CWD SUPPORT GROUP
Ketones and a Mom’s Advice
Ketones are produced when there is not enough insulin to help your body use sugar for energy. Without enough insulin, sugar builds up in the blood. Since the body is unable to use sugar for energy, it breaks down fat instead. When this occurs, ketones form in the blood and spill into the urine. These ketones can make your child sick.
We have to check for ketones when blood sugars are high. The high blood sugars may have occurred because there's not enough insulin to move the sugar into the cells. High blood sugars without ketones indicates that there's sufficient insulin to keep the cells "fed", but there's too much sugar in the blood stream.
Ketones with low or normal blood sugars means that the body just isn't
getting enough energy - which is logical when a person is sick and vomiting and the body starts burning fat for energy. The treatment for these ketones is food and lots of fluids to wash them out. The first time Naomi had a virus that made her vomit, I just reduced her normal insulin dose. Her blood sugars bottomed out and I had to feed her dextrose tabs. What I learned is, as soon as she starts vomiting and I'm sure it's not food poisoning, I give her a suppository to control the vomiting. I give her drinks sweetened fluids and Pedialyte. I replace her NPH and Humalog with Regular only! I use Regular insulin for sick days because Humalog works too fast and doesn't last long enough and NPH lasts too long and has a sharp peak. With Regular insulin, we get a slower peak 1 to 1 1/2 hours after injection and it lasts 4 to 5 hours (I think that it actually lasts as long as 8 hours, but I feel safe injecting more if I have to after 4 to 5 hours). I test at least every hour and check frequently for ketones. I only give her Humalog insulin when her blood sugars start going up. By the time Naomi is able to eat, I give her some Humalog to match the food and if it's evening, some NPH to cover the night.
Leslie (Naomi 6 yrs dx 7/99)
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