I’m switching Howie from Prozinc to Levemir tomorrow when I finally have time for consistent testing and will be trying TR. Anything I should know about making the switch that I should keep in mind? I know people have said I should start him off on the 6.5 units he is currently on Prozinc (he’s an IAA kittie) but we’ve had some bouncing this week on that dose. Should I start Levemir lower or just go to the 6.5? Finally, I’m still trying to understand a depot insulin and how that works. Am I going to see some strange numbers for the first while? I don’t want to freak out (or him) unnecessarily! THANKS!
You can make a unit-to-unit switch. (Remember that you'll need U100 syringes for Lev.) Some cats do have a marked response to a new insulin so you may want to consider dropping the dose a little. It takes 5 - 7 days for the depot to be established and stabilize. You may see higher numbers for a bit. Also, keep in mind that in general, the time of onset and nadir are later with Lev than most other insulins. It's looking like Howie has an early nadir on Prozinc. Onset with Lev is around +4 and nadir can be at around +8 (but ECID -- every cat is different). You'll need to get a couple of curves once the depot settles down so you have some idea when onset and nadir occur.
Make sure you have your hypo kit stocked and can monitor closely the first few cycles. I suspect that's why you chose the weekend. We've had a few IAA cats have a rather dramatic initial response to the insulin change. And sometimes not. And welcome to LBL! I'm sure @Lisa & Oberon will be watching closely.
Fingers crossed he isn’t dramatic! His bounces this week have been stressful enough! Thanks for the help! I’m sure I’ll be on here all weekend!
