Is there a difference between a blood glucose testing strip and a blood ketone testing strip?


#1

I have a ketone blood meter, and need to get new strips but too expensive. Can I just use some cheap glucose testing strips in the ketone meter? They look exactly the same.


(Renee Slaughter) #2

But they are not the same. Even though they may look similar.


(Crippie) #3

I think most ketone blood meters double as a glucose and ketone meter, but could be wrong on that. If the meter you have does double as glucose and ketone meter then you may be able to use the glucose strips, but it would probably just tell you your blood glucose levels. You need the more pricey ketone strips in order to test ketones


#4

Does every brand of glucose meter use their own proprietary glucose sticks? I’ve got a glucose meter too, but can I just use any glucose stick? Thanks so much!


(Ethan) #5

The glucose meters are compatible with compatible sticks. The cheapest is the keto mojo. The glucose strips are like $0.30 each, and the ketone strips are $1.00 each. I use a onetouch delica lancet instead of the one the mojo comes with.


#6

how do you know they’re compatible? Is that what the code on the sticks is for?


(Consensus is Politics) #7

Bad news. Nothing compatible between them, or between other meters with other test strips. The test strips are made specifically for the meter. I don’t know the exact science on the Blood Glucose Test strips, but it works something like this. When you insert the test strip into the meter, the meter turns on, does a self calibration based on information it receives from the Test strip. That info could be nothing more that a certain amount of resistance measured. Once the meter is happy that it is a valid test strip, it switches to reading mode. Once you place the drop of blood on the tip of the test strip, capillary action pulls the blood to the sensor area, just a couple mm’s from the end you placed the blood on. This is where the science starts. There is a chemical waiting within a set of electrodes that reacts with the sugar. Electrical resistance is created/reduced based on the amount of sugar in your blood sample. The reading takes less than 5 seconds. That’s it, as far as BG testing goes.

I haven’t used. Ketone Test strip yet. I would surmise that it works exactly the same way except it would use a different chemical to interact with keytones instead of sugar. I’ll look it up, and report back and edit the end of this if I find out.

[edit one: how BG meter works https://engineering.mit.edu/engage/ask-an-engineer/how-do-glucometers-work/

[edir 2 how keytone Test strip works :face_with_monocle: came up empty. My Google-fu seems to be losing its mojo.]

I would recommend using a breathalyzer for measuring ketones. The Blood reading is the most accurate, by far, and far more expensive. The urinalysis strips (work like a ph test) pass it through the urine and compare the color to a chart. Those are good to see you are creating keytones. But that’s all they tell you. I use them to see if I might have fallen out of Ketosis, but even that isn’t very accurate. Back to the breathalyzer. The cheapest way to check. Probably not any more accurate that the urine test, but you can repeat it all day long if you want and track if it’s rising or falling. Makes testing fast and easy.

About breathalyzers in general. Same thing the cops use. So be careful, if you get stopped at some random check point, and are in Ketosis, you could get dinged for being DWI. If the cop is knowledgeable, he will listen to you if you tell him you are on a ketogenic diet. If he insists on writing a ticket, or taking you in, a blood test will show no alcohol (assuming you didn’t really drink) so you might want to insist on a blood test.


#8

This is incredible. Thank you so much for the explanation.


#9

Yes with the exception (kinda) of the Precision Xtra, it has a different name in Europe and some people have bought tons of strips for the other one which works because it is the same meter. Walmart also used to have a meter that was also a re-branded Xtra, but I haven’t seen that one in a while, not sure if it’s still around. Your ketone meter is almost guaraunteed to also do glucose but it needs it’s own strips.


#10

But lancets are pretty much the same right? Please tell me they’re the same!


(Daryl G Jackson ) #11

I bought this, found it from Jimmy Moore’s podcasts. It does glucose and ketones but different sticks. You can get the ketone sticks for 99 cents each. I checked my glucose with it, works good. Will check my ketones in a few days. I have a breath ketone checker, it is so so but worth the money, unlimited checks. Blood checking is so much more reliable.

https://keto-mojo.com/collections/shop-now/products/the-ketonian-pro-plus-founders-club-kit


(Ethan) #12

They are not the same, but they all stab.


(Jennifer Kleiman) #13

Why are you testing ketones, btw?


#14

Glucose and ketones use different reagents, hence the need for different strips. All ketone meters (there are only 3) can test for glucose, none of the glucometers can test for ketones.

I use a Mojo for testing ketones and an inexpensive ReliOn meter from Walmart for glucose because the strips are cheap (less than $20 for 100) and readily available.


(Consensus is Politics) #15

As long as you don’t go too deep. You just want capillarie blood. You don’t want to hit a vein, obvious reasons.

https://goo.gl/images/AXjBHz


#16

My nutritionist recommended it. On a special diet – I’ve lost about 30 lbs, but have another 40 to go.


(Daryl G Jackson ) #17

First time I checked my ketones on this keto mojo machine I was at .9, a couple of days later blowing 0.00 in my blowing apparatus machine I was 1.0 in my blood. The blowing apparatus thingy is not very dependable, but it’s cheap, one doesn’t have to prick a finger, it can be used thousands of times for one low price, it’s just not perfect. Checking blood is perfect, but costs my 99 cents to check my ketosis every time. I do check 2 to 3 times a week on my keto mojo and several times a day on my blowing apparatus machine, just for kicks.


(Daryl G Jackson ) #18

One likes to know. Ketone strips are great and cheap, but once fat adapted they are not reliable. One can eat very low carb and never check ketones and be just fine, but knowing blood glucose responses and where I am at in Ketosis is my geeky side.


(Tom) #19

I psyched myself up and got over my blood related wimpiness and bought a freestyle glucose/ketone meter. Butchered my finger 5-6 times with the stabby lancet thing that came with it, couldn’t get a single drop of blood out of it! Turned it to depth number 3, still no luck, gave up. I’ll try again another day!


(Duncan Kerridge) #20

After the stabbing comes the squeezing, the blood doesn’t usually come out on its own