Thanks Buttons for Lysine

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  • #829573
    Marnet
    Participant

    Hi littermates. Marnet here. I know I haven’t been around here on TDK for ages.

    I want to thank Buttons for information about L-Lysine and share with everyone some astonishing results from giving it to my diabetic cat Frisky.

    A bit of background. Frisky and his littermate Alice were ten weeks old when they came to us in November 2001. We knew nothing of their background. My vet’s tests for all diseases came back negative and both cats received full immunizations which have always been kept current.

    Despite the repeated negative tests for FIV znd FeLV with vaccinations kept current, Frisky has always exhibited symptoms of a chronic virus causing runny nose, gunky eyes and when flared up causing congestion which responds to antibiotic eye ointment. But the flare up and chronic symptoms have become more frequent and severe while responding less to meds, especially in recent years.

    At age six Aice became diabetic and exhibited symptoms of chronic pancreatitis. At age ten and a half she died from what a necropsy found to be lymphoma arising in the pancreatic ducts and spreading from there. No clear determination whether chronic inflammation due to diabetes caused the cancer or if the cancer had been present early, was slow growing for a long time and the diabetes was caused by cancer damage to the pancreas.

    Frisky also became diabetic, two years after his sister, at age eight. Like Alice was, Frisky has been on insulin but unlike her he has never responded well and during the past two years his blood glucose has been wildly out of control on a dangerous up and down roller coaster.

    Frisky also developed severe chronic constipation likely due to intestinal diabetic neuropathy requiring ongoing daily doses of stool softener and propellant (Lactulose and Cisapride) along with hairball remedy.

    Buttons suggested I research L-Lysine as a natural boost to the immune system. Long story short I eventually started giving lysine some months ago along with a change in diet to higher protein lower carbohydrate. It took some time but Frisky’s chronic cat cold symptoms have almost disappeared and his blood glucose is so well conttolled he has needed no insulin for five weeks.

    It appears that by boosting his immune system such the chronic infection remains suppressed that the blood sugars are lowered.

    Several very important caveats to note. I failed to test his blood glucose often enough after adding the lysine and changing diet. As a result, I did not catch when his BG readings consistently lowered and failed to reduce insulin dose accordingly. Frisky ended up with lethally low BG and potassium which almost killed him. He now MUST have potassium supplement daily, probably for life.

    Bottom line, the lysine worked wonders boosting the cat’s immune system which suppressed the chronic viral infection which in turn has lowered blood glucose readings into normal or at worst moderately elevated range allowing cessation of insulin at least for now. Dangers include too low blood glucose and low potassium if not properly monitored.

    Neither the vet nor I consider Frisky cured of the chronic virus or diabetes. But the addition of lysine along with diet change has bfought both under apparent control at least for now.

    So I must endorse L-Lysine as beneficial to for the immune system while also cautioning that adding it or any other supplement requires vigilant monitoring for negative side effects.

    #829587
    Buttons
    Moderator

    Marnet it’s good to hear from you!! Yes diabetes is a tough and scary disease to sometimes control and your deffinetly have a lot of experience with monitoring sugar levels.. ( and now potassium levels)

    It’s so good to hear that the L-lysine has helped to improve Fridays quality of life … And yes your absolutely right all additions to your cats diet should be monitored closely because every cat is different..

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