Dangerously high Keto reading?

#1

Okay, so… I started Keto 5 days ago, and immediately, within 36 hours I done my first keto strip test (urine), and it came back at about 4.5, although I hadn’t actually paid any attention to the numbers, just as long as the strip is changing to a darkish colour, that was fine with me. Got my mum & girlfriend to give it a go too and theirs both came back completely normal so they definitely work.

Anyway, I read something just now about the mmol level and apparently, 1.5-3 is a healthy level. On my colour chart, the colour reading amounts vary more, the darker the colour (Lightest colour is 0, then 0.5, then 1.5, then 4, then 8, then 16 being the darkest).

Anyway, I tested just now, and the colour on my strip is ever so slightly lighter than the darkest colour, while being quite a bit darker than the second darkest colour, which, if accurate, must mean I’m close to 16. Yes, SIXTEEN. I mean, if the healthy level is 1.5-3, surely 16 is… dangerous if anything?

I have started taking C8 MCT oil which do supposedly help produce 3x as many ketones as normal, but thought that was all a marketing ploy.

In terms of carbs, the first day on Keto I had probably 8-12g, second day, maybe 15g, third day about the same, and today I’m about 15-20g. The day before I started I’d probably eaten in excess of 500g of carbs (Pizza, ice cream, fries, chips… you name it), so going from 500g to 8g is a drastic bodily change, I know, but still… is 16 or somewhere within that number dangerous?

Edit: I’d read at the start the body flushes most of your ketones out of your urine, before eventually using them, which in turn will bring the ketone reading down on the tests. Hopefully that’s true

#2

Hi Vossy, Like you said, the pee strip is only telling you what your body is excreting. This is highly dependent on how much water you’re drinking as well. The best way to measure is to use a blood meter. This will tell you how much is actually circulating around.

So long as you are not a type one diabetic, you’ll have a hard time getting ketoacidosis (too many ketones) with a functional pancreas.

(Terence Dean) #3

Hey Vosy,

You may wish to watch this video presented by Dr Stephen Phinney which should help you to understand what your body is doing with Ketones. Urine strips are not as accurate as a blood test for Ketones, they’re just an indicator that show the presence of ketones so reading ketones and getting worried about the levels is not really helpful, your body will most likely not be able to use them efficiently after 5 days. Sure you are in ketosis but that is not the same as being fat adapted, that process takes a few weeks. On average 6-8 weeks, in my case 12-13. It depends on how quickly your body adapts. What you can do to aid the body to make the adaption is to keep carbs under 20g, keep protein moderate (10-20%), fat is eaten to satiety.

#4

The levels don’t line up with each other. Urine strips typically measure in ppm, and they’re measuring acetyl acetate, blood testing measures in mmol/l and they’re measuring bhb. The 1.5-3 range your thinking of is for blood testing. Two totally different things. You’re not going to make too many unless you’re a type 1 diabetic and some how don’t know it. Also, never expect an MCT to triple your ketones, slight raise, sure but never by that much C8 or not.

#5

Pee strips are highly inaccurate. At best it’s telling you that you need to drink some more water.

#6

You’re comparing apples and oranges. The 1.5-3.0 is talking about blood levels. Urine tests don’t even measure the same type of ketone as blood tests do. (There are several types of ketones)All urine tests show is how much of a certain type of ketone you’re wasting in your urine. How dark the strips are is meaningless.

(Cindy) #7

Bredesen says the healthy range is 0.6 - 4.0. So you’re just a little bit too high. Eat a few more veggies and you’ll bring it down.