New to FDMB

Hello all. I'm not sure if this is the right part of the board to post this at so I apologize in advance. How are you guys keeping track of glucose readings etc? do you make spreadsheets or graphs and what apps or programs do you use? I was using this program attached below as the libre downloads the data but I find it kind of confusing. TIA.

 

I see you arent exactly new here so WELCOME BACK!

You can find that info here:
Sticky FDMB SPREADSHEET INSTRUCTIONS

If you are having problems with your spreadsheet there are people here that can help you with it.

jeanne

 

Ooops guess I was a lurker before.
Should I post in this thread if I have issues or is there a better forum?

 

Here is where you start. So you're good.
When "new" to the site, its best to get sorted here. Once you know what you want and are doing (insulin wise) you can slide over to an insulin specific forum.
j.

 

Welcome!

 

This link with also provide you with additional information in order to get started.

 

Thanks for the info. Where can I see an example of a US spreadsheet sheet that's filled in?

 

Look at others signatures all of them have a spreadsheet. Haylee and Tiggers is one
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/at-wits-end.232654/
click on her spreadsheet

 

What are AmPS?

 

AM as in morning PREshot. PM as in evening PREshot

 

Thanks. Can we add the times checked on the spreadsheet?

 

There is a comment section at the end of each date/line I guess you could add it there .
To be clear I havent had a diabetic kitty in way too many years. We didnt even have spread sheets when Trouble was alive.
maybe Ale can answer this question specifically
@Aleluia Grugru & Minnie

 

You mean instead of +2 or +3? The reason for those is that for members reading your ss it’s more important to know how many hours after the shot the reading was taken and also easier to interpret than if you input times and we have to do the math as to how many hours after the shot that was. You could add it to the cell where you enter the BG but you’d have to color code manually if you did that. So you could write “227 @11am” and select the fill color to match the 200 range which is yellow. Maybe @Chris & China (GA) has more thoughts on this?

 

LOL Ale I just sat here and stared thinking how do I answer this. THANK YOU

 

Some people will add extra columns beside the AMPS and PMPS columns, and put the actual time of the shots in there. Then the +2, +3, etc. columns will give you actual test time easily. The reason we do the + times is that people here are from all around the world and different times zone. People also shoot at different times of the day, based on their schedule. We use the + times, and our understanding of the action of a particular insulin's action, to interpret what is happening.

 

Okay I made a spread sheet. Was going to add additional info to signature but apparently it is too many characters. Sorry if my spread sheet is confusing i'm not sure what I am doing but it makes sense to me. If anyone has a minute and would like to review it that would be awesome!!

 

Interesting take on the color coding!

Wait for more replies on the numbers ok? I cannot give dosing advice.

Someone can help you with that signature.

 

Nope, sorry....needs some work! The times don't really need to be there at all, but since you're using the Libre, you're going to have to do some figuring.

Since you're using Vetsulin, you want to do Pre-shot tests, then feed, then wait 20-30 minutes to shoot.

Each line is 1 day....From AMPS (AM Pre-Shot) to the end of the PM cycle. (for a total of 24 hours)

There are 2 cycles each day....AM and PM and each cycle is 12 hours.

If you plan on giving insulin at (example) 6:30am, then you Test at 6am, Feed and shoot at 6:30am. That first morning test is your AMPS

Then if you get another test (or scan) at 9:30am, that's 3 hours since the shot, so the number goes in the +3 cell.....if you get another test at 1:30pm, that's 7 hours since the AM shot so the test number goes in the +7 cell....all the way up to +11

Then it's time for the PM cycle at 6:30pm.....so you'd put the 6pm test number into the PMPS cell, feed and shoot at 6:30pm and the whole "+ system" starts over for the PM cycle

 

Just put basic info like:

Your name/cat's name, age, sex, date of diagnosis, type of insulin, type of meter, type of food, any other health issues or meds?

Then paste the link to your spreadsheet and "save"

 

I didn't do anything with the color coding I just entered. Wow I feel stupid. I get it now(I think) Thank you! I was thinking the +# was like conversion of something.

 

I tried that it says its too long with the link added. Its even shorter than yours and it will not work for me.

 

I think it worked now. Weird.

 

I started from fresh but then got confused again. If I got a reading of 300 at 11AM 4 hours after shot where would that go? +4 would be under color red 400-499 I thought I was entering Is the color code just a guide to color my readings?

 

You can make more room in your signature by calling your spreadsheet something like Felix's SS.

To do that copy the address of your spreadsheet then go into your signature and remove that long address put Felix's SS there highlight Felix's SS look for the paper clip icon at the top 7th from the left tap the icon a separate box will open paste the address in that box and hit insert. You have shortened the spreadsheet address which will also allow you to put more info in your signature if you like.

Hope this made sense and was helpful.

 

The color coded banner is just to show what color will show up between certain numbers, such as 100-199 will be blue on SS. No need to try to place any 100 to 199 under that part of the banner. Hope that also makes sense.

 

Okay. I think I did it. Sorry to bother you all. Sometimes I don't understand things easily. TIA!

 

That looks good to me. Good job!

 

Yay!!!

 

That was super helpful! Ty!

 

Your welcome. I noticed on others signatures when I first joined, had to ask, that's how i found out.

 

If you got a 300 when you tested 4 hours after the shot, then yes.. you'd put 300 in the +4 "cell"...the color coding should turn the whole cell the color that goes with 300's (the purple)

If you got a test 8 hours after you shot and it was 198, you'd type 198 in the +8 cell and it would automatically color code it blue (for 100-199)

Look at spreadsheets in other's signatures....that may help you understand how the color coding works

 

Hummm, for some reason the permission has changed. It wants me to request permission to view.

 

Same here says needs permission

 

Me too

@Heytherr ....somehow the permissions have changed so we can't see your spreadsheet at all. To change it go to the top right and click "share".

A new box will pop up ....in the bottom part you'll see something like this and you'll need to hit the "change" so it changes to "Anyone on the internet with this link can view"

 

Try now

 

You did a great job getting the spreadsheet and signature up!

 

Thank you! Took me a minute to understand it all haha..

 

good job!

 

So Felix's vet went over his curve readings the other day and said he was not sure about going up to 1.5 units BID as he is worried that when he has a low it'll be too low. He suggested I could try it though. Thoughts? I've never had to change his insulin dose before!

 

I would not increase that much. The 400 and higher numbers are likely due to a bounce. Your signature doesn't indicate when Felix was diagnosed but I'm assuming it was recently. If a kitty is no longer used to being in normal numbers, when number drop closer to normal range or drop fast, the pancreas and liver release a stored form of glucose along with counterregulatory hormones. This causes the numbers to spike upward. It's a normal phenomenon but hugely annoying to us. It can take 3 days/6 cycles for the bounce to clear.

I'm very cautious about increasing Vetsulin aggressively. The 1.0u dose had dropped Felix's numbers to 109. I'd give this dose a bit more time to see what happens once the bounce clears. In the meantime, you may want to take a look at the Vetsulin dosing guidelines for more information.

 

He was diagnosed September of last year.

 

Hi there I would add this to your signature also

 

Addded ty!

 

Thanks for adding that information!

Even though Felix isn't newly diagnosed, I would still proceed slowly. It's important to evaluate how low a dose is taking the numbers. I would go slowly given the 109.

 

Thank you for adding it

 

Thank you for adding it

 

You could do 1.25 rather than going to 1.5 right away

 

It looks like the numbers are coming down but the insulin is wearing off quickly. Consider switching to ProZinc or lantus

 

I've read the shelf life for those insulin is not that long. I hate to say this because the health of my cat comes first but I believe I would be tossing the bottle way too quickly and that is expensive.

 

I'm going to go to the store to pick up a relion meter today. Felix kicked off his libre. I'm not upset because I got almost a week's worth of curves done. I feel like I still got my money's worth. One visit at the vet for a curve cost the same as a Libre that should last 5 to 14 days. Also the curve at the vet is only a few hours.

 

With Lantus, they are required to tell you that it has to be tossed after 28 days....You know why? Because the manufacturer only asked the FDA to test it for 28 days!!...so legally, that's what they have to say!

The Truth? Most of us buy our Lantus from Canada where it's 1/3 to 1/2 the price. A 5 pack of pens is 1500 total units (300 units per pen) and you should be able to use every drop from all 5 pens (which for most cats is at least 1 year and some up to 2 years worth of insulin!!)

Each pen, once "opened" (pierced) will actually last at least 4-6 months if kept in the fridge. The remaining pens continue to stay in the fridge to be used as needed until the expiration date on the box (which is usually at least 2 years away)

Here's the information on Buying Lantus, Basaglar and Levemir from Canada

I'm not sure how much you're paying for Vetsulin, but Lantus, when bought from Marks, is only .13 cents per unit (including the shipping charge) which is less than ProZinc which is about .25 cents per unit.

 

I've read you can't do half doses of insulin out of the pens tho is that true? also I'm not too familiar how pens work in terms is administration. I'm concerned that if I have to increase or lower it I won't be able to do that.

 

No you can't do anything but whole unit doses using the pens "as designed" but what we do is use regular insulin syringes (with half unit markings) and just pull the insulin out of the pen. You just pull the cap off the pen and there's a rubber stopper just like on a vial. Insert the syringe and pull out the desired dose!