Questions about my glucose levels and ketosis

(Full Metal KETO AF) #21

I wake up by 6, blood draw was at about 8:45.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #22

The answer to that question is yes. Ketosis is inhibited by high insulin, not necessarily by high glucose (except as the high glucose stimulates insulin secretion).

As I see it, there are two issues here: first, your doctor should be testing your fasting insulin along with your fasting glucose. Diabetes is a disorder of insulin production, and not a disorder of glucose, as used to be thought. But the best diagnostic, according to the late Dr. Joseph Kraft, is an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) performed according to a strict protocol. Dr. Kraft had accumulated data on (I believe) over 20,000 patients and had developed several predictive patterns of insulin response that he claimed allowed him to diagnose diabetes years, even decades, before problems showed up in the glucose level. The problem with an OGTT, however, is that it takes a few hours, and itā€™s tedious hanging around a lab that long, quite apart from the problem of getting time off from work.

Second, you need to know your HbA1C level. If itā€™s below 5.5, you probably donā€™t need to worry too much, regardless of your fasting glucose. HbA1C is a measure of how glycated your hemoglobin has become and, since red blood cells (red corpuscles, erythrocytes) only live for about 90 days, this measurement functions as a surrogate for a three-month rolling average of your glucose level. After you are fat-adapted, it is possible to see fairly high glucose levels, but with a low HbA1C, which is a sign of glucose-sparing (in other words, the liver is making glucose for the erythrocytes and other cells that need it, and the muscles are refusing to take it up, so that those other cells can have it, since they are doing fine burning fatty acids and ketone bodies).

(Full Metal KETO AF) #23

Thanks, I will talk with my doctor in January before the HbA1C test about insulin levels as well. I thought when starting keto that it would resolve the blood sugar thing almost immediately. But now Iā€™m understanding that itā€™s more elusive and complex. Thank you for that in depth advice. I also am starting to think my insulin production is messed up, not just what I was consuming.

#24

If youā€™re on steroids then youā€™re unlikely to see very low BG readings unfortunately but that doesnā€™t mean reducing your carbs hasnā€™t helped.

#25

I take both prednisone and cyclosporine for immunosuppression. I had horrible blood sugar levels when I was taking 60 mg prednisone a day (about 3 months). I talked to my doctor about chromium supplementation after I read this article https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10229312 . Immunosuppressive drugs can also cause this to happen, but I didnt really do a lot of reading on it as the problem resolved itself with the addition of chromium and gradual tapering of the prednisone (5 mg/daily)

I started keto to get my blood pressure under control (cyclo causes hypertension). I started in August and think that I may be seeing some results in the last couple of weeks, with pressure readings trending a bit downward. It seems like your glucose readings are as well. I can only think that the removal of sugar from your diet and giving it time will continue to help. Good Luck to you!

(Full Metal KETO AF) #26

Thanks for your insights, Iā€™m only on 5mg. of prednisone but they still said it was raising my BG. I can only hope that eating this way will keep me from turning diabetic. I donā€™t know what else I can do, but I know that if I had continued that I would develop eventually. This is the only way I can think of to combat the problem.

(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #27

@David_Stilley Have you found any way to burn down your glucose levels while not negatively affecting ketones while taking steroids? I had some IV Decadron today and hours later my glucose was at 120 (about 40pts above what Iā€™d expect, especially at 48 hours fasted). However, my ketones were a rocking 3.9, so I was really pleased with that.

(Full Metal KETO AF) #28

The only way to burn down glucose is fasting and/or exercise. Youā€™re body will use it or store it.

(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #29

I had been fasting 9-10 hours from the time I was given the medicine, but had been fasting about 47 hours overall. Maybe some exercise is in order next time after my treatment is done.

(Full Metal KETO AF) #30

Do you think itā€™s knocking you out of ketosis? On prednisone I lost weight and my glucose levels improved with keto.

(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #31

Definitely NOT. Its also increasing my ketones.
the before supper (breaking the fast) readings were BG 120, BK 3.9 = GKI 1.7

Just took at T120 reading (after supper) and BG 108, BK 1.8 = GKI 3.33

(Full Metal KETO AF) #32

@KetoCancerMom I wouldnā€™t worry about it, you have to take it I imagine otherwise they donā€™t give steroids. I started keto actually because of how prednisone was turning me into a diabetic (or greatly accelerating something already in progress). I was about 8 months post kidney transplant. I was gaining weight. I needed to change before starting to damage my new kidney. :cowboy_hat_face:

(Full Metal KETO AF) #33

@KetoCancerMom I donā€™t do testing so I just assume things are working as they should be because Iā€™m doing my best. I know Iā€™m feeling and looking better 8 months in and down from 205 to 169 pounds. My doctors are all happy about what I am doing and two have told me they wish many of their patients would do the same. Youā€™re test numbers are going to be off because of the steroids so as long as youā€™re staying in ketosis I wouldnā€™t sweat the glucose numbers. My last HbA1c test showed my average BG as 110. Iā€™m improving every test, I started at 149 in September.

(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #34

The steroids were given via IV and only on one day a week. The purpose of them was to minimize nausea/heartburn. Iā€™ve asked the doc to try it w/o the steroids (Iā€™m not fond of the high BG, but the ketones were nice). She is willing to try it to see how my body responds.