[VeeJay]

Notice of content adjustment: This IS the original thread for Ketonix users, but we have decided to include in it those who also test blood instead of breath for ketones. These are the NovaMax Plus and Precision Xtra meters, which are used for testing blood glucose, but also - using a different strip - can test for blood ketones. ~ Shanny

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For those of us who have the Ketonix meter, here's a place to record our level of ketosis.

Sometimes I get a "high/red" in the early morning (I often get up around 4:30 or 5:00 am). It'll read moderate or even low after breakfast, and go up to moderate by evening. A lot has to do with my fat ratio the day before.

Yesterday:
am: moderate
midday: low
evening: moderate

(I prefer not to be in high/red ketosis, only because of not having a gall bladder and eating enough fat to accomplish this plays havoc on my intestinal fortitude.)

This morning's wake-up reading was moderate.

 

[walkerwally1]

I have one on order but they haven't started shipping yet due to a shortage of parts. It would be interesting to see how others have found their readings to run and if they have found any relationship to bg. Salim seems to find a relation to his Ketonix readings and bg and I find that quite interesting. I have the Precision Xtra blood ketone meter but we all know how expensive the strips for that are.

 

[VeeJay]

have the Precision Xtra blood ketone meter but we all know how expensive the strips for that are.

That's why I got the Ketonix device. After the first money outlay, there's no more expense.

I don't often test BG now. If I'm in moderate ketosis, then my BG will be low. A blue/low reading - my BG will be a bit higher than I want. In order to stay well into ketosis, I MUST reduce carbs and protein.

 

[mbuster]

I've been wanting a ketonix meter, but other things keep coming up, car breakdowns (multiple - heater core, a/c evaporator coil, radiator, a/c condenser, and the pcm issues), lawn mower needs work, truck needs tires, kids, etc., etc., etc.

 

[grammaB]

I've been wanting a ketonix meter, but other things keep coming up, car breakdowns (multiple - heater core, a/c evaporator coil, radiator, a/c condenser, and the pcm issues), lawn mower needs work, truck needs tires, kids, etc., etc., etc.

My situation exactly!! I have the NovaMax blood ketone meter. I only test once or twice a month. When I run out of the strips I have on hand, I probably won't order any more.....

 

[Janknitz]

I am working on charting how quickly I reach a reading with my regular ketonix and BG. For example, earlier today I reached only yellow after 20 seconds, but tonight it got to red in 9 seconds. My BG was 88. Early this morning my BG was 79 and it took 20 seconds to reach yellow.

I'll post my chart in a few days, but my ketonix does not seem to consistently correlate to my BG. Otoh, I generally keep my BG in a fairly narrow range.

 

[smorgan]

I am working on charting how quickly I reach a reading with my regular ketonix and BG. For example, earlier today I reached only yellow after 20 seconds, but tonight it got to red in 9 seconds. My BG was 88. Early this morning my BG was 79 and it took 20 seconds to reach yellow.

I'll post my chart in a few days, but my ketonix does not seem to consistently correlate to my BG. Otoh, I generally keep my BG in a fairly narrow range.

Glucose would be normally be on a wave-like cycle with peaks an hour or two after each meal and possibly another one on waking. Ketones, if present, have their OWN wave-like pattern. I don't now a lot about the typical pattern, but I think it can be found somewhere in Jimmy Moore's huge chain of posts on his dietary ketosis n=1 experiment. One thing I remember is that they are typically low in the morning and highest 4 hours after dinner. I'd say that's pretty different than most people's glucose curve.

Higher ketones OVERALL will correlate with lower glucose OVERALL, but there's no reason to expect any correlation between a spot check on the two of them, since you are on different parts of the respective "waveforms" for glucose and ketones.

 

[skb]

One thing I remember is that they are typically low in the morning and highest 4 hours after dinner.

True. That is what I see with my Ketonix.

 

[VeeJay]

Yesterday's readings:

Early am: low
Midday: moderate
Evening: high

This morning's reading was low. Apparently the high from last night didn't continue through the night.

I have also tested about 1hr after a meal, and 2hrs after. It is usually lower 1hr and higher at 2hrs or later. This is what the Ketonix people say, and they don't recommend testing until at least 1 hr after a meal.

Now, being a curious person, I wonder why that is. Any thoughts?

 

[smorgan]

I've been bad. I test only yellow (mid-range) morning and evening. All it took to break my pace was a single date in 24 hours a few days in a row! They taste SOOO good with the bitter coffee my wife makes.

Gotta get that red back now...

 

[smorgan]

Wait! Nice! I just got my "red" back and after just yesterday and today avoiding that one date!

3 seconds to green
7 seconds to yellow
18 seconds to red

Not too shabby!

 

[VeeJay]

Yesterday was low all day (didn't test in the evening, though)
So had a very high fat almost no carb supper. What I had was a two-yolk/one-white omelet, which was so satisfying, but for which I'm paying this morning with full sinuses.

This morning started out with moderate level. (that's good)
Then just now, about an hour after lunch, it's high. (even better!)

This meter doesn't let you off the hook for one minute!!! I don't eat dates, Salim, but I do have a problem limiting nuts. (Although last night I had two good-sized handfulls of almonds that apparently didn't lower my ketosis level).

 

[Janknitz]

Higher ketones OVERALL will correlate with lower glucose OVERALL, but there's no reason to expect any correlation between a spot check on the two of them, since you are on different parts of the respective "waveforms" for glucose and ketones.

In another thread on Ketonix, a poster speculated that there was a correlation between the Ketonix results and his BG, so I'm testing out the theory for myself. My BG doesn't vary widely because of my LCHF diet. It's range is about 75 - 95, with 75 being my lowest fasting BG (usually it's more in the mid-80's) and 95 being about my highest post-prandial UNLESS I've been eating more carbs than usual (last night I made sweet potato noodles and "spiked" at 100).

I was particularly curious because I have the regular model of Ketonix, not the sport model, and sometimes it will turn red in as little as 9 seconds, sometimes it takes 20. I thought if it correlated with blood sugar that would be interesting. I don't have any blood ketone strips--too expensive.

Preliminarily, I don't see the consistent correlation with BG, probably for the reason you cite.

I have also tested about 1hr after a meal, and 2hrs after. It is usually lower 1hr and higher at 2hrs or later. This is what the Ketonix people say, and they don't recommend testing until at least 1 hr after a meal.

Now, being a curious person, I wonder why that is. Any thoughts?

I think there are a couple of reasons for this:
1. It takes time for our bodies to convert the dietary fats into acetone.
2. Our body's levels of acetone may be diluted by the food and drink immediately after eating. Jimmy Moore reports that his Ketonix levels go down when he drinks a lot of fluid within a certain amount of time of measuring with the Ketonix. I don't think I've seen that, but I don't have the blood ketone strips to compare (there's a difference in time between BHB production and acetone production as well).

One other thing to note, when I drink alcohol I get a fast red on my Ketonix for up to 24 hours later, depending on how much I drink. I consider this a false positive, so the ketonix is useless if I drink (I'm married to a winemaker, so there's always wine, but I limit myself to a glass or two a week).

NOTE: The other night I took my daughter's friend home, and on the way home we got stopped at a DUI checkpoint. It made me a little nervous that they would pick people at random for a breathalyzer--high ketones will test with a false positive for alcohol! If you ever get pulled over be sure to demand a blood test instead of a breathalyzer (if your state law allows a choice)! Fortunately, I got waved through after showing my drivers license. This is not an argument I'd like to have with a police officer, but something you should be aware of.

 

[VeeJay]

II have the regular model of Ketonix, not the sport model, and sometimes it will turn red in as little as 9 seconds, sometimes it takes 20.

I have the regular model, too, which is sufficient for a not-too-active person.

When I was eating more fat than I am now I did get the color changes (at least into green) a few seconds after beginning to breath into the meter. Now that I'm really not trying for "high" but am content to stay in moderate, the color change usually comes after I stop breathing into it. If it begins to change color while I'm still breathing into it, it'll definitely go to high.

One of the things the ketonix is helping me with is to monitor my fat intake. Too much (for not having a gall bladder) and it'll read high, which results in intestinal issues. If it reads low, then I know I need to up the fats just a little. Moderate is where I need to be at the end of the day. It may not be immediate feedback for me, but it's better than guessing.

 

[VeeJay]

The last two days I've stayed mostly moderate, with high last night. Then this morning I also got a high reading (the green while breathing into the device and quickly went to red when I finished).

These last few days I've needed to eat a lesser amount but more frequently (a medication I was taking gave me reflux and it helped to eat often). This seems to have benefited me in a couple ways:

1) while my total carbs for the day has not changed, per mini-meal has been lower than a regular meal - and my BG has been lower at 1hr and 2hr.

2) my Ketonix meter is reading moderate more quickly and I haven't gotten a low reading - so I'm staying more steadily at a deeper level of ketosis. Probably one of the things that helps this is that some of my mini-meals are mostly fat bombs.

3) my lack of gall bladder has not been so much of a problem - well, not at all, actually. And I'm probably eating more fat overall now. I follow each mini-meal with 125mg bile salts. My assumption is that this level of exogenous bile, along with what is trickling out from my liver, is sufficient for a small amount of fat. Since I'm taking the supplement every time I eat, there's probably a more consistent level of bile without it being too much and causing a laxative effect.

I understand that morning readings tend to be lower and evenings higher. The high reading this morning would be unusual, but is welcomed. We'll see if this persists over the next few days.

 

[VeeJay]

red - early morning
red- mid morning
red - mid afternoon
red - evening

YEAH!

 

[VeeJay]

and red again this morning! (with no apparent intestinal issues - WOW, I think I've finally "got it")

 

[skb]

My vision (and Ketonix) spectrum stops at VIBGY - "OR" seems far away.

 

[VeeJay]

Can you translate that statement???

 

[skb]

A jocular way of saying it stops at Green & Yellow (of VIBGYOR) and doesn't go beyond to Orange / Red.