Ketone levels too high

(Jo Fretwell) #1

Hi. I’m new to the keto diet. I have only been on this diet for 7 days and have been following a strict meal plan which I bought online. I used the urine test sticks to measure my ketone levels on day two which only showed a trace of ketone levels but then I was quite surprised that by day three I was already above the recommended levels for optimal weight loss. (More like 4.0 than 1.5) I can’t seem to find any information on why this has happened or how to get my levels down slightly. If anyone can give me any advice I would be really grateful.

Thanks,
Jo.

(Allie) #2

There are many posts about this already, the search feature can be very helpful.

Pee sticks are not a useful or accurate measure at all, but if you feel good, keep doing what you’re doing.

(Paul H) #3

Welcome Jo!
If only in one week I doubt you’re fully fat adapted yet… keep in mind those sticks are measuring what you are peeing out and not using for fuel. No worries many of us bought them… threw them out shortly afterwards. Mojo is the way to go… but again the results will be more trusting after you are fully fat adapted and actually burning only fat for fuel. That takes weeks or months for some.

(mole person) #4

There is nothing wrong with a 4 on the pee sticks. Even after two years of keto I still show between a 4 and an 8 every day that I’m “good”. The more adherent I am the higher my ketones and the better my weight regulation. I’m now at my goal weight of 104 lbs and there was no problem getting there while peeing 4’s the whole time. Everyone is different.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #5

Nutritional ketosis is defined as a level of 0.5 mmol/dL of serum β-hydroxybutyrate or above. No one has defined an upper limit, so far as I know, but the observed range tends to run between 0.5 and 5.0, as I understand it, with starvation ketosis running a bit higher. Ketones above 10.0 are worrisome to doctors, because of the risk of ketoacidosis, but if your pancreas is producing insulin, the risk of ketoacidosis is vanishingly small. And besides, typical levels of ketones in diabetic ketoacidosis run around 20.0 or even higher.

There is a phenomenon called “euglycaemic ketoacidosis,” which occasionally occurs in women who attempt to fast during pregnancy or lactation, so women should not fast in those conditions. Euglycaemic ketoacidosis also occurs as a side effect of a couple of drugs, but a doctor who prescribes one of them should be aware and be monitoring you.

(Susan) #6

Welcome to the forum, Jo =).

I have been doing Keto since February and have never bought or used test strips. I don’t personally think they are necessary.

Keto is simple: Make sure you keep carbs at 20 grams or less a day, NO Sugar (even sugar substitutes mess some of us up so many of us get rid of them as well), make sure you are getting enough calories from adequate proteins and healthy fats, drink a lot of water and keep your Electrolytes and salt in take up, and you will be fine and get into Ketosis and your body will begin changing, burning fat, and you will feel great!

(Joey) #7

Greetings @Jo_Fretwell and welcome!

Although your topic heading gave it away, when I read that you are using urine sticks, I was still slightly surprised to see that your concern was about ketones being too high - as opposed to too low.

As noted by others, most folks using the urine sticks put them aside shortly after getting started because they experience a decline in measured urine ketones (specifically AcAc - acetoacetate) - which is not indicative of a failure to enter into ketosis … at some point it begins to mark your success! In large part because, as also noted above, they measure what your body is NOT using, as opposed to what it IS. So at some point you stop producing excess AcAc that isn’t being utilized as an energy source.

Blood ketone measurements (of beta-hydroxybutyrate), on the other hand, are more reliable. They’re also more costly and entail pricking your finger, as diabetics do to check glucose.

Personally, I enjoy gathering data - enough that I don’t mind drawing a drop or two of blood for glucose and ketone testing. But if you just have faith in your ability to follow the ketone diet (<20g carb/day; prudent protein for your lean body weight; healthy fat sources to meet your true hunger levels), then the testing stuff is not really necessary. FWIW, my own blood ketones are surprisingly high by any normal standard - but having carefully researched things further, it’s become a source of keto comfort rather than concern :wink:

Sure, testing can be highly informative - but your body’s metabolism doesn’t particularly care what the pee stick color is … and you will still achieve all the heath benefits whether you test or not as long as you’re carefully following the restricted carb protocol.

So (assuming you are not a Type 1 diabetic) I would not worry at all about what appears to be a strong start to your keto journey. Based on those lofty urine stick results, it sounds like you’re doing GREAT!

Do keep us posted.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #8

And also, the kidneys get better at scavenging it and putting it back into the bloodstream, apparently.