? "Settling into a dose"

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Carl & Polly & Bob (GA)

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I read this very often. I don't believe I ever say it. And I'm not trying to be difficult.

I honestly do not know what you mean when you say "settling into a dose".

Could someone please explain what you mean when you use that phrase?
 
I know when Merlin was just starting out on his insulin, I had no idea what dose to give him. So I started giving arbitrary doses and would just see what it would bring me for his nadir. Since he did a lot of bouncing at first, I started to give a consistent dose for a few cycles in hopes of minimizing his bouncing and improving his nadir i.e. he seemed to settle into that dose. My vet suggested this and indicated that it will help him accept the insulin better. I found that at first, Merlin began to get better nadirs even though his pre-shots were not as consistent (at first) but the dosing was consistent. After 3-5 cycles (a few times I did it for a whole week) of consistent dosing (settling into that dose), I would then start to see consistent pre-shot numbers, nadirs and less bouncing. After I would begin dosing according to pre-shot (sliding scale) Merlin started to do even better. If he started bouncing again, I would give a consistent dose again for about 3-5 cycles, he would calm down, then I could start on my sliding scale again. So for me, I just say that he seems to react positively to consistent dosing at times i.e. settle (accept) into the dose.
 
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For Nala, personally, sometimes she takes awhile to start showing true numbers in a dose. A lot of cats seem to start showing immediate changes when you give them a new dose but for her it can be a few days. Let's say I'm trying a new dose for her, she might have bounces up before she shows a consistent AMPS/PMPS. That's just how she responds though.

Well, Cindi responded before I could and gave a more descriptive and articulate answer :)
 
Mancat said:
For Nala, personally, sometimes she takes awhile to start showing true numbers in a dose. A lot of cats seem to start showing immediate changes when you give them a new dose but for her it can be a few days. Let's say I'm trying a new dose for her, she might have bounces up before she shows a consistent AMPS/PMPS. That's just how she responds though.

Well, Cindi responded before I could and gave a more descriptive and articulate answer :)
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OK. To me, that isn't "settling". That is a bounce that lasts a couple cycles/days and then clears, so you get to see what a dose does with " bounce" removed from the equation.

A good example of that is the numbers that Marlena saw with Rocky today. He didn't "settle in" because his body decided that the dose all of a sudden was a good dose. His bounce cleared.

If there is no bouncing involved, giving the same dose for 3/5/7 days in a row won't cause the dose to suddenly be "good enough". It'll just give you 3/5/7 days of crappy numbers, increased glucose toxicity, and you'll end up raising the dose anyway. Losing 3/5/7 days of opportunity to improve.

People worry more about bouncing than they do about glucose toxicity. Cats are going to bounce, period. But if the bounce didn't come from a green number, then worrying about it pointless. The worst thing you can do is reduce when you see an unwarranted bounce. You end up with a flatter curve of numbers that are still too high.
 
Well perhaps everyone means the same thing but has different terms for it. Since you mentioned glucose toxicity and I find it to be interesting, maybe you could make a new thread explaining it if you wouldn't mind. It seems like you want the information out there because glucose toxicity is an important thing that people aren't paying attention to.
 
There are already a couple of info threads about "Glucose toxicity" on the forum that I bump to the top of the heap on a regular basis :)
 
And yes, IMO, glucose toxicity is the most important thing for people to understand.
 
Carl & Polly & Bob (GA) said:
OK. To me, that isn't "settling". That is a bounce that lasts a couple cycles/days and then clears, so you get to see what a dose does with " bounce" removed from the equation.

A good example of that is the numbers that Marlena saw with Rocky today. He didn't "settle in" because his body decided that the dose all of a sudden was a good dose. His bounce cleared.

If there is no bouncing involved, giving the same dose for 3/5/7 days in a row won't cause the dose to suddenly be "good enough". It'll just give you 3/5/7 days of crappy numbers, increased glucose toxicity, and you'll end up raising the dose anyway. Losing 3/5/7 days of opportunity to improve.

People worry more about bouncing than they do about glucose toxicity. Cats are going to bounce, period. But if the bounce didn't come from a green number, then worrying about it pointless. The worst thing you can do is reduce when you see an unwarranted bounce. You end up with a flatter curve of numbers that are still too high.
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Carl,
Yes, bouncing seems to drive everybody crazy.
Now, you are saying that worrying about bounce which didn't come from green number is pointless. So what about the bounce which came from green number?
If you could, again look at Rocky's SS and tell me what you think what happened I would be most grateful. He was good on Tuesday all day then I gave him his usual dose on quite a low PMBG and this morning he bounced. Was the PM dose to high and should have been lowered or not?
PS. I like your writings and your thinking "outside the box", I really like your quote : As long as I'm breathing.... It really resonates with me. The longer I live the more I believe it to be the right approach in life, specially for me.
Best regards, Marlena
 
I wouldn't know since it seems we can't shoot the same dose more than a few cycles before it needs increased, decreased or skipped. :banghead: I would LOVE to know what it meant to "settle into a dose". :(

For a long time, I used to just shoot two units (blind) and only check his blood glucose every few weeks when I did tried to do a curve for my vet. For all I know we were better off then.

Maybe we are a good example of what not to being settled looks like ?
 
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