Test Breath Ketones without a Ketonix (using a cheap breathalyzer)

ketonix
acetone
breath
(G. Andrew Duthie) #141

That seems consistent with what I’m seeing so far. Have drifted down to 0.07 from the consistent 0.08 I was seeing.

I’m also using a GreenWon meter.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #142

Back down to 0.04-0.05 range. Looks like that may be my “normal” when eating keto.

(Todd Allen) #143

The meter I’m using was less than $5 bought from ebay. It only has 2 digits past the decimal point. I looked on ebay again and found a couple other models that have 3 digits past the decimal point, one for $11 and the other for $20 and I bought both. The $20 one had cheaper sellers but they looked suspect with either photos showing a mix of two different models, the other being a cheaper 2 digit unit or listing the specs of a different cheaper unit.

I’m curious to find out how consistent my results will be with the 3 units and if the added digit of precision will indicate more accuracy and provide any better/faster feedback. Will post an update after using them.

(A ham loving ham! - VA6KD) #144

I got the feeling that the third decimal point is only there for looks. In the models I’ve looked at it only ever seems to show a 0 in that position.

(Todd Allen) #145

On one of the two models I looked at there was only a single stock photo of the display used in all the listings showng 0.030. But the specs of the unit’s range used the 3rd digit. The other unit had a pic showing the digit in use. Even if it is used though it might not be of much use. But I’m finding my cheap one useful and these might be better and the two of them together are less than another pack of ketone strips for my blood test meter…

#146

I’ve had this with my meter. I drink sodawater and swill it then retest. Often it works then. Don’t know why.

(What The Fast?!) #147

Got mine yesterday! Did a long bike ride after a BPC breakfast and tested afterward - it showed .06 for both my b/f and I.

Went out to dinner last night and feasted. This morning was 2.4 ketones on my Precision Xtra. I blew on the breathalyzer and it showed. 0.07. I tested 4 more times and got: 0.06, then 0.05, 0.05, 0.05.

I think it’s useful to identify IF you’re in ketosis, but not sure it’s accurate for direct correlation.

(KCKO, KCFO) #148

I am just off a 86.5 hr. fast, I broke the fast with eggs Benedict,without the English muffin and hashbrown.

I blew 1.1 my highest and I hit my goal weight plus another lb. down I love my GreenWon.

(KCKO, KCFO) #149

Been eating as normal today and still blowing 1.1, I’m pretty happy about that result.

(A ham loving ham! - VA6KD) #150

Breakfast today was three eggs, bacon, 1/3 stick of butter and a tablespoon of coconut oil. Then some BP coffee around mid afternoon. Plenty of water thoughout the day as I was doing a big yard and garden clean up. This is what I just blew on my meter (at around 10pm):

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(KetoCowboy) #151

Thanks for this thread. I’m interested in any alternative to the Ketonix, since mine went on the fritz after about 6 weeks of heavy use.

Here’s my Ketonix story for anyone who may be considering one:

My brother (a huge keto advocate) bought it for me when I first started eating keto because he was so excited to have someone else in the family giving keto a try. He bought one of the original Ketonix models years ago, and his still works fine.

Mine is a different story. I’m partly to blame because the directions indicate that it shouldn’t be left plugged into a computer for hours at a time . . .

BUT

since the thing takes so long (several minutes) to warm up each time it’s plugged in, I ended up leaving it plugged in throughout the workday for two weeks.

I guess that stressed the little guy out because it became very temperamental. Some days it would initialize properly; other days it would just blink disco colors for hours without ever becoming “ready.”

Then, after about the 6th week, it stopped working entirely.

I haven’t bothered to see if I can get a replacement because I’m in pretty much permanent ketosis these days. (I don’t eat carbs except the ones in vegetables; I only eat one meal a day; and my blood work shows a BHBA level of 3.06.)

But for anyone considering the purchase, my impression is that the units Ketonix produces aren’t as good as they used to be

YMMV.

(Todd Allen) #152

Does your 3rd digit after the decimal point always show 0? One of the two 3 digit meters I just ordered arrived but unfortunately it is able to discriminate between alcohol and acetone making it useless for keto.

(A ham loving ham! - VA6KD) #153

It’s never shown anything but zero.

(KCKO, KCFO) #154

Hi, you might want to get one of the cheaper breathe analyzers. I use GreenWon and a couple of others in the forum do too. I got mine for under $10. That was after getting a refund form Ketonix, the order was held up for over a month and I really wanted to find out if I was getting into ketosis or not, I didn’t find the ketostix to be very helpful after the first couple of months I was eating at 20 net g carb. I really can’t stand pricking myself, so I went with the breathe analyzer solution. Using that and doing some fasting has resulted in good weight loss for me.

I have been very happy with mine.

Hope you find a method that you like.

(Dude Man) #155

Hello
I bought my bac meter from amozon 10$ free shipping.
I ate 3 large bowls of ice cream, 2 very large Mexican dinners , and the largest margarita you have seen in your entire existence.
Now I have been keto for over a year but I need to experiment. It took me a full 24 hours to go from .035 bac to flat .000. Maybe I consumed too many carbs and put myself out of ketosis :slight_smile:.
Now that I was fully satisfied that this device worked I started a fast.
Day 1 .000
Day 2 .010
Day 3 .015
Day 4 .030
Day 5 .045
Day 6 .062
Water, coffee, magnesium, salt.
I think I will keep going.

#156

Congrats. I think it’s wise to test multiple times a day with these devices. They aren’t always consistent.

(Todd Allen) #157

So I got a second breathalyzer, ~$12 as opposed to my first one for $4. My first one works very well, gives consistent repeatable readings and is little affected by how I blow. My only complaints with it are the display is very dim and hard to read and it only has two digits after the decimal point. And I’ve never pushed it up past 0.08 so in effect I only get one digit of result so I’ve been looking for a more sensitive unit. My new one fixes both problems, a bright crisp display with 3 working digits after the decimal. Unfortunately it is very erratic with the result heavily impacted by how long and forcefully I blow. If I breath and blow normally it produces results much lower than my first unit.

Only 2 data points so it doesn’t mean a lot, but it does suggest there is significant variability in these units and if you get one and it isn’t giving consistent results the device is likely at fault.

(Tovan Nhsh) #158

Same here. I’ve been using it as a more affordable alternative to the blood strips. The highest reading I’ve seen so far is .8

(Linda Culbreth) #159

Wish you a quick recovery. Smart move to ask for saline vs. glucose. It’s important regarding ketosis and you can double that if you happen to be a diabetic.

(A ham loving ham! - VA6KD) #160

Thank you. :slight_smile: It was only minor non-invasive surgery for kidney stones. Still, I was under full general anesthesia for it though. All good now, but things were hurtin’ for a week or so afterwards.

Edit:. Looking back, I should have asked what concentration the glucose was (just out of curiosity). I don’t think it would have been all that much. The nuse said it speeds the recovery time for the anesthesia.