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Ketones Questions

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mum2westiesGill

mum2westiesGill

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
When and how often do you test for ketones?

Do you use blood or urine strips?
(i've got an Optium Exceed Meter which i do know uses the blood ketone strips but i've only ever used it for BG testing)

How many boxes do you have on prescription in any one go?
 
I would only test for ketones if my BG levels were persistently high. Since this hasn't really happened to me since I was diagnosed I've never really needed to test. I did have a bad cold once early on and tested with urine strips, but no ketones. Since then I have had blood ketone strips for the Xceed on prescription and renew them as they approach expiry (there are 10 strips in a box).
 
Northerner said:
I would only test for ketones if my BG levels were persistently high. Since this hasn't really happened to me since I was diagnosed I've never really needed to test. I did have a bad cold once early on and tested with urine strips, but no ketones. Since then I have had blood ketone strips for the Xceed on prescription and renew them as they approach expiry (there are 10 strips in a box).
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My BG levels always fluctuate from the teens to single numbers so i don't really think i've ever really needed to use them, not for a long time anyway. Obviously i suddenly had those awful numbers the other day (re the High BG thread) so hence me asking all about ketones. I do have some blood ketone strips and yes btw there are 10 strips in a box but they are well out of date, they were actually sent to me sometime in error when i should have recieved some BG strips.
 
whiskysmum said:
My BG levels always fluctuate from the teens to single numbers so i don't really think i've ever really needed to use them, not for a long time anyway. Obviously i suddenly had those awful numbers the other day (re the High BG thread) so hence me asking all about ketones. I do have some blood ketone strips and yes btw there are 10 strips in a box but they are well out of date, they were actually sent to me sometime in error when i should have recieved some BG strips.
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You may as well take them back to the pharmacy to be destroyed as you wouldn't want to trust out of date strips - they probably wouldn't be accepted by your meter anyway.
 
Yes i'll do that.
 
I've been told that two consecutive readings over 14 put you in the danger zone. My pump certainly moans with any reading over 14
 
Hi, we get the blood strips on px, 2x boxes of 10.
Gladly don't need them too often, like others if getting a couple of readings above 14 will check. We are to let team know if gets to 2+ and 3+ we are to take the little one straight to the ward (they have open access system for diabetic kids)
 
I only normally test if I am unwell and cant eat anything..........

I often get high numbers in the double figures at the weekend, and I may have ketones, but I correct anyway......🙂
 
I've done it twice (pee sticks) in the last year. Trace and zilch at those times.

I could count on the fingers of one hand how many times I've tested since 1972. I haven't usually even got the means to do it, as I sling the strips when they go out of date and never bother to re-order them!
 
I test if I have persistently high BGs that don't seem to be moving anywhere (I would prob not test, for eg, if over a few hours I went from say 23 to 18 to 14 - these readings are still high, but for me they are coming down and that is what matters to me). I need to get the blood ketone strips added onto my repeat prescription, at the moment I have a stash a rep gave me.

Urine ketone strips are generally considered to be pretty outdated as they can often miss ketones for several hours - it can take a few hours for the ketones to get into urine & therefore show up on urine testing strips. Hence I would always recommend people use blood strips!
 
I was told on my BERTIE course to test for ketones if I felt ill and levels were over 14....so I don't have much need to test for them really.

I have urine strips which I carry round in my diabetes bag, just in case 🙂
 
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