Ketosis and medical - possibly tmi for some!

[British_Claire_84]

Hey all

Just a really quick question i'm sure someone will know the answer to..

Tomorrow morning i have a medical which includes a pee test. I assume they test for all the usual things, drugs, sugars, blood etc. Well my question is will the fact i'm ketosis show up? And then, if it does do you think it will affect my results for the medical? Or is it best to have something beforehand to ensure that i am not in ketosis before i do the pee test just to be sure i pass!?

Thanks in advance!

 

[British_Claire_84]

I've gotta be there for 0900hrs and it's an hr n half drive away so need to be on the road by 0730hrs! Therefore up at 0630hrs ish..

 

[*AnnaMaria*]

I'm pretty certain that people who are not on diets go into ketosis without knowing anything about it Claire, don't worry, and good luck with it!

 

[Bad Jar]

You're not taking any illegal substances, I'm sure it'll be fine. If they do comment on the results, just tell them you're on a diet on the instructions of your doctor. I'm sure you mentioned it in a previous thread about being signed fit?

 

[British_Claire_84]

Yeah signed fit for the specials. This is the medical for the regulars now. It's with the same doc though i think that signed me off last time. Can ketones be a sign of anything else? As in something other than ketosis from low carbing?

 

[Bad Jar]

Love google!;
Ketones levels in urine

• They are produced in the body when fats, rather than glucose are used to produce energy.
• This substance is an acid which can be harmful to the body if ketones are allowed to accumulate.

Abnormal ketones values may indicative of

• Diabetic ketoacidosis
• Insulin overdose
• Insufficient food intake
• Nausea and vomiting
• Starvation
• Strict dieting
• Severe stress
• Severe fever due to infection

there's other stuff, just type ketones and urine. HTH

 

[Bad Jar]

Or they might think you're pregnant!

 

[British_Claire_84]

Hmm can represent diabetes or the like.. my head's a shed now and really don't know what to do for the best. I don't wanna risk it, get there n fail due to it (they're v.picky). Then again i don't wanna eat toast or whatever for breakfast beforehand to try to come out of it just for the hell of it if they bear no relevence.. I guess i could've sorted this sooner and rang them to ask first!? LOL.. typical me, panic last minute!

 

[British_Claire_84]

LOL they can do a million pregnancy tests on me to be sure on that one!!

 

[Bad Jar]

you could go the honesty route - if its the same doc, tell him you took his advice, yu've been dieting and the ketone level may be higher than normal, but you're not pregnant. He'll probably respect the fact you took his advice and were honest up front. They can't say you were hiding anything anything. And it's up to you if you want to knock yourself out of ketosis temporarily. If you dont, explain that being fit and healthy is important to you and you're still on your way to your goal so yu chose not to. It'll show your commitment to your health and your career IMO, but obviously, it's up to you.

 

[British_Claire_84]

Yes you're right hun, thank you My brain is scrambled thinking about it. Therefore i am off ferra bath to mull it over (with a voddy n coke zero)..

 

[British_Claire_84]

No not that i can find Laura, i really should have rung them today i guess to check! I just totally forgot all about it to be honest. My ketone levels usually show higher in the morning that the evening, think it's through more dehydration.. I still have loads of CD shakes i could have.. hmm, off to seek inspiration in the bath with a trashy girl mag n voddy..

 

[Bad Jar]

Is voddy a good idea for a police urine test in the morning? Sorry, little miss sensible/killjoy rearing her head

 

[British_Claire_84]

yeah one will be fine n it was only the one i promise!

 

[Bad Jar]

Ok, I trust you! Am still in induction, no voddy for me! Sounds like you have a nice evening planned. X

 

[PennyJane]

I'd just say (if it does come up) that you're doing a low carb way of eating as you're intolerant to wheat, etc. This is of the adivce of your dietician and slowly adding the carbs back in to find out where the intolerance is. Baffle them with a bit of bull. Say that it's a short term thing and I'd probably just act a bit shocked at what results I'd get. Is that sneaky??

 

[British_Claire_84]

I've just spoken to my real dad (much against my better judgement) on the phone, he's a theatre nurse but also has type two diabetes so knows about these things. He reckons that you'll pretty much get a positive result for ketones if either you're doing it diet wise (low carb etc) or possibility of diabetes. Apparently the main type of dip test used tests for about ten things, ketones being one of them. So i'll mention it to them when i do it and i guess if they don't believe me then they'll either ask me to repeat it or something else. I am not about to stuff toast down my throat for the hell of it. Seeing as though the doc i think i'm seeing again tmoz is the one that asked me to try to lose a stone n half back in feb i'm hoping he'll understand n believe me when i tell them. I went back after three months (end may time ish) after having lost three stone, double what he asked i try to do and he was genuinely pleased for me. Now when i go back i've lost four stone Hopefully that'll convince him i'm not diabetic/pregnant or some other thing other than ketosis from low carbing!

 

[Saddlebag]

Claire - hope you get to read this before you go for your medical tomorrow.


If they question it you just have to explain it - you are losing weight which will assist you in being a better police officer and part of this process includes being in ketosis. The doc may question you about the diet (for some reason people think that following diets with a name is obsessive) but obviously you can say that you are eating veg, getting your vitamins and are clearly healthy. The doc will know how it all works - I saw my GP the other day and talked about Atkins and he never criticised me once.

I guess you will have had to do a medical form which your GP completed and signed - they will get the majority of your information off this. They can't check for everything in your medical so I think they just trust your GP. The worst they can do is get you tested for any other conditions that might make you have ketones in your wee.

One of the most important things to clarify to them is that in no way do you have any sort of an eating disorder and that you are completely in control of your eating! Knowledge is power and you know Atkins!

 

[British_Claire_84]

Thanks sophie

When i did the specials medical last year i had to do a pee test n like you most the medical was with the nurse n then just a few mins with the doc after. This is when he said everything is fine but i'd like to see you again in three months (during the training for specials). I asked him to give me a goal, something to aim for in this three months. He asked me to try for 10kg, to get me back into double figures for the kilos. That's a bout a stone n half, i went back after less than three months after having lost three stone. His face was a picture and he was genuinely pleased with me. He signed me off as fit then but said he'd need to see me again for the regs medical as apparently he does the whole medical so's can sign me off on the home office pension or something. So i'm sure there'll be a pee test again but then hopefully i'll also see the same doc who'll know i've been losing (4 stone now!).

I've just done a stick n it was only on the traces level so i'm obviously not deep into ketosis at the moment. I'm having my usual coffee with cream for breakfast along with an atkins bar (2.1g) to see me through. I'm a little peckish but don't wanna a. eat toast to be sure i'm outta ketosis or b. eat more so it shows on those damn scales! lol..

Wish me luck!

Thanks for everyones advice, i knew i could count on you xx

 

[PennyJane]

Wishing you a FAB day, Claire! xx