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ketones-please help

D

daisy222

Well-Known Member
Messages
47
Location
Cambridgeshire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
oI was diagnosed type 2 over a week ago since then I tried to take control, and started low carb high protein+ fat and veg diet. Everything seemed to go fine till yesterday evening. I tested my ketones in urine , and it was 40-medium...it got me worried, so I had piece of wholegrain bread with ham cheese and tomato, checked my bs in the morning and it was 6.1 so not bad-i checked for ketones again and it was medim high-80. I feel fine bs is not high , i drank a glass of water and tested for ketones again and it was low( I think the one just before 40 on the color scale)
The question is should I stop low carbing? or is it normal to have high ketones in the morning.
I'm new to all this and am trying so hard dont know if I should see a doctor/nurse about it?
 
How many carbs do you eat a day Daisy? What are you BG levels like?

For a T2 on a VLC diet, with good blood control ketones are perfectly normal (I go out of my way to maxmimise mine on a <20g a day diet).

High ketones and high BG readings are a sign of ketoacidosis. The risk here is that you are newly diagnosed, and there is a possibility that you might be an undiagnosed T1 (or T1.5 ).

The same thing happened to me when I was diagnosed - the Doctor saw ketones (because I was VLCing) and I got dragged to the Diabetic Clinic at the hospital. The took a good look at me, and realised that the ketones were because of dietary ketosis rather than ketoacidosis, and let me go with the instruction that if my BG were to go over 15mmol/l and my ketones were to hit the second top box that I should drink lots of water and get myself to A&E.

If it is dietary ketosis, then pushing your carb intake above 50g a day should kill the ketones.

T1s wil have better advice than me.

If in any doubt then get yourself to A&E. They will take you seriously.
 
I'm not an expert in this, borofergie will give a better answer, but in general, the presence of ketones with HIGH BGs is of concern, but the presence of ketones with good BGs like yours, on a low carb diet, means the diet is working and you are burning fat for energy. In other words, you are "In ketosis" which is good.
If in doubt, ask the doc, but as your Bgs aren't high, can't imagine you would be T1 when you would indeed be concerned by the presence of Ketones as I understand it.
 
Told you borofergie would be along! Beat me to it. One sniff of ketones and he's there like a bee round honey.
 
Oh thanks so much,I don't know how much carbs exactly I eat. My typical day: 2 scrambled eggs with leafy salad+ olive oil+ black coffee, lunch some meat either roasted chicken, or roasted pork with carrotino oil, half a califlour ,and/or leafy salad with 1 tomato ,half cucumber,radishes,green tea, dinner, same meat fresh or cooked veg,might be a bit of green beans, my snacks are ham slices, bacon slices, peanut butter few teaspoons,tomatoes,dark chocolate 90% (2 squares)cheese slices, I'm not having fruit at the moment,yesterday after I ate some pineapple my bs went to 8.9.
I exercise as much as possible- jazzercise 3 times a week , bike riding 1 hour-everyo ther day, if not biking- brisk walking 1 hour a day.
Since my diagnosis at 7.1 and 8.5 fasting bs, the highest was after was 2 hours after 2 slices of spelt flour bread with tomato 14, since then it was never over 9, and I am testing like a mad person, in the morning is usually 5.8, or 6.2, sometimes 2 hours after meal it stays arond 6.4, the most after meal is 8.9(pineapple) so if I was type 1 shouldn't be getting such a low results this easily?
So for next few days I will add piece of wholegrain bread every now and then and will see how my ketones will behave :crazy:
 
Your carbs intake looks fine, and with the exercise will really be helping your BG's. I, like Borofergie like Ketones. My stick is usually very dark purple these days, so I am deep into ketosis. Dietary ketones are fine, it's as said above, when you have ketones and high BG you really need to worry.

Be careful with the wholegrain bread and keep testing, but so far all looks great. Also be wary with fruit, it may very well spike you, as you found out with the pineapple. Berry's; strawberry's, raspberry's, blueberry's are usually safest, but try them and test, and you'll soon learn what you can and can't tolerate.
 
Thanks for all your good advice, so as long as my bs are low ketones in medium high are good... :roll: :clap:
 
daisy222 said:
Thanks for all your good advice, so as long as my bs are low ketones in medium high are good... :roll: :clap:
Click to expand...

If your BG's are low you can have sky high ketones, it's fine. When you get ketones, it's due to your body changing how it fuels itself. When eating carbs in any kind of highish quantity, as soon as you eat the carbs, they are used to fuel you, any left over are stored as fat. When you are in ketosis, your body gets it's fuel from the fat stores, hence the wight loss we enjoy on a lower carb diet. The ketones are simply a by product of this process, and why with low BG's are not harmful.
 
Wikipedia says;

"Ketonuria is a medical condition in which ketone bodies are present in the urine.
It is seen in conditions in which the body produces excess ketones as an alternative source of energy. It is seen during starvation or more commonly in type I diabetes mellitus. Production of ketone bodies is a normal response to a shortage of glucose, meant to provide an alternate source of fuel from fatty acids."

Which explains it nicely! :thumbup:

Ju
 
Ok thanks for explanation, can anyone say how long after adding more carbs ketones should dissapear? I had about 150 g carbs today, at dinner time I had 60 carbs-white bread-I wanted to try what will happen, Bs after 1.5 hour 10 ketones medium high...
 
Urinary ketones are a rough indication of your blood ketones a couple of hours below.

As far as I know, unless you are eating huge amounts of coconut oil, 150g of carb should easily knock you out of ketosis.

If they keep showing over the next day or two, you should get yourself to the Doctor.

Make sure you are properly hydrated, because dehydration will increase the concentration.
 
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