Best Ketosis Meter

Grannie75

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Messages
74
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Please can anyone advise whether a keto meter is worth the cost and which is the best buy. I have tried the urine strips but they are not very accurate, so wondered about a meter for occasional checks to make sure I have not drifted out of ketosis would be worth getting. I know I am going to be on the LCHF diet for the rest of my life so it will be used on a regular basis.
Advice very welcome
 

Dairygrade

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Hi I have been using a glucorx hct meter for a couple of years now it not only gives b's reading but also shows if you're ketones are rising all with one test strip and I get my test strips on prescription hope this helps.
 
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bulkbiker

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19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Diet only
Please can anyone advise whether a keto meter is worth the cost and which is the best buy. I have tried the urine strips but they are not very accurate, so wondered about a meter for occasional checks to make sure I have not drifted out of ketosis would be worth getting. I know I am going to be on the LCHF diet for the rest of my life so it will be used on a regular basis.
Advice very welcome
I bought the caresens dual from spirit healthcare. Ketone strips are £1 each and 50 glucose are about a tenner I think.. so a bit more than the code free but it does both..

http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/
 

bulkbiker

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Their website was a bit **** at removing the vat so I called them up and they were very helpful.
 

Robbity

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You could perhaps also look at the Ketonix, which is a breathalyser type ketone tester. It's initially an expensive outlay (and now actually much more pricey - over double what I paid for my original basic version but a lot more sophisticatred! However once you've paid for the gadget that's it- no further costs involved.

Amazon UK stock it: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ketonix-KETONIX-USB/dp/B01M2ZXREV/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495038635&sr=8-1&keywords=ketonix, but you can also buy it and get more info from the (Swedish) Ketonix website .

Robbity
 

BrianTheElder

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Messages
574
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Diet only
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Snide people
Please can anyone advise whether a keto meter is worth the cost and which is the best buy. I have tried the urine strips but they are not very accurate, so wondered about a meter for occasional checks to make sure I have not drifted out of ketosis would be worth getting. I know I am going to be on the LCHF diet for the rest of my life so it will be used on a regular basis.
Advice very welcome
Hi. I use the On-Call ketone meter and test strips. The strips cost £19.99 for 25, so that's 80p each. I can't remember what the meter cost but I think it was about £25. The strips are easy to use and come with a calibration sim card for each batch that automatically calibrates the readings. I have found the readings to be consistent and believable.
 

Grannie75

Well-Known Member
Messages
74
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Many thanks to you all for responding. I actually have ordered the one suggested by bulkbiker as it was amazingly 'free'! and just £9.99 for the strips to go in it. I already have a lancet thingy from my code free meter, but as this is only for BS I thought about checking the Ketones with another meter. I am no longer diabetic thanks to LCHF but need to keep an eye on things maybe once a week to make sure I don't slip back, so don't want to spend too much and free is fantastic. I am very grateful for all the advice
 

shoonosteve

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Ps without doubt the free meter is a marketing strategy so you then buy their expensive strips, just keep that in mind, hopefully the meter comes with a few free strips to lol...
 
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bulkbiker

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Type of diabetes
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Ps without doubt the free meter is a marketing strategy so you then buy their expensive strips, just keep that in mind, hopefully the meter comes with a few free strips to lol...
Yes but as I said these strips are amongst the cheaper ones.. so getting the meter free is an extra bonus. From my research they are the cheapest blood ketone strips around (and believe me I looked hard).
 

Grannie75

Well-Known Member
Messages
74
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Yes I agree that £1 per strip is acceptable especially when I will only be using one or two at the most a week. So I am well pleased - thanks bulkbiker for the link, you saved me money
 

Grannie75

Well-Known Member
Messages
74
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
The Caresens Dual arrived yesterday and for a freebie I am amazed at how good it is. It even has the bluetooth to send the result directly to my phone. I think it is probably better than my previous meter that I actually paid for. The Caresens Dual even comes with spare blood sugar strips ( however I have to buy the Ketone strips which at £1 each is not bad) So all in all I am well pleased
 

bulkbiker

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It's a pretty good bit of kit and seems to need a smaller spot of blood that the SD Codefree. I get less errors with it than I used to get with the Codefree so less strips wasted.
 

LittleGreyCat

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Type of diabetes
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Tablets (oral)
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Diet drinks - the artificial sweeteners taste vile.
Having to forswear foods I have loved all my life.
Trying to find low carb meals when eating out.
Thanks to the thread contributors and @bulkbiker for the details about the meter.

I shall order today.

I was holding off because I had a memory about a large blood sample being needed but I think that must have been for cholesterol.

This will be a chance to compare the results on Ketostix and in blood.

Does it matter which time of day you test? That is, do the results vary significantly over the day like BG values?
 

bulkbiker

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Type of diabetes
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Thanks to the thread contributors and @bulkbiker for the details about the meter.

I shall order today.

I was holding off because I had a memory about a large blood sample being needed but I think that must have been for cholesterol.

This will be a chance to compare the results on Ketostix and in blood.

Does it matter which time of day you test? That is, do the results vary significantly over the day like BG values?
There seems to be a vague consensus that ketones are higher later in the day (kind of reverse Dawn Phenomenon). The few times I have tried it my ketones are higher p.m. unfortunately cos it's so bloody expensive at a pound a pop I have now restricted to one test per week. Highest levels definitely experienced on an extended fast where I got almost up to 6 mmol.
I am thinking of doing a high fat Newcastle Diet type protocol though so will do daily tests when I'm doing that. Just trying to figure out what to eat to get maximum bang for my 800 calories a day.
 

ringi

Well-Known Member
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3,365
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Ps without doubt the free meter is a marketing strategy so you then buy their expensive strips, just keep that in mind, hopefully the meter comes with a few free strips to lol...

I don't think testing is needed often (unlike BG) and most people may only need to test enough to insure their protein is low enough, as BG testing after meal will show if carbs is too high.

Does it matter which time of day you test? That is, do the results vary significantly over the day like BG values?

Lets say if you are skipping breakfast and lunch then having a large dinner, you may get an optimistic result if you are aiming to be in ketosis all the time and you test just before dinner....
 

ringi

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Messages
3,365
Type of diabetes
Type 2
There is one medical company in the USA that is getting paid on results for reducing Type2 drug costs, they are using ketosis meters as a way of motivating people to keep their carbs and protains low enough with testing many times a day. BG readings are not a good motivator when people are being taken off drugs, as they often increase in the short term.

This company has a phone app that records all the data and allows their doctors to see all the BG and Ketosis reading etc, with 24/7 phone based medical support along with couching etc.
 

Oldvatr

Expert
Messages
8,470
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi I have been using a glucorx hct meter for a couple of years now it not only gives b's reading but also shows if you're ketones are rising all with one test strip and I get my test strips on prescription hope this helps.
It is not measuring ketone levels. It makes a judgment if BGL exceeds a trigger level which is usually set much, much higher than dietary ketone levels. It is a warning that DKA may be close, and is a suggesting that ketone levels should be checked. This is not what the OP is asking, where her ketones from diet will generally be less than 3 mmol/l
 

Oldvatr

Expert
Messages
8,470
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
The Caresens Dual arrived yesterday and for a freebie I am amazed at how good it is. It even has the bluetooth to send the result directly to my phone. I think it is probably better than my previous meter that I actually paid for. The Caresens Dual even comes with spare blood sugar strips ( however I have to buy the Ketone strips which at £1 each is not bad) So all in all I am well pleased
This is the meter I use too. I also use the SD Codefree but find it inaccurate and not so reliable, I too use the Bluetooth for archiving, but I do not use their free app (I prefer being a spreadsheet nerd). Although I am also on LCHF, I have never felt the need to measure my ketone levels. I did use Ketostix for a while just to confirm I was low enough on my diet to get into keto mode, but now I just keep the carbs and proteins low anyway. But having the capability to check for dka is useful. (or would be if I purchased the strips) PS the ketone strips will have a 'use by' date, so mark the box to remind you to check they are still in date when you test.
 

LittleGreyCat

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,233
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Diet drinks - the artificial sweeteners taste vile.
Having to forswear foods I have loved all my life.
Trying to find low carb meals when eating out.
I bought the caresens dual from spirit healthcare. Ketone strips are £1 each and 50 glucose are about a tenner I think.. so a bit more than the code free but it does both..

http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/

Just to check (still about to order) did you get a lancing device and lancet in the kit?
The website is not clear at first look as to what is included.

Also, do you need their lancets?
I already have my lancets and finger prick device with my current meter.
 

Oldvatr

Expert
Messages
8,470
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Just to check (still about to order) did you get a lancing device and lancet in the kit?
The website is not clear at first look as to what is included.

Also, do you need their lancets?
I already have my lancets and finger prick device with my current meter.
Yes, mine came with a lancing device. a couple of lancets, and some sample glucose test strips, Either lancer will do what you need, there is nothing special about the Varesese one - it accepts the common standard lancets that most meters use, so you are not tied to ordering special to type lancets. The test strips are unique, though.

The caresense Dual allows alternate site testing, and comes with an adaptor included for that purpose.