Trouble with ketones.

Chloelox

Well-Known Member
Messages
131
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I tried out a low carb diet (but not low carb enough to cause ketosis) to see if it would help with my blood sugar management and in fairness it has, I’ve managed to knock my hba1c down from 52mmol to 45mmol in 5 weeks by eating 70-80 carbs a day. Unfortunately though this has caused moderate ketones regularly especially if I go over 4.5 hours without eating where my ketones will rise to 1.4. I have done a basal test and my basal is correct, with my blood sugar rarely peeking over 11 now after meals and coming back down to 6 before my next meal.. I have had no injury or illness.
I use 1:10 ratio for novarapid and 9 units of humulin I for basal..

can anyone shed any light? My diabetes nurse suspects it’s starvation ketones as it’s Normal glucose levels.. but I’ve not heard of that before, only time I fast for a long period of time is at night.. but my ketones are rarely above 0.4 when I first wake up. Frankly I’m petrified of DKA as I have never experienced it, would like to know what I could possibly be doing wrong.
 

ert

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,588
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
diabetes
fasting
You are in nutritional ketosis which is healthy, allowing you to burn body fat. My ketones are between 1.5 to 3 (the optimal fat burning zone) before lunch, while I'm intermittent fasting. Starvation usually means ketones above 3. The article below has a useful graph.
Ketones are only an issue for type 1's, if you're ill, running your blood sugars above 13 mmol/l for an extended period of time, and haven't followed sick day rules and forgotten to take your basal insulin.

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/ketosis
 
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