VLC keytones

Sounds like you are in ketosis and burning fat. Are you losing weight? Is that the plan? If so I reckon all is well, but I'm no expert.

Fenn said:

Hi,

I’ve been very low carbing for two and a half weeks, I am getting crazy nice numbers, almost flat lines 100% in the green zone on libre, my keytones are creeping up, they are now at 2.0, I have dropped insulin dose by a massive amount, gone down by half, taking 6 levemir twice a day and novo a couple of units a day, is 2.0 fine? When do I need to worry? Can I be dka if I’m still taking some insulin and numbers are averaging 7-8? (my numbers have been so much worse for so long)

Thankyou

edit, had to drop doses due to sleep time hypos

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You should only check your ketones if your blood sugars have been over 13 mmol/l for an extended period of time and you are ill and dehydrated. Otherwise you are in nutritional ketosis which is normal for a low carb diet.

Fenn said:

Better numbers are the motivation but yes I could afford to lose some weight for sure, do you know if there is a keystone level when it’s no longer good? Thankyou

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Not really. I was briefly at 4.0 once when doing a fat fast.

Fenn said:

Thankyou, was happy to see I had keytones but am going up about 0.1 per day and I remember them stopping a med due to keytone once upon a time.

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As I understand it, the red flag time is high blood sugars, plus elevated ketone.

This is a pretty useful image, although in your shoes if my numbers were in the teens and I had ketones, I'd have concerns.

I wasn't even aiming for low carb but I once had 10 mmol/L urine ketones. It was in the beginning of my diet changes and I guess those drastic changes made me a fat burning machine for some time. Those ketones disappear when I have a few cheat days, as I get more both calories and carbs. My two latest urine results showed 5 mmol/L. So, if you are in a fat burning diet, ketones are expected I guess.

As far as I know, if you don't starve yourself for a very long time, you should be fine. The only downside of high ketones amount in your urine, except of course possible DKA if your glucose is high, is that they make your urine more concentrated, bring it's pH down to acid levels and can contribute to forming stones in your kidneys. So, drink more water.

Fenn said:

Better numbers are the motivation but yes I could afford to lose some weight for sure, do you know if there is a keytone level when it’s no longer good? Thankyou

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My ketones range between 2 and 3.5 when I'm fasting. DKA is when they spiral above 25 plus.