Preferred range with Lantus on microdose cat

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KKL

KKL

Member Since 2013
Harley reacts strongly to a small drop difference in dosing. So far 0.15 unit (roughly) seems to be the sweet spot, over time the 0.20 started bringing him too low in the middle of the night and 0.10 he slowly trended upwards.

I have gotten different suggestions as to what range is good and when is low and too low. For a cat on Lantus, that gets such small doses:

What should be our target range to stay within?

What numbers are cause for close watching and what number is too low?

When is too low to shoot?

Again, I have read a lot but I do seem to be getting some different info on these numbers, so I wanted to double check.
 
There are some differences in the literature as to what "normal' range BG is. On this board, the majority of us regard 50 - 120 as normal BG range. Beyond that, it depends on what your goals for Harley are.

If you want to keep Harley healthy, numbers below (roughly) 200 are under renal threshold and will limit the amount of end organ damage that high BG levels can cause. If tight regulation is your goal, then you want to keep Harley in that 50 - 120 range as best you can. If your goal is remission, then the normal range is also desirable but you'll want to make allowance for dose reductions (i.e., drops below 50 or staying below 100 for a week).

With both TR and remission, you can't be afraid of green numbers or shooting low.
 
Ideally you want all the numbers under 120.
A too low number is individual for each cat.... some cats have a different threshold and can show symptoms earlier than others. The lowest number I see on your chart is 33
so imho, I would do my best to make sure he never went under that again..... But he doesn't ever need to go lower than 49 to earn reductions.
So the true goal is having a predominately green chart if you are trying for remission.

If you look at my chart, you can see we stayed in the high greens/low blues for a long time.

When you have numbers you are uncomfortable shooting, ask for help. You can have lots of hand holding here and company so you don't feel alone.
But most here won't shoot a 50 or under....
they stall (ask for help) and wait to see where the bg is going....
 
Okay, the reason I ask is when he was just under 70 someone advised me to test every 15 minute and treat for hypo. I had thought that only happened at the 30-50 range. So any time I see him at 70-90 early (within +2 or +4 ) I have been giving him some MC or HC food to slow the drop.

I would love to see him in remission, he gets such a small dose, so I am hopeful. It has been hard balancing my health/sleep/job with his swings. There are times I am on the road for up to 12 hours and so I think I might take it moderately conservative and hopefully slowly get him down into greens with less swings.
 
70 on its own isn't anything to worry about ( unless you are using an alphatrak meter ) but it really depends on when you get the 70..

ie
If you get a 70 after nadir say at +8 then its not usually a big deal and you dont worry.
if you get a curve like like AMPS 100, +2 80, +4 75, +6 70 then again no worries because he is pretty much surfing - but keep testing
If your AMPS is like 300, then + 2 is 70, then I would start steering with first with LC food as that is a fast drop and the lantus just starts to kick in at +2, and get more tests

Clear as mud?

Wendy
 
Actually no, that makes perfect sense :)

I would love to know WHY this doesn't seem to happen during the day? Even if his preshot numbers are the same he seems to surf gently during the day but drop at night...and only between 1am and 5 am? Mama needs some sleep! :)
 
Because its fun to sleep all day and make your mamabean stay up all night ;)
More likely though - many cats dont eat as much at night which can cause this.. but the 0.15 looks good so far!

Today (or tonite) try not giving the syrup at 70 and see how low he goes - he might be ready for a decrease but you cant see that as the syrup is covering it up. However if he does drop below 50 then you break out the MC etc - and give him a decrease.

Wendy
 
Haha that's funny :)

Sounds good...I have a ton of work, but maybe I will take a nap and do some work in the wee hours of the morning. I was trying to get myself on a schedule because I have sleep problems to begin with and due to my health issues I do better if I can get my sleep regulated.

I use a scale to feed him and he gets the same amount am and pm. Plus since he moves around more during the day you figure that should stimulate his pancreas and burn blood sugar?

He is funny too, like clockwork he shows up at my bedside at 6am sharp and the "feed me, feed me shenanigans" begin. It starts with a him cuddling, then gentle taps of his paw on my arm, to finding something crinkly/loud to chew on under the bed, to unplugging my phone and playing with the cord, then he escalates it to nibbling on my toes and finally the door stop spring...at which point I give in and get up and put him outside of the door and shut it...then I hear his feet squeak pawing at the door, so I eventually get back up and start the day. Good thing he's such a cuddly lovebug, because I am not a morning person and not too amused at the antics :)
 
do you ever get up for the bathroom in the night?

many here make catsicles out of the food so they have some in the night.... but I just make an extra serving, float it with 1 -2 tablespoons of water ( I live in a cooler temperature) and I just withhold it on the bathroom counter until I get up.... and set it in front of mine as I pass by. (around 2 am)
She thinks it's a fresh serving instead of having sat out half the night and eats.
 
Not usually, I only average 6 hours of sleep so once I am out I am usually done until the cats wake me up in the morning. Harley is a food motivated radar machine...he'd seek and destroy...as would the other two. Since switching to wet food I feel like the inmates have taken over the prison, they have become crazy :)

Which I am glad they have good appetites, but that one hour before feed time they get pretty rowdy.
 
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