new to spreadsheet need some advice

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christine + scoop

Member Since 2010
so I just did my spreadsheet so I could get a little advice. Over the last few weeks I have been having problem with the insulin being TOO long lasting, meaning I will do 1U AM then come PM he will be too low to dose - so he misses a dose. Then in the AM he shoots back up to 300-400 and it takes a few doses to get back low. Does this just mean I need to reduce his dose? I read that you only reduce based on nadir, which as you can see has not been too low. The 318 at +4 was NOT one where he missed a dose. I will do some more nadir readings today.
 
Welcome! You were fairly close to hitting the 40s on July 31st. I am wondering if you would have done an earlier check if you may have found one. I am not an expert and you will get some great ideas soon I am sure. It's definitely going to be difficult when you skip shots entirely. Try getting more numbers today, so others have something to go off of and when you get back on track you will be better able to find that low point.
 
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Hi there, welcome back to Lantus Land!

Is this for your kitty named Scoop? I checked back to previous posts from the board, I believe your cat is Scoop, right?
Do you have a first name we can call you or just call you thecsuzoo?

Good job getting the spreadsheet running!
I'm going to ask a couple important questions, so bear with me ok?

---> Have you been on Lantus since the beginning dates on spreadsheet?
---> Did you begin a new vial/pen during this time?
Please make a note in your spreadsheet on the date you began a new pen/vial (whichever one you are using).
----> Are you still using the AlphaTrak meter? This is something others here will want to know for certain
---> Is dry food completely out of the picture?

See this info that you posted in your first FDMB thread a while back?
Cat: Scoop
Diabetic : about a year now
Insulin : Lantis
Dose: 2 units/twice a day
Food: 1/4 cup Science Diet MD dry twice a day
B/G: it's been a while since I have done one (been out of town), but they always start out high, go to about 200 then back to high right before next injection.
Hometesting with alphatrak and glucotest strips


This info would be ideal to add either to your signature and/or to a profile. This helps us from asking the same questions over and over again. When you have some free time, ok? How to Make A Profile

---> What is your schedule like during the day? Mornings, actually.
We would like to know how much wiggle room we have with your day time availability to get early spot checks.
From what I can see, in my honest opinion, you do not have enough current mid day cycle spot checks to see where and when Scoop has his nadir.

As you said, you'll work on getting some more nadir tests, and that's great, however, nadir isn't always necessarily around +6 as the curve chart suggests.
Some kitties peak very early on and some later in the cycle. It may take a few cycles for you to consistently see where Scoop is peaking.

I'd also suggest having a read-thru the protocol we use in this forum, I know you may of already read thru it, but it helps to re-read these info stickies.
Tilly's Protocol: Modified Version

It is scary shooting low numbers, but believe me - we've all been in your shoes.
Eventually, you will feel more comfortable shooting lower numbers instead of skipping shots which can deplete the shed...therefor BG's coming back up again.
Plus, without early cycle checks, you may be missing lower numbers (hence, the nadir - wherever it may be at this point) possibly causing a bounce back up.

As an example, +1, +2, +3, (not always all of them - but at least one early cycle check would be a good place to start)

So with the more data you collect the easier it gets to both advise and help you along with Scoop's progress.

I hope you will be able to post regularly if you can.
I'm glad to see you back :razz:
 
Ronnie & Luna said:
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---> Have you been on Lantus since the beginning dates on spreadsheet? YES
---> Did you begin a new vial/pen during this time? - I COMMENTED WHERE I CHANGED PENS 7/13
Please make a note in your spreadsheet on the date you began a new pen/vial (whichever one you are using).
----> Are you still using the AlphaTrak meter? This is something others here will want to know for certain FREESTLYE LITE
---> Is dry food completely out of the picture? YES AND WE ARE NEVER GOING BACK - WE HAVE ALREADY DECREASED HIS DOSE BY HALF WITHIN A FEW MONTHS.

---> What is your schedule like during the day? Mornings, actually. I WORK IN THE AM BUT I DO HAVE 2 DAYS OFF WHERE I DO THE SPOT CHECKS
We would like to know how much wiggle room we have with your day time availability to get early spot checks.
From what I can see, in my honest opinion, you do not have enough current mid day cycle spot checks to see where and when Scoop has his nadir.
Click to expand...

I changed my profile name and scoop was at 45 at +4 today
 
Missing shots is not a good way to go; I would think it's pretty hard on the cat.

My first thought was this: If 1unit BID is too high, why not decrease to .75u and give that reduced dose a try? The dose of 1unit is not the lowest, and you may well find that your cat will be much better on a lesser dose - even .5u or even .25u as a dose.

I just thought I'd ask that question.
 
Hi Christine,

thank you for the answers.

I'm not sure how much time has passed since that +4, but it is suggested to do a re-test (usually in 15 minute increments) when you are in the 40's, feed a little bit and re-test to make sure you have a bit of a rise.
You don't want him to go any lower - Scoop is showing us he can dip into the 40's already!

Good catch!
 
I don't think this is an issue of duration. Generally, if you have to skip shots, it's best to reduce the dose so you can shoot every 12 hours. When you're getting a low number at +4, you're seeing a bounce to higher numbers by +12. Other times, you're getting a flatter cycle.

It will also help if you can fill in some of the gaps with more spot checks. If you're not at home during the day, it would be very useful to get a curve (i.e., testing every 2 hours for one cycle) over the weekend. Likewise, it's important to get tests during the PM cycle. At the minimum, a before bed test is needed.
 
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