[nicole]

I have been sick all week.
High blood sugars, throwing up, ketones, you name it I probably had it.

Well it got really bad Wednesday, and we called the endo she said testy evry 15 minutes and take 12 units of humalog every 60-90 minutes. I did that and I was still having the High readings and ketones at large.

So today I was feeling real bad again, called my mom, she came home and said we had to go to the hospital. I didn't want to go, but I did. We were there for a few hours, they drew blood and checked my BS, it was 143. They came back with the test results and said well you don't have DKA you have starvation ketoacidosis. I was like and whats that? They said it was from not eating, or eating very little. Well lately I have been eating very little or nothing at all. And thats what was causing my BS to go sky high, and the ketones. I never knew that. So that would explain why I feel sick until I eat something. Very weird.

[The_QUIET_one]

DKA is when you arent getting energy from your food right? becasue you dont have enough insulin. so it would make sence to have simular symptoms for not getting enough energy from food because you dont eat it. Also when you have low blood sugars, your liver releases glucagon to compensate. so it would make sence for you to be higher. thats how I see it anyhow. Take care, eat something

[Funnygrl]

Sorry to hear you've been so sick!

Yeah, you can definitely get ketones from not getting enough calories, but an important distinction to make is ketosis vs. ketoacidosis. Ketosis means the presence of ketones in the blood. Ketoacidosis is the much more dangerous cousin where ketones are so overwhelming to the body that it changes the body's pH and overall electrolyte balance- bad news. You can get ketosis from not eating enough, but ketoacidosis pretty much only happens in DKA.

[BlueSky]

Originally Posted by nicole

... lately I have been eating very little or nothing at all. And thats what was causing my BS to go sky high, and the ketones. ...

As long as there is adequate insulin, not eating won't make BS go up. Weren't you inject your insulin, or were you sick?

[Funnygrl]

Dehydration can constrict blood flow to subcutaneous tissue, shunting it to more important parts of the body, thus not allowing subcu insulin to circulate well. Since she wasn't admitted though, I doubt she was at that point.

[Mich]

Ketosis is a normal condition that occurs when your body burns fat. You have ketones in your blood when you are eating low-carb.

When you are starving because you do not have insulin to let nutrients into your cells (oversimplification, but you get the idea) you eventually go into ketoacidosis. Being dehydrated makes it worse. This is dangerous and is what Funnygirl was describing.

People hear the "keto" at the beginning and think these two conditions are the same.

A type 1 diabetic always needs a little insulin on board (basal) even when sick or not eating to prevent ketoacidosis. That is why it is so important to know what your body needs just to maintain--your basal insulin.

[BriOnH]

Albeit it unintentional it reads like the Adtkins diet at work.

Sorry about getting so sick . Having diabetes and getting so sick is extremely difficult at times!

[nicole]

I was sick, but I was taking my insulin.

[kgm0612]

Hope you're feeling better today, Nicole.

Karen