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Ketones

Bildad

Well-Known Member
Messages
371
Location
North West England
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
I have a breath ketone meter and over the last 4 days my ketones in the morning have been 2.9, 3.9 4.85 and this morning 5.1. I am following a keto diet with carbs under 25g. I am doing a daily 18:6 fast. My BG readings have been between 4.5 and 5.8 depending on what I have eaten.
My questions are
A) should I be worried that my ketones are over 5?
B) Is a breath meter accurate?
I am type 2 on Dapaglaflozin, and I feel fine.
 
Any idea what the units are for your breath ketones?
From what have read there is little correlation between blood and breath ketones so I'm not sure many of us will be able to help. If you feel ok though.... If your blood sugars have normalised maybe check with the doc about reducing your medication?
 

Hello there, @Bildad

I agree with "bulkbiker" here above, but I also think you have to consider the amount of calories you eat. I made the mistake of not eating enough calories, with following keto-values like yours. Problem was, I did also starve, and that was mainly because of too little fat in my keto-diet..
Had to abandon keto, and I'm going low-carb at the moment - "had to", because of change of insulins, and we do not yet fully agree with each other
 
@bulkbiker According to the instructions the units are mmol/ L. I tested with urine strips and they were a bit lower. I am due a review next week so I will see if I can reduce/ stop meds then.
@mike@work I guess my calories yesterday were quite low looking back but not the previous day.
I think I had better invest in a blood keto meter
 
Assuming accuracy of the test (doubtful) then ~5 is arguably about as high as you’d normally want to be. I’ve seen higher but that was after a 48h fast. Normally I’m around ~3 or maybe ~4 but that will drop lower if I’m being a bit liberal with protein. On balance, @25g carbs with intermittent fasting I would say that you don’t have much to be worried about with those numbers.

I also advise getting a blood meter if you’re concerned.
 
I use On Call GK Dual. It doubles as a glucose meter (separate strips) although personally I only use it for ketones. I think @bulkbiker uses the same meter, as I’m sure many of us do.
 
Of course, seek your G.P.'s advice. I intermittent fast and am on a keto diet. As I'm low insulin, I was told to report high blood ketones if my blood sugars were greater than 13 mmol/l.
 
I am not on any insulin but am on Dapaglaflozin. I was not given any information about ketones from the practice nurse. I was told about Dapa and UTI's and genital gangrene. The bit I know I have gleaned from here, DD and Google.
The practice nurse was reading off a screen and the info wasn't all about the drug I had been prescribed. I am due back to see her after another HbA1c. I have lost over 2 stone in about 12 weeks my fasting readings have gone from the low teens to 4.5 to 5.5 ISH so hopefully my test will be well down and I can ditch the meds.
 
I've bn told I dnt have to check for ketones but I think I have ketones in my urine as its bn dark for the past couple of days
 
mandyd2 said:
I've bn told I dnt have to check for ketones but I think I have ketones in my urine as its bn dark for the past couple of days
Click to expand...

Dark urine, as far as I’m aware, is not a recognised indicator of the presence of ketones. Commonly it’s a sign of dehydration but could possibly also be the harbinger of a urinary infection?
 
Jim Lahey said:
Dark urine, as far as I’m aware, is not a recognised indicator of the presence of ketones. Commonly it’s a sign of dehydration but could possibly also be the harbinger of a urinary infection?
Click to expand...
ok thanks for letting me kno
 
I have purchased a blood ketone meter and have been comparing the 2 over a few days. (I am taking the blood readings as accurate) The breath readings have been between 1 and 3 points higher but not to a consistent level - one day 3 points higher another day 1.5 points higher. Therefore in no way accurate. I also tested with urine sticks which were also different from the other two!
 

They are measuring different things.
Blood ketones are beta hydroxybutyrate
Breath and Pee ketones are Acetoacetate
 
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