Can someone advise me? High ketones, normal glucose, feel peculiar

[GloriaGaynor]

So I've got prediabetes. I can generally keep my blood glucose in normal range as long as I eat no sugar at all.

Have been stressed for past couple of weeks, noticed I've dropped a few pounds, very thirsty, tested my blood glucose - raised but not massively high.

From yesterday, been nauseous and throwing up for two days now, stomach pains and pains peeing, so did a home urine strip test for UTI (have many UTIs hence the home test) which indicates my ketones are high.

Normally, ketones go up when when I'm ill. But my blood glucose reading is normal, so I'm struggling to understand it. And also why I feel faint, fast heart rate and peculiar.

Any diabetics or nurses out there could advise me?

Id get yourself seen as soon as possible, I dont want to scare you - but it sounds like you may be experiencing ketoacidosis which is a sign you have become diabetic.

Blood sugar can only be used by the body if there is enough insulin - your pancreas is failing to produce enough and thus your body cant use the blood sugar for energy/cell metabolism so it breaks down fat and produces ketones instead

This can quickly become an emergency (however once you get help dont worry its treatable and you will be ok)

You need to attend A&E or at the very least ring 111 to be seen by an out of hours Dr urgently and have an adult with you until you are seen incase you deteriorate

Again, you will be ok - you just need the medical help asap. Let us know how you get on

Thank you v much for your reply. I thought ketoacidosis was only when your blood glucose very high? Mine's def normal.

Im speaking as a Midwife and also as witnessing my BIL experience the exact same symptoms who then ended up blue lighted to hospital and a 3 day stay in intensive care with ketoacidosis as a new diagnosis of diabetes (aged 25, distant family history) he ignored the symptoms of thirst, weight loss, vomiting thinking it was viral.

Dont waste time googling - trust me you need to be medically assessed.

Thanks so much for your kindness, was his blood sugar normal?

Not always, are you on medication for anything? As this can affect blood sugars.

Im not sure of BILs though sorry, it was abnormal though.

But your symptoms are suspicious despite the normal glucose levels so Id really advise getting it looked at

Ok, thank you so much. Very much appreciated.

No problem at all. Let me know how you get on as I'll be wondering
Hope you're feeling better soon!

You can most definitely have diabetic ketoacidosis with normal blood glucose. If your ketones are high see a doctor ASAP.

Ketones are also elevated when a person has not eaten for a while. They are a product of the metabolism of fat for energy.

In other words, their presence in urine is not always indicative of disease. Diabetic ketoacidosis generally only occurs in Type I Diabetes; it is what is called a Hyperosmolar State that occurs in Type II.

It sounds to me like your body has burned through most of its glycogen (stored sugar) reserves and is now metabolizing fat, and that is the source of the ketones. I would guess that this happened as a result of reduced intake over the past few days. A return to healthy eating and drinking should normalize things.

I hope that you feel better soon.

Thanks peeps, it's type 1 diabetes. My blood sugar monitor wasn't working properly, my blood glucose was actually way high.

Sorry for the delay in replying but I had to hospital.

Thanks very much for you help.