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ketone strips vs blood monitor

J

JConnor

Well-Known Member
Messages
106
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
So here i go again, nothing is ever easy for me (will stop with self pity now lol)
Blood sugars high 20's no matter what i do they dont stay down for long, as usual above 18 i check for ketones, since last night have had +3 ketones on urine tests but have blood monitor as well and highest i reached on that is 0.8 which is only just in yellow zone.
The question is what do i believe?
so far been going with the blood monitor but uine has consistently been showing +3 since last night.
What would you guys do?
 
Blood monitors dont gobso low as 0.8?

If showing successive ketones for 24 hrs I would get myself to see my diabetic hcp asap.. Even A&E.

Blood readings stabbed from clean wadhed fingers should be between 5 and 8 ideally... Anything under 4 would count as 'hypo' but with you talking about ketones your blood readings would be above 12 prob at least 24 hours ... Not 0.8???
 
Think Jconnor is referring to ketones level with the 0.8, rather than glucose.
I thought ketones measured in blood are supposed to be more accurate? Not sure though. In any case, I'd definitely ask your DSN for advice with those high BG levels.
 
Thanks for replys, yes sorry didnt make myself very clear, am refering to ketone blood test.
My Diabetes team in worse than useless get more support of GP than i do them.
Think may well be a trip to A&E tonight, 2nd time in a week :(
 
donnellysdogs said:
Increase your insulin..what you on?
Click to expand...

Am on 48 levemir daily and up to 60 nova rapid, was only increased on saturday tho feel like i am coming down with a cold.
Due to poor DSN support im left following GP's advise, woke up this morning to sugars of 14.2 which is lowest despite taking double doses of Nova since saturday morning. but blood ketone has now gone upto 1.7
 
andywright said:
Got the same problem Bad cold,High sugars Hospital told me that if keytones get to 3.0 I should go in. Good luck
Click to expand...

Andy was that urine ketones or blood ketones? So stressful waiting which of course doesn't help with blood sugars. Hope you feel better soon and manage to avoid hospital


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Sorry to read it's still not resolved. I was told to contact diabetes team if my daughter's sugars were higher than 17mmol/L with ketones (measured by machine) of higher than 0.6. But she is only little and I am new to all this, so we would have to ask for advice re. insulin dose increase etc. whereas presumably they have told you how to correct high BG levels? The thing is, even with increased insuline your ketones are still rising, I would contact your diabetes team and ask for some urgent advice. You don't want to sit, wait and hope for too long and end up DKAing. My little girl was diagnosed because of her going into severe DKA. Much better to prevent a DKA, but I'm sure you know all this. Hope you get better soon.
 
It was blood keytones. Thats how A&E did it with me last time they did a test on their meter and then went asking lots of different healthcare people what it should be. Came back with 3.0 so I was happy as at that Time I was on 0.4 but couldnt remember wether it should be 0.4 or 4.0
 
How you been today?

If I was at 14, I would have to be doing and extra 2.5 units and wouldnt have any hesitation.. And I would also stick my pump up to giving me extra 150% basal insulin till my levels dropped below 10.. But know you not on a pump...

[Moderator note -the following is what donnelysdogs would consider doing. Note that members of the forum are not doctors and do not know your medical history so cannot give any specific instructions. If you need advice, your health team should provide you with the guidance you need or refer you to someone who can.]
I would try eating less or no carb tomorrow morning.. And see if your levels go up or down 2 hours after you normal eating breakfast time... If they go down you will know that you need more bolus.. Less basal. If they go up wirhout food I would be waivering between more fast acting or more ling acting.. Depending what happened in later hours of the day.
 
JConnor said:
donnellysdogs said:
Increase your insulin..what you on?
Click to expand...

Am on 48 levemir daily and up to 60 nova rapid, was only increased on saturday tho feel like i am coming down with a cold.
Due to poor DSN support im left following GP's advise, woke up this morning to sugars of 14.2 which is lowest despite taking double doses of Nova since saturday morning. but blood ketone has now gone upto 1.7
Click to expand...

Hi

From reading yr msgs I have a feeling that your basal (Levemir) needs to be increased. Not everyone is the same of course, but as a general rule of thumb, the daily basal dose should also more or less equal the daily bolus dose. It will be from there that you then can learn to adjust your carb ratios much better as your daily insulin will then be a 50/50.

Hope you feel a bit better soon......
 
Thank you for your messages. I have doubled my nova today trying to bring my levels down and have so managed to bring then down to 20 (without any evening food) I am still on +3 ketones on urine and 1.6 on blood ketones. Also noticed protein now so wondering wether I have a uti (I never get any symptoms). Think I have no choice but speak to GP in morning I just know she will advice me to go a&e and after my previous experience I want to avoid it.
Thank you for all your help will try upping my long acting and see how it works


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JConnor said:
Thank you for your messages. I have doubled my nova today trying to bring my levels down and have so managed to bring then down to 20 (without any evening food) I am still on +3 ketones on urine and 1.6 on blood ketones. Also noticed protein now so wondering wether I have a uti (I never get any symptoms). Think I have no choice but speak to GP in morning I just know she will advice me to go a&e and after my previous experience I want to avoid it.
Thank you for all your help will try upping my long acting and see how it works


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Click to expand...

Hi

Although increasing the bolus Nova will bring bg levels down, I would try to increase the basal Levemir. Hopefully if the cause of high bg levels is due to an infection, a GP will be able to advise on anti b's but although you may also need to go to A&E, I
think once you see a D hcp, they will most likely tell you to increase your basal.........and then your bg levels will lower and the keytones will slowly start to go...... Drink water fairly regularly.......
 
[Moderator note: We can't as forum members give medication guidance]
 
I agree with iHs, I've been told your daily basal and bosal insulin amounts need to be virtually 50/50 for you to have stable BG readings. I only found this out a couple of months ago after consulting my Diabetic Nurse.

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Hi. Just a couple of things ( sorry if you've already thought of them). Are you rotating your injection sites and trying different areas- this can really affect the absorption). Also, have you tried changing the cartridge/vial for a fresh one? I'm on a pump and if I have a cold etc I need at least 10% more insulin. Do you have a DSN you can ring?
 
Hi, i can remember being on rapid and levimir and for me personally i didnt get on with it, i noticed when i was ill one year my sugars was reasonably high i kept injecting nova rapid few units here and there thoughout the day and couldnt eat anything i just got worse and worse and had to go in felt really ****...Iam not on that now back on my favourite 2 Humilin M3 twice a day. From my experience and i could be wrong its not just the insulin that brings my sugars down. Drinking aload of squash sugar free of corse lol but if i ever get ketones i rest i do actually eat even if sugars are high something like a slice of toast etc and maybe have extra units than i would normally have.. Still cant grasp it when i was on rapid etc i could get ketones in the morning with sugars around 13mmol, now they can get in the 20s which isnt good and dont get them but i think ive sorta geting my own routine sorted, I have 2 injections of Humilin M3 twice a day that gives me a good base line then if i need that little boost or i fancey a snack or something extra i also still get my nova rapid, most days i manage on the 2 jabs a day and it seems abit better than the 4/5/6. Sorry for ranting but like i said before when i have ketones i will always drink plenty have a slice of toast etc to settle the stomach down but have extra units.But i was only having around 6/7 units of rapid per meal and 24 units of levimir so you already seem your on alot compared to what i was on
 
Well after 4/5 days of high sugars no matter what I do and constantly high ketones I'm biting the bullet and going to hospital. Spoke to diabetes nurse this morning who just said take an extra 5 nova and don't worry about ketones!!!! Well I am worrying keep going dizzy and every time I stand have to sit back down again. Should of gone sooner but just wanted to try and fix it myself.


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