Is anyone using the meters used specifically for ketone testing? My son had a scary incident with ketones; he had been vomiting, was unable to test with the urine strip as he didn't have to go. I just purchased a tester that would test ketones with blood and I would imagine it would be more accurate, since the test strips test the urine that has been sitting in the bladder for a while. Anyone with experience with the meter?
I use the Precision Xtra only for ketone testing (I use the OneTouch Ping as my main meter). It's worked well for me.
I used the Precision Xtra blood ketone tester. I used it when I first started on lowered carbohydrate diet so that I could monitor when my body was going into ketosis. It seemed to give me credible results but I had nothing to compare it with.
I also keep this ketone meter handy for those times when I have 300+ BGs for more than an hour or two.
Jen and Terry, We are used to using the strips and knowing how high his ketones are, small, large, etc....I guess it doesn't really matter though, ketones are ketones. are there disadvantages to not testing with the urine strips? Thanks for your help.
We use the Precision Xtra for testing ketones as well as the urine strips. The advantages to the Precision Xtra testing, in my mind, are that you can test your child if they are asleep, if they don't have to go to the washroom or if you're somewhere where access to a washroom is an issue as well as greater accuracy. The only big downside is the cost.
I have the Precision Xtra as well. Testing ketone from blood rather than urine is the way to go. Much more accurate and you're getting real time results. Think of it as the difference between testing for Glucose levels from a BG meter versus urine dipsticks.
Wow, I don't test for ketones ever but it's good to know which brand of gizmo to run out to get if I ever feel like I need to give it a whirl!
I just got a free blood sugar/blood ketone meter via a link someone posted on here. It's called a Nova Max. Since it uses it's own brand of strips, I don't intend to use it as a BG meter, but if I ever need to use it as a blood ketone meter, it's nice to have around - especially for the price.
Here is a link:
http://www.novacares.com/free_meter.php
(I have nothing to do with this company - I use Freestyle strips in my Omnipod PDM, but this seemed like a good deal to have a free ketone meter )
The urine strips also test for a different type of ketone. Blood ketone meters test for beta-hydroxybutyric acid, the ketones that are formed in DKA.
We have both the Nova Max & Precision Xtra. We've tested results against each other & they were almost identical. Nova Max strips tend to be cheaper.
I don't either, lol last time I can recall messing with pee and dipsticks was when I was first diagnosed in 85. I don't see the need. For me my blood glucose if I am high comes down easily, and if I'm THAT sick where I'm puking like crazy I'm at the doc's getting some zofran to stop it. With our without the flu shot, I don't tend to get the flu. LOL I guess I've got to have some good genes for health in me SOMEWHERE.