the information and underline them or scribble stuff on the pages. So naturally I agree with you - I think it is a great idea to print them out. :lol:
 
Hi Patti: Welcome to LL. The mantra here is PATIENCE. I came here with a kitty on 10u bid. They held my hand, we went up and down the dosing ladder. Without FDMB, I probably would not have Tuffy. You are in good hands, try and relax. It just takes time and ECID so there is no formula for when any of it will happen, but it does. It does not matter what the dose is as long as the numbers are safe and the dose is reached in a safe manner. Yes, they all bounce too when they start to get some nice lower numbers. Have a good evening. You have lots of support here.
 
Patty P said:
Again, all of you, thank you so much for not calling me all kinds of an idiot, even though I've done some idiotic things in the last couple of days. I just need to calm down so I can act rationale again and use my common sense. And I will read everything in the stickys again, maybe print them out, so I have it all in my head and I follow it to a "T".
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Sweetie, if we were in the business of calling anybody an idiot, I think that would be largely all we'd be doing around here!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: While there is a great deal of science behind what we do, and we do our best to make informed decisions, we were all new at one point, and things change all the time...meaning even us experienced folks have to try to figure things out all over again and then make decisions that involve the unknown and a bit of guessing. :) We do the best we can, and if it works, great! If not, well, we know it didn't work, we plug it into the spreadsheet, remember it for next time, and see where you go from there.

You are doing great!!! The decision to drop to one unit had to have been a nailbiter... I can only imagine how stressed I'd have been as a newbie in your shoes!!! But you made the commitment to go with it, and you're seeing the positive results. The protocol will keep you moving in the right direction. The important thing is, you're here. You're arming yourself with all kinds of information that will not only allow you to make the best possible decisions, but will also allow you to converse intelligibly with vets and be the best possible advocate for Champ's health and well-being.

I hope you have a great evening, and know that we here in LL aren't just a support network, we're a family. And you're one of ours now. :) (hee hee... I hope I didn't sound all mafia-like there!!!)

PS-- I have a little presentation folder with maybe 20 clear pages in it. In that book, I keep all of the stickies, copies of the protocol, Willie's lab reports, and anything else I think is important. On the cover, I have the contact information/directions for both my family vet and the emergency vet clinic, so if there's ever an emergency, I have everything I need in one place and can grab it as I'm rushing out the door. It has been tremendously useful!
 
Christie, your note made me tear up and made me laugh...the perfect balance I think!! After finishing my taxes tomorrow (ugh), I'm going to print out everything and put it in a binder. What a great idea!! And I never thought to ask the vet for a copy of Champ's lab results. I'm going to call and ask them to fax it to me. As much as I paid for those dang tests, the least they can do is give me a copy of the results!

I had a great sushi date with my daughter late this afternoon. It was great to get out of the house and "forget" about things for a bit. I'm going to try to get some good sleep tonight and start this confusing merry-go-round again tomorrow.
 
Christie, your note made me tear up and made me laugh...the perfect balance I think!! After finishing my taxes tomorrow (ugh), I'm going to print out everything and put it in a binder. What a great idea!! And I never thought to ask the vet for a copy of Champ's lab results. I'm going to call and ask them to fax it to me. As much as I paid for those dang tests, the least they can do is give me a copy of the results!

I had a great sushi date with my daughter late this afternoon. It was great to get out of the house and "forget" about things for a bit. I'm going to try to get some good sleep tonight and start this confusing merry-go-round again tomorrow.
 
You're doing great, Patty. And it's good to go out and also get some rest while you can. Once they start coming down, it can be a very busy and somewhat sleepless time unless you have one of those kitties that becomes tightly regulated with almost no bouncing in no time. But I think we've all experienced late nights. Have a great evening.
 
You did great today Patty. :-D There is so much to figure out when you are starting. Marjorie is right, accept the moments as a gift and get your relaxation in while you can. Soon enough champ is going to start leading the dance and you will be following. We have a saying here in LL, One day too high is better than one hour too low. Don't sweat the high numbers for a few days, long term they can be a problem for your cat's health, but a few cycles will do no lasting harm. (As long as you check for ketones! But you know that now.) Tomorrow is a new day! :-D

Speaking of tomorrow, we all start a new condo (thread0 every day. The subject follows the convention date Cat's name AMPS~# Throughout the day go back to your first post and edit the subject adding in the successive tests. This will give others a quick look at how Champ is doing. it won't however, bump you up the list. To do that you must post a reply as well.

well, enjoy your sleeo while you can, Ni NI
 
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