Question about adjusting dosages.. should I be doing it?

[Nancey]

I need to get opinions on whether or not I am doing the right thing with Frodo's dosage. I have been adjusting based on what his BG levels show. I have been looking at others spreadsheets and do not really see where anyone else is doing these types of adjustments. So my question is should I be adjusting the dose based on his BG or should I be giving him the same dose everytime? I would really like to get him off the juice but can't seem to get a steady green, is that because I am adjusting the dose instead of giving the same dose all the time??

I will take any feedback I can get as I am just not sure if I am doing right by Frodo by doing what I am doing.

Thanks,
Nancey

 

[bookw0rm]

I've always had good results with holding the dose. Some people do use a sliding scale but only after time to see how your cat reacts. Others can give you.more info on sliding scales; Cass does best with a set dose.

 

[Carl & Polly & Bob (GA)]

Hi Nancey, nice to see you posting!

Well, after looking at the SS, it's a pretty tough call. It looks like your no-shoot number is 115-120? It looks to me like all of your doses lately are resulting in greens, which is awesome. There are some cycle where you might not catch the green, but I think they are there. The other thing I notice is that between AM and PM preshot numbers, most days, they are within the 20% meter tolerance too, so he's pretty consistent.

Sliding scales work well for some cats. The important thing to think about is that the differences in doses you are shooting are really small. Yes, technically, going up from .3u to .5u is a "40% difference in dose", but we're talking differences that are hard to see with normal eyesight, a few drops really. And if you keep in mind the "20% thing", the numbers you get from a .5 and a .3 are not very different.

I think you could, at this point, pick one dose and stay with it. I don't see where .5 has dropped him too low. You shot that at a 120 yesterday and got 50 points of drop? I think that if you set your "no shoot" number at 120, then you could go with .5 (even if it's a skinny .5?) which again is just a couple drops less than .5, you should be okay. I don't see any numbers that look like bounces, and if you go with .5, and get an number that is in the 40s or 30s, then cut back to .25 and stick with it.

Bob was dosed on a sliding scale, but the ranges were 100 points, and the dose increments were never smaller than .25 units. I couldn't "see" less than that on a syringe (I was using u40's and not U100s with a conversion chart.) My scale was more like "If over 200, 2u, and if between 100 and 200, then 1u." But Bob was less sensitive to insulin than a lot of other cats I've watched here. It only took a couple of weeks for him to go from 1 and 2 unit doses to .25 and .5 doses, so he climbed down the dosing ladder really quickly.

I understand your frustration, because Frodo is "that close" to not needing any insulin. But all that said, his numbers are wonderful. :smile:

Carl

 

[Teresa and Poopy]

Howdy neighbor! cat_pet_icon

I understand the thought of sticking with one dose and also the adjusting per PSs. I have a real hard time shooting the same amount in a low 200 BG and a high 200 BG. It gets even worse for me when it's upper 100s and lower 300s. To me, they are world's apart. Some sugar babies seem to need the steady dose and some seem to do better with minor adjustments dependent on their BG.

It really depends on Frodo of what works best for Frodo, how he interacts with the insulin.

What you've been doing is a sliding scale. When it's down around 120, it looks like you do .3 and when it's higher than the 130's a .5. Both have worked well as Frodo has great numbers! Has anyone talked with you about micro dosing since he can go a few rounds without insulin (6/18-6/19) and is so close to normal numbers? (I'm not knowledgeable about micro dosing.)

 

[Nancey]

Happy Fourth Everyone!!!

Thanks for the input. I think I will go with your advice and put him on a steady dose. Carl, you are right typically if he is below 120 I do not shot, if I am going to be home with him I have a few times given him a small dose, but not sure it made that much difference. So I am going to try either .3 or .5 as his steady dose (probably .5) and see what happens.

I have also stopped lacing his food with stuff to get him to eat, I think I need to let him eat when his body tells him to eat. I give him food in the morning, he has 2 small meals in the timerfor during the day and then he gets his evening meal, and if I have to work at night he has 2 small in his timer.

I am hoping this works and I can get him OTJ.

I will update later... thanks again for your input..

Enjoy your fourht of July.
Nancey