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ketones

muggle666

Active Member
Messages
40
Location
south yorkshire
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
would anyone know what to do if ketones are showing above 3.7 and blood sugars are in the 20's please
 
Welcome to the forum. I would call NHS Direct on 111 for advice, or go to a walk in centre or A&E.
 
thankyou for your welcome and reply, i am disabled so going isnt an option tbh, and i dont want to go to hospital and i know thats what they would say, i was diagnosed in feb and am doubley diabetic, just wondered if i can keep tytrating to bring it under control?
 
I don't know enough about diabetes to be able to advise you. I guess there's no harm in calling NHS Direct.

What does doubley diabetic mean? At some stage a doctor or nurse should have given you advice on what to do if you have ketones above a certain level. Are you testing your blood ketones? How long has your BG been above, say, 10? What do you mean by titrating? Are you on insulin? Type 1 or 2 diabetic?

Despite being disabled, if your ketone/BG levels are above a safe level, and you need to go to hospital, then you will just have to go. I imagine an ambulance will be capable of taking you?

It really is better safe than sorry when it comes to these things. If you had a friend who had these ketone/BG levels, what would you recommend they do?
 







i am type 1 and also type 2, i am insulin dependant but because i am doubley it is very hard to control, it seems to have gone really stupid as of last night and then more so today, my readings have been above 15 all the time apart from the few hypo's i have had. otherwise always high, tytrating is giving small amounts of insulin until they come down but i have done this and they seem to stay the same at the mo that was why i was wondering if to keep doing it. And yes i would be saying get advice lol, but thats where i am extremely stubborn as i used to work in them
 
Ok thanks for the info. Are you getting good care from your health providers? Are you seeing an endocrinologist? I'm not sure if DSNs are available at the weekend, but they might be a good person to call if they are. I think you should make an appointment to see your nurse or doctor next week. In the meantime, hopefully someone with experience with ketones will post here.

I wish you good luck, and do keep us informed of how you are going. You have me worried.
 
drink plenty of water and test regular

one of the ways to clear the ketones in my books
p.s give a little insulin also but watch out for hypos incase you are coming down with an infection
 
@muggle666 although I'm not a T1 diabetic, I feel I should share some info with you that I've just been reading about ketones:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/testing-for-ketones.html

On that page it says:

What should the ketone test results be?

  • Under 0.6 mmol/L - a normal blood ketone value
  • 0.6 to 1.5 mmol/L - indicates that more ketones are being produced than normal, test again later to see if the value has lowered
  • 1.6 to 3.0 mmol/L - a high level of ketones and could present a risk of ketoacidosis. It is advisable to contact your healthcare team for advice.
  • Above 3.0 mmol/L - a dangerous level of ketones which will require immediate medical care.

So, according to that advice, a level of 3.7 means you have passed the point of being able to safely manage this at home. I urge you to get yourself to hospital by ambulance or some other way. Or at the very least to call NHS Direct on 111.

The longer you leave it, the more there is risk of the doctors not being able to treat it easily. Especially if you are alone and there is no one there to notice if you become unable to call for help.

Hopefully you won't need to be in hospital very long and can soon get home, where you are more comfortable.
 
There is also this info from here http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-complications/diabetic-ketoacidosis.html

Typical symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis include:

  • Vomiting
  • Dehydration
  • An unusual smell on the breath –sometimes compared to the smell of pear drops
  • Deep laboured breathing (called kussmaul breathing) or hyperventilation
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Confusion and disorientation
  • Coma
Symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis usually evolve over a 24 hour period if blood glucose levels become and remain too high (hyperglycemia).
 
Take fast acting insulin.If you are in 20s, you will need at least 5 to bring you down if your body does the standard 1 unit brings down by 3. Keep drinking water. Prepare to pee a lot. Keep an eye on your levels. Don't panic. This sort of thing can easily be beaten without needing a Dr. We do it all the time.
 
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