Ketone Levels

[JoeJOns]

Hi guys,

Is it ok that my ketones vary between 0.0, 0.1, and 0.2 throughout the day?

Kind regards.

 

[Kaylz]

Yes perfectly fine and safe, anything under 0.6 is regarded as ok

May I ask why you are testing your ketones quite a lot throughout the day though?

You don't really need to test for ketones unless you aren't well OR your above a certain level, I've read differing levels given out by teams but my DSN's have always said check if above 14mmol

Worth keeping in mind that you can have higher ketones in the morning as well which are starvation ketones
xx

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Ketone strips cost £2.50 each. As @Kaylz suggests there’s absolutely no need to check until you’ve had one or possibly several readings above 14 depending on how readily you produce ketones.

I don’t seem to produce them much at all so I’m happy to rely on urine strips which would be fine to pick up any problems if they were arising, but I’ve had negligible ketones with BG in the 20s.

 

[SB2015]

I was given blood ketone testing strips reluctantly by my GP, as they are so expensive. We agreed that I would use urine test strips first, and only use the blood ones when feeling pretty ill and ketones are high.

I was also told to start testing when my BG was above 14 for more than one reading. Even then if I know why the BG is high (eg wrong carbs, delayed insulin dose) I wouldn’t bother testing. If I am ill I then do test, especially when my BG is high over a prolonged period.

 

[Sally71]

The only times we ever test for ketones are a) if daughter has had a sickness bug lasting more than 24 hours, or b) if blood sugars are in the 20s and haven't come down after a correction dose of insulin. Otherwise it's highly unlikely that you will show any more than a trace of ketones and it's a waste of strips which cost 10 times as much as glucose strips!

My mum has been type 1 for 52 years and has NEVER tested her blood for ketones