ketoacidosis

I'm 20 days out of surgery, feeling just great, down a total of 62 pounds.  The only problem that I'm having is that when I go on my designated  walks for exercise my heart rate goes up very quickly and stays up and it feels kind of like someone is sitting on my chest.  My doc (the best, I'm convinced) told me that he thinks I'm having issues with ketoacidosis and that I need to add two protein shakes a day for 72 hours and that hopefully this problem will resolve.  I am diabetic, but since the day of surgery I haven't been taking any medicine, and my sugars were running in the mid-ninties until the last few days they've been running a little higher.  Also I have some kind of constant ache around my ribcage.  It's not surgical pain or gas, it's just a strange ache!  Very weird.

Has anyone else had any issues with ketoacidosis?  Would be very interested to know your experience if you did.

Thanks!

Melissa

You've defined ketosis, not ketoacidosis - not the same.

Actually it can be an issue.  I am type II diabetic and have been for 11 years, 2 days after surgery my body went into severe DKA and I spent 5 days in the ICU and was close to losing my life.  They are not sure what through me into it, possibly the stress of the surgery on my body, not enough liquids etc...  But yes even after I came home I did and still do test my ketones and they run in the moderate to large range a lot, because of the lack of carbs and so much protein.  But as long as I get a lot of liquids in each day and keep some carbs in my diet it seems to stay under control.  Hopefully no one has the problem I had with it, but I would keep an eye on it.
cybil

Ketoacidosis doesn't come and go.  Perhaps your doc said "ketosis."  They're not the same.  Ketoacidosis is serious, as in life threatening. Ketosis is no problem.  And I don't think either one is responsible for your signs.

right ! this goes along with my above post.  ketoacidosis is VERY SERIOUS and almost killed me after surgery.
cybil

I second Jesse-James's post - ketoacidosis is a rapid-onset, life-threatening condition that occurs when the body is burning ketones despite having extremely high blood glucose levels (and I do mean extremely high - we're not talking 200s, here); it usually occurs in type 1s, but has rarely also occured in type 2s. Ketosis, on the other hand, simply means your body is burning fat for energy because you've drastically decreased your intake of carbohydrates. I have NO idea why anyone would think adding two protein shakes a day would help with either ketosis or ketoacidosis.

Huh. I don't understand this doc's advice either, but being a Type 1 for 30 years and trying to decide between RNY and VSG, both ketosis AND ketoacidosis make me very nervous! How dangerous is ketosis or is it something that is inevitable with WLS? Mannn....having Type 1 makes me so nervous doing this because of all of the ketoacidosis stories I've read. This is why I'm leaning toward the sleeve. Yikes though. Can't help but worry...surgeon's deal mostly with Type 2. I am really looking forward to my appt on Oct 7 to meet directly with my surgeon.

Ketosis is not dangerous, diabetic or not. It's the ketoacidosis that's the dangerous one, and it is unrelated to ketosis.