Aa
ketones after surgery
I just had wisdom tooth surgery(yesterday), immeadietly after I got home(1 hr after surg.) I had some calorie fluids(juice) and some soup. It was 13 hrs since I'd last eaten,and I had moderate ketones before eating(during surgery,blood sugars were 100-153). Why is it easier for someone with diabetes to get ketones on normal blood sugars,and do thin people get ketones easier? Are starvation calories still dangerous? Since then,I have had trace-small ketones and blood sugars 140-200,can't seem to get rid of the ketones. Thanks for your help.
For ketones, as GG said, it's very important to drink a LOT of no-calorie fluids. Water is good. It's hard to drink "too much" water but it's easy to drink too little. I hope that by now, you are no longer showing ketones, but tuck away this info for the future -- whenever you have them.
Dear Surfin'USA,
I am not a medical professional, so any information I give you should be verified with your healthcare team. Thank you for coming to us for answers. You pose some pretty tough questions. I will share with you what I have learned over the past 15 years about ketones as my daughter was diagnosed at the age of 21 months and we have had several episodes dealing with ketones (including oral surgery).
It sounds like your blood sugars are within a good range considering you had surgery just yesterday. Ketones appear typically when blood sugars run high, but it is considered common for them to show up under times of high stress, such as surgery, also. Being in contact with your healthcare team to adjust your insulin doses during this time is very important. From what I have recently read, when stress occurs, our bodies prepare to take action. This preparation is referred to as the fight or flight response. In this period of stress, most hormone levels shoot up. Their main purpose is to make a lot of stored energy...glucose and fat...available to cells. The fight or flight response does not work well in people who have diabetes. Insulin is not always able to let the extra energy into the cells, so glucose piles up in the blood. During your recovery from your recent surgery, you may be dealing with this scenario. You need to continue to keep an eye out for ketones, even when your blood sugar may not seem high to you. Stress hormones that are designed to deal with short term danger stay turned on for a long time after surgery. Ketones can show up even because you have not been eating for a period of time. So, I hope that I've provided you with some explanation for why ketones are hanging in there for you. Just make sure that you are getting some food into yourself, push fluids and keep checking your blood sugars and check for ketones frequently. My son had his wisdoms out last year and he lived on smoothies, frozen yogurt, mashed potatoes, soups and gatorade for about a week!
I wish you a speedy recovery and take care of yourself.
I am not a medical professional, so any information I give you should be verified with your healthcare team. Thank you for coming to us for answers. You pose some pretty tough questions. I will share with you what I have learned over the past 15 years about ketones as my daughter was diagnosed at the age of 21 months and we have had several episodes dealing with ketones (including oral surgery).
It sounds like your blood sugars are within a good range considering you had surgery just yesterday. Ketones appear typically when blood sugars run high, but it is considered common for them to show up under times of high stress, such as surgery, also. Being in contact with your healthcare team to adjust your insulin doses during this time is very important. From what I have recently read, when stress occurs, our bodies prepare to take action. This preparation is referred to as the fight or flight response. In this period of stress, most hormone levels shoot up. Their main purpose is to make a lot of stored energy...glucose and fat...available to cells. The fight or flight response does not work well in people who have diabetes. Insulin is not always able to let the extra energy into the cells, so glucose piles up in the blood. During your recovery from your recent surgery, you may be dealing with this scenario. You need to continue to keep an eye out for ketones, even when your blood sugar may not seem high to you. Stress hormones that are designed to deal with short term danger stay turned on for a long time after surgery. Ketones can show up even because you have not been eating for a period of time. So, I hope that I've provided you with some explanation for why ketones are hanging in there for you. Just make sure that you are getting some food into yourself, push fluids and keep checking your blood sugars and check for ketones frequently. My son had his wisdoms out last year and he lived on smoothies, frozen yogurt, mashed potatoes, soups and gatorade for about a week!
I wish you a speedy recovery and take care of yourself.
You are reading content posted in the Diabetes - Type 1 Community
Here are three summertime recipes that will satisfy your hunger without wreaking havoc on your blood sugar.
If you have prediabetes, type 2 diabetes isn’t inevitable. Find out how you can stop diabetes before it starts.
Diabetes-friendly recipes and tips for your game day party.
Are there grounds to recommend coffee consumption? Recent studies perk interest.
Simple ways to keep your blood sugar in check.
8 blood sugar-safe eats.
