High Ketones: What They Mean, Risks, and What to Do

When your body runs low on glucose, it starts breaking down fat for energy—and that produces high ketones, chemicals made by the liver during fat metabolism that can build up in the blood. Also known as ketone bodies, they’re not always bad. In fact, they’re normal during fasting, low-carb diets, or intense exercise. But when they spike too high, especially in people with diabetes, they can turn dangerous fast.

Diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious condition where high ketones mix with high blood sugar to make the blood too acidic, is the biggest risk. It doesn’t just happen in type 1 diabetes—type 2 patients can get it too, especially when sick, skipping insulin, or using certain newer diabetes drugs. You can’t always feel it coming. Some people feel extra thirsty, pee a lot, or get nauseous. Others just feel weird—fatigued, confused, or short of breath. That’s why ketone testing, checking ketone levels with urine strips or blood meters, is critical if you’re diabetic and feeling off. Even if you’re not diabetic, tracking blood ketones, the most accurate way to measure ketone levels can help you avoid overdoing it on keto diets. Too many people think more ketones = better weight loss, but pushing too hard can stress your kidneys, throw off your electrolytes, or trigger dangerous acid buildup.

What you’ll find in these posts isn’t just theory—it’s real-world guidance from people who’ve dealt with this. Some stories are about unexpected ketone spikes after illness. Others are about how to test safely at home, what medications can raise ketone levels, and why some people mistake keto flu for something worse. You’ll see how dehydration, stress, and even certain antibiotics can push ketones up. And you’ll learn what to do before it’s too late—because sometimes, the difference between a quick fix and an ER visit comes down to knowing when to act.