Louie~back and ready to try Levemir!

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Louieorangetabby

Louieorangetabby

Member Since 2011
I dropped off the radar for months from the FD message board feeling terrible that Louie's numbers were not improving~ I just could not keep up with my online SS anymore, yet have never stopped keeping track of Louie's BG levels........chronically up in the 300's and upper 400's. I've felt that I've let him down by not figuring out what to do to bring his numbers down. Meanwhile, Louie is chunky and still quite food obsessed, and seems to be enjoying life despite the high blood sugar~ About a month and a half ago, I thought I'd bring him to a new vet to see what we could do (the vet who diagnosed his FD in October 2011 was not helpful so I stayed away from vets for a year and a half!) and she recommended a dental cleaning (scheduled for late April) and to up his dosage of Lantus from 2.5 to 2.75. A couple days after his appointment, Louie stopped eating altogether! He ended up staying 2 nights at the vet clinic with no improvement with appetite stimulators and antibiotics. When he came home I needed to force feed him baby food so that he could have his insulin~ I did not think he would survive! Amazingly enough, he rallied and one morning a week later.....started eating again (FF) His numbers were low low low, and have slowly been climbing back up again. He is now back to his high numbers~ and seems to be back to his normal routine despite the high blood sugar. I think its time to try Levemir! Can anyone help with suggestions for finding discounts or donations for a pen? I don't want to buy an entire box of pens until I know this will work for Louie~
thank you!!
Louie and Tracy
 
Welcome back, Tracy.

Did the vet have any thoughts as to why Louie stopped eating for two+ days? I am thinking that he might have had a bout of pancreatitis. Did they get any blood work at that time? Obviously, a test for pancreatitis is the best way to dx it (fPLI), but elevated liver enzymes can also be an indicator. After Beau was diagnosed with pancreatitis we would follow his episodes using the liver enzymes because it is a lot cheaper. Anyway... best treatment is pepcid 1/4 tab bid about 20-30 mins before feeding, subQ fluids, pain meds, and force feeding. Beau always got baby food until he would eat boiled chicken on his own.

Because you don't have up to date numbers it is hard to suggest a starting dose for lev, but I am thinking 1u or 1.5u - no more. There is a possibility that Louie is rebounding and lev might cause him to drop really low, especially in the first 3-4 cycles, so I recommend making the switch on Sat morning if you are typically home on weekends so you can monitor him.

Any chance you can start a new page on your SS and just enter the last month or so of numbers? That would be helpful. The numbers when he was not eating and then starting back up again would be good to see.

As to finding a pen of lev you might post on the supply forum and ask if anyone can sell you one pen. Or contact DCIN and ask if they can help you.

Lastly, you might consider getting him tested for acromegaly. Since he has been hard to regulate and is "chunky" it might be a possibility. There are a couple of acro moms here that could give you more information about that. Hopefully, one of them will chime in.

Love Louis picture!
 
If you switch to Lev, it's good to stay on the same ss page because you can just fill in a couple lines with a color and the words SWITCHED TO LEVEMIR
That way, people will know exactly when you switched and they can follow the flow of the colors as they scroll down the page.


OK looking at his ss - I do see the numbers stopped in June/2012, it would be good if you can get some tests, at least the before bed test in the evenings so that you know where his numbers are before you go to sleep.

His numbers have been solid high, so I wanted to ask if you are checking for ketones regularly.
Also, you mention kibble... some cats, like one of my own, would be in solid 400s when eating even a small amount of dry foods, so if Louie is also sensitive, I'd keep all of it away from him... Keep it away for at least a week and see what happens.

I can't see how you figured out your dosing in the past but that's OK. Looking forward, I would raise this Lantus dose most definitely, then when you switch to Lev, make it about a 70% less dose of Lev... you don't want to be staying in these high numbers long even if he acts used to them.
When he dropped to the blue mid cycle back in May, he was just bouncing after that nice number, but no need to lower his dose for that.

It's good that you have your numbers written down. You can add a few lines on your ss to say something like you have the numbers from June to present but not on ss yet. I did the same thing awhile back but just started adding numbers again. So if you can post the numbers from the last week or so, it would be a start and others can see how Louie's been doing lately.
 
((((((Tracy)))))

Welcome Back I've missed you!!!! PM me a mailing address and I will drop a pen in the mail to you over the weekend if our forecast holds...When my mom passed away in November she left Autumn and I all her unused Levemir. Thus I have more than I will ever use for Autumn before it expires...(need to get a box to Sneakers to as well as a couple to DCIN).

Mel, Maxwell, Autumn & The Fur Gang
 
Thanks Mel.
I was going to offer to send one of mine if she just wanted to try some to see how it would be for Louie.
 
You're welcome Heather and at least Autumn doesn't drink hers like water. She is more a sipping kind of girl that a chugger...lol

Mel, Maxwell, Autumn & The Fur Gang
 
Hey- Sneakers is getting lower each week :lol:

But yes, I envision Autumn as a tea drinker with her pinkie extended while Sneakers downs a Monster 3 can in less than a minute :lol: :lol:
 
Sheila & Beau & Jeddie (GA) said:
Welcome back, Tracy.

Did the vet have any thoughts as to why Louie stopped eating for two+ days? I am thinking that he might have had a bout of pancreatitis. Did they get any blood work at that time? Obviously, a test for pancreatitis is the best way to dx it (fPLI), but elevated liver enzymes can also be an indicator. After Beau was diagnosed with pancreatitis we would follow his episodes using the liver enzymes because it is a lot cheaper. Anyway... best treatment is pepcid 1/4 tab bid about 20-30 mins before feeding, subQ fluids, pain meds, and force feeding. Beau always got baby food until he would eat boiled chicken on his own.

Because you don't have up to date numbers it is hard to suggest a starting dose for lev, but I am thinking 1u or 1.5u - no more. There is a possibility that Louie is rebounding and lev might cause him to drop really low, especially in the first 3-4 cycles, so I recommend making the switch on Sat morning if you are typically home on weekends so you can monitor him.

Any chance you can start a new page on your SS and just enter the last month or so of numbers? That would be helpful. The numbers when he was not eating and then starting back up again would be good to see.

As to finding a pen of lev you might post on the supply forum and ask if anyone can sell you one pen. Or contact DCIN and ask if they can help you.

Lastly, you might consider getting him tested for acromegaly. Since he has been hard to regulate and is "chunky" it might be a possibility. There are a couple of acro moms here that could give you more information about that. Hopefully, one of them will chime in.

Love Louis picture!
Click to expand...
Thanks Sheila & Beau and Jeddie! appreciate the good information~ I will indeed fill in some of Louie's recent numbers soon on his SS~ I am traveling for work on Friday, and taking Louie with me~ will post again after I get Louie on his new dosage of Levemir~ starting Friday. I'll be able to share some Lantus and new Levemir numbers!
DCIN has helped us out with 2 pens, so we're glad to get to make the switch~ Thanks for the info on pancreatitus and acromegaly~ I'll investigate!
Tracy & Louie
 
Blue said:
If you switch to Lev, it's good to stay on the same ss page because you can just fill in a couple lines with a color and the words SWITCHED TO LEVEMIR
That way, people will know exactly when you switched and they can follow the flow of the colors as they scroll down the page.


OK looking at his ss - I do see the numbers stopped in June/2012, it would be good if you can get some tests, at least the before bed test in the evenings so that you know where his numbers are before you go to sleep.

His numbers have been solid high, so I wanted to ask if you are checking for ketones regularly.
Also, you mention kibble... some cats, like one of my own, would be in solid 400s when eating even a small amount of dry foods, so if Louie is also sensitive, I'd keep all of it away from him... Keep it away for at least a week and see what happens.

I can't see how you figured out your dosing in the past but that's OK. Looking forward, I would raise this Lantus dose most definitely, then when you switch to Lev, make it about a 70% less dose of Lev... you don't want to be staying in these high numbers long even if he acts used to them.
When he dropped to the blue mid cycle back in May, he was just bouncing after that nice number, but no need to lower his dose for that.

It's good that you have your numbers written down. You can add a few lines on your ss to say something like you have the numbers from June to present but not on ss yet. I did the same thing awhile back but just started adding numbers again. So if you can post the numbers from the last week or so, it would be a start and others can see how Louie's been doing lately.
Click to expand...

Blue~ Thanks for your comments!~ As soon as I can get to it, I'll post Louie's recent numbers on Lantus, and also as he makes the switch to Levemir in the next few days.....good idea to check his keytones~ I have some test strips ready to go~ Louie rarely gets kibbles....only after sneaking some now and then.....but I try to monitor him! (there are 4 other civies who do get some kibbles)
thanks for the help~
Tracy & Louie
 
MommaOfMuse said:
((((((Tracy)))))

Welcome Back I've missed you!!!! PM me a mailing address and I will drop a pen in the mail to you over the weekend if our forecast holds...When my mom passed away in November she left Autumn and I all her unused Levemir. Thus I have more than I will ever use for Autumn before it expires...(need to get a box to Sneakers to as well as a couple to DCIN).

Mel, Maxwell, Autumn & The Fur Gang
Click to expand...

Mel!! thanks for the warm welcome! still hanging in there with Louie and glad to check back in with you & your fur gang~:) I'll send you a private message about the pen~thanks for the nice offer!
Tracy and Louie
 
hmjohnston said:
Hey- Sneakers is getting lower each week :lol:

But yes, I envision Autumn as a tea drinker with her pinkie extended while Sneakers downs a Monster 3 can in less than a minute :lol: :lol:
Click to expand...

If that's the case, Grayson traded in his 55 gallon drum for a couple of buckets! :lol:
 
You may want to touch base with Doug & Libby (Hershey) - who posts on Lantus TR... I know she was worried about some pens going past "use by" date. Maybe she'd sell you one for a discounted price?

Pens go too quickly for Grayson.... otherwise, I'd be more than happy to share.
 
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