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Ketones!!!

LucySW said:
The trouble is the strips are fantastically expensive: in the region of £30 for ten.

I looked for these at one point after being given a meter that took them -the Abbott Freestyle Precision - but gave up and concentrated on getting my BS down.
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They are expensive - too expensive.

I use Ketostix available from pharmacies. 50 strips approx £3/4 and strips last for 6 months from date of opening. Very simple process testing ketone content of urine.
 
I have ketostix too and I've read and re read the instructions but I'm still not 100% convinced they actually work, I just don't trust them. Thankfully I rarely need to use them!
 
Seriously_Sax1989 said:
I have ketostix too and I've read and re read the instructions but I'm still not 100% convinced they actually work, I just don't trust them. Thankfully I rarely need to use them!
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Ketostix work just fine provided you follow the instruction correctly, they use them in a medical setting such as gp surgery's and hospitals. Just remember that once the pot has been opened you have to throw them away after 6 months (as per the manufacturers instructions).
 
Ok thanks! I just don't trust them because I'll test my bloods and they'll be high and I'll feel dreadful so I test for ketones and it shows I have a trace, which may well be true but with how awful I feel I always think they should be higher!
 
fractureman said:
Keep tabs on BG readings to check your not running too high but 10 or below is fine honest.
Hope this helps ;)
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Yes, that's what two DNs told me when I asked again and again (they didn't want to say): below 10, no worries. You can't have DKA (correct me if I'm wrong) unless you have high BG.
 
Seriously_Sax1989 said:
Ok thanks! I just don't trust them because I'll test my bloods and they'll be high and I'll feel dreadful so I test for ketones and it shows I have a trace, which may well be true but with how awful I feel I always think they should be higher!
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Same here, even when I'm ill with say the flu I never ever show any ketones with the Ketostix (thankfully).

I got the Glucomen LX Plus meter 6-9 months and have tested 3 times I think, the most I've shown on that is 0.2 and the last reading just said LOW, which means it's below 0.1mmol.
 
Ah cool, I use the freestyle optium and most of the time if using beta ketone test strips I'm at 0.2-0.8 ketones but that's few and far between still!
 
Just because you are ill and feel terrible doesn't mean you should expect ketones (though you should always check).

One situation where urine ketone sticks can falsely give a low reading is after long term adaptation to a very low carb diet. In this situation a blood ketone test can be more reliable. For the normal usage, when feeling ill, ketostix are fine. The only issue is the measurement is a few hours behind your actual blood ketone level.
 
Thanks Spiker, I know that I'm not always going to have ketones when I feel bad, but for me (others as well I'm sure) can feel when I'm high and when I check for ketones using stix and it shows as "trace" sometimes I find it hard to believe due to how rubbish I feel.
 
Fair point, been there too.
I hope you are feeling better.
 
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