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Ketone strips - what type do you have?

tigger

Well-Known Member
Messages
569
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
registrars asking silly questions
When I got the pump the hospital sent a letter to my GP asking for me to be prescribed ketone blood sticks and a different type of meter strip. I got all of these initially and got the new meter strip added to my repeats. I don't use the ketone sticks very much so only recently noticed they weren't on my repeats. I sent an email to the GP reminding them they had been prescribed and that since I was on a pump I am at increased risk of DKA. They prescribed me urine ketone sticks and put them on the repeats.

I know they are less accurate, more prone to user misreading and cheaper.In the past I've never bothered with any strips apart from in occasional bad spates asking the gp for a box of the urine variety. One issue is I'm still anxious after that newspaper article a week ago about the woman who died from DKA. The other issue is I don't like making a fuss so will err on the positive side if there's a chance of discretion rather than unnecessarily clogging up A&E.

What type of strips have you been prescribed? Do you think if you're a pump user urine is sufficient?
 
I have the urine ones and also blood ines for a meter I used to use.

I do not use the meter anymore but the strips are still on my repeat prescription
 
Since moving to a insulin pump I have the blood ketone strips (for the GlucoMen LX Plus) on prescription, they were suggested by my pump team rather than the urine strips.
 
freestyle optium B-ketone blood strips since being put on the insulin pump
 
None at all. If I want any though all I need to do is ask for them.
 
I have the glucomen LX plus meter and the blood ketone strips on repeat since going on pump

and I also have had a few anxious moments when BG starts to rise for no apparent reason( subsequent pod / set change resolved ) - so having the back up of ketone strips on hand is reassuring ( instead of having to show up at A&E )
 
I have the blood ketone strips since going onto a pump and I am under the impression (from my nurse) that the benefit of blood ketone testing is that it shows up ahead of urine testing. So in theory you could deal with the situation more quickly.
 
I have had a freestyle optimum since I was diagnosed nearly 4 years ago, have always had strips on repeat, only had pump since August.
 
Hi blood test for ketones is the best .if reading is 1.6 or over you need to double your insulin as you have ketones. Ken
 
I have a freestyle libre and got the optium ketone strips added to my prescription. They keep trying to take them off as I rarely need to reorder them and they are expensive, but I have pointed out that because they are individually wrapped there's no waste, whereas urine strip pots go off in 6 months once you've opened them. Also my DSN said urine strips were pointless as by the time they flagged an issue you could have had ketones for several hours.
 
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