Ketones - acceptable levels

[Lynna]

Hi
It has been a while since we have had to deal with ketones, so I am out of touch with what areacceptable levels.
My daughter has been struggling to keep BG level for the past couple of weeks and she is getting random ketone readings - even when the BG isnt very high. Ketones range from 0.1 to a couple of 0.4s and it isnt always in the morning so not starvation ketones.
She is eating a relatively low carb diet (which in itself throws up some interesting BG levels) so could it be related to this?
I know that ketones over 1 need to be treated urgently (and possible medical advice), and over 0.5 also need attention immediately.

Any advice?

 

[Northerner]

I'd suspect that it's the low-carb diet that means more fat/protein is being used, of which ketones are the by-product, rather than anything sinister. Ketones only really become a problem when they build up, and they do this due to insufficient insulin on board to help process them out of the system. If blood sugar levels are OK and not feeling ill then those levels look OK to me.

This document gives a good table for what to do at various levels:

http://www.uclh.nhs.uk/PandV/PIL/Pa...ick day rules – multiple daily injections.pdf

 

[Lynna]

Thank you Northerner.
She is feeling a bit unwell. That could be down to all sorts of other things going on at the mo, or could it be as a result of having positive ketones? Do they make you feel yuck even at lower levels?

 

[Kaylz]

As her ketones haven't even reached 0.6 I doubt that would be making her feel unwell, what have her bs levels been like as if they have been high that could be making her feel off itself, I hope you get to the bottom of it and your daughter feels better soon x

 

[Northerner]

Thank you Northerner.
She is feeling a bit unwell. That could be down to all sorts of other things going on at the mo, or could it be as a result of having positive ketones? Do they make you feel yuck even at lower levels?

Some things to bear in mind if she is feeling unwell - this can increase insulin resistance, so normal doses may not be sufficient, plus depending on the type of illness, particularly if it is a gastric upset, then food may not be properly digested so it can make things a lot trickier to deal with. As @Kaylz says though, ketone levels below 1 would by highly unlikely to be the cause of her feeling unwell. I'd have a word with her DSN, if possible 🙂

Hope things settle down for her soon! 🙂

 

[Martin Canty]

Nutritional Ketosis is a good state to be in.... However, when the ketones build up, coupled with high BG then there can be problems so the trick is to look at both.....

 

[Amberzak]

I have resting ketones of 0.1. As in if I test when I'm perfectly fine, it'll read 0.1.