Switching from ProZinc to Levemir, nervous

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Stacym20

Stacym20

Member Since 2014
I'm just ready to see Bud in some better numbers for longer periods of time. But, I'm use to this in an out insulin stuff, not a depot insulin. Yes, I've read over the stickies but I'm still nervous. I test 3 times a day during the week. AM, PM, and right before bed. Should I wait to switch over the weekend when I can test more? How often should I test starting a new insulin? Bud mostly gets 1u BID ProZinc, but I was thinking of starting at 0.5u BID on the Levemir. Does that sound right?
 
I won't give advice numbers wise or anything.
Milo switched 7 weeks ago From Prozinc to Levemir. I was nervous also, but the people in this forum are fantastic and will help you. It is hard at times to remember the difference between the insulins.

Just ask any questions. It takes time to find that perfect dose, but the experts here will help guide you. I am happy with the switch.

Good luck
 
Welcome to L/L Land!

It looks to me like Bud is a bouncy kitty! I suspect the hardest adjustment for you is that you will need to base your dosing on the nadir and not the pre-shot value. In other words, if you see a pre-shot number that's lower than 150, as someone new to using Lev, please post and ask for help. We can walk you through the process rather than having you skip a shot.

As for the initial dose, usually the dose of Lantus and Lev is based on a kitty's weight. If Bud isn't dramatically over or under weight, the formula is: initial dose = 0.25 x ideal weight in kilograms

This usually calculates out to approx. 1.0u, give or take. We do, however, take the current dose into account when you're switching insulin. If you feel safer reducing, that's fine. As long as you have U100 syringes that are in half unit increments, you might want to consider dropping back to 0.75u.

Also, please be sure you have the appropriate syringes. Prozinc is a U40 insulin and the syringes are also U40. Lev is a U100 insulin and you need U100 syringes. (The concentration of the two insulins is different and the syringes need to be calibrated for the concentration of the insulin.)

I'm a terrible person to ask how often to test. I have a kitty that likes a bit of drama early in the cycle so I test early and often. If you're able to get a +2 test during the week, that would be great. Generally, with Lev and Lantus, you want to do what you can to get at least one spot check in addition to your pre-shot test. The +2 is ordinarily about the same value as your pre-shot test. If it's markedly lower, you may want to be sure to leave out high carb food if you have to leave the house.

Please let us know how we can help. The people here are very generous with their time and knowledge -- and, we like questions!
 
Hello and welcome here. Neko's been on Levemir for about year and a half now. She has acromegaly, so she was a high dose kitty before she had radiation therapy.

There is quite a variability in the cycles of Levemir kitties here. The theory is that they onset and nadir a couple hours later than Lantus kitties. So the average is around +4 for onset and +8 for nadir. Neko onsets around +5 and her nadir is around +9 to +12, although I've seen it as late as +15. It's a good idea to test a little more at first to try to figure out when onset and nadir are for Bud. That'll give you a better idea of when it's best to test. Maybe start Friday night and on the weekend do a couple of curves, varying the times each day. For Neko on Levemir, the +2 test doesn't tell me much. ECID (each cat is different). The +10 from the previous cycle tells me more.

If Bud likes to nadir late like Neko, you may find yourself giving insulin at nadir. That means lower numbers, but it also means lots of time after the shot to get his numbers back up with food. I found that a bit of a head twister at first. The other thing about depot insulins is that you have to get used to sticking with a dose for at least 6 cycles (5-7 days at first) to let the depot stabilize, unless they earn a reduction.
 
Hi, my cat was on ProZinc for about 4 months before changing to Lantus, a depot insulin. It took a few months, but my cat did better on the depot insulin. It is a gentler insulin than ProZinc and my cat had less variability and better numbers for a longer period of time. I have been using Lantus for a year.

It took awhile for me to get used to the even dosing. With ProZinc you put more weight in the preshot and can vary the dose accordingly. With Lantus and Levemir it is better with consistency. It takes a while for the dose to stabilize. However, for my cat and nerves if I had a low preshot I would reduce a bit and it was good for my cat since she can bring numbers down fast. It is good to post and ask for help if you are unsure.

I know Levemir has a later onset around +8 or + 9 or later for most cats.
 
I know Levemir has a later onset around +8 or + 9 or later for most cats.
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Generally, Lev onset is around +4 and nadir is around +8. However, the truest thing you will learn here is that, "every cat is different" (ECID). Getting a curve once the depot has formed will give you information about onset, nadir, and duration as it relates to Bud.
 
Thank you so much everyone! I have a feeling I will be posting often in the beginning as I will have to change my mindset of not shooting lower numbers. This is what freaks me out the most. Starting Friday night sounds like a good plan.

Bud is underweight at 8.5 pounds and he's at least part Maine coon. 0.75 sounds like a good starting point, I do have syringes with the half unit markings. I think I need to post a big sign in my kitchen reminding me that each half unit marking is half a unit and not 0.2 as I think of it now. I'm using U100 syringes with the U40 ProZinc with the conversion to be able to fine tune doses. With ProZinc, Bud has an early nadir around +4 to +5ish so it will be interesting to see what he does on Levemir.
 
I agree that starting on the weekend makes sense. Rusty normally onsets around +5 and nadirs somewhere around +9. One of the advantages of Lev. is that you can shoot a reasonably low PS because onset is a number of hours away. With Rusty I almost never test until +5, but you have to take the time to know your cat, since ECID. For your schedule, weekends would be the time to do this.

Good luck!

Ella & Rusty
 
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