Ketonix Breath Ketone Analyzer - need help
Bob314159
Posts: 1,178 Member
I've had one for 4 days and it's not making me happy. I've reset and calibrated several times, and tried different things. I get zero or levels less than 15 most of the time and my understanding is it should be over 40. The highest I got was around 25 - three times.
Several times it has gone into slow motion, starts analyzing, the bar decreases, the number gets lower and after 20 minutes it gets to zero, but never saves a result. If I then blow into it for 2 seconds - it wakes up - and does the same again. Then I blow longer and it wakes and decides I'm at 20.
This happened at 10:30 pm with net carbs=22, total=29
Several times it has gone into slow motion, starts analyzing, the bar decreases, the number gets lower and after 20 minutes it gets to zero, but never saves a result. If I then blow into it for 2 seconds - it wakes up - and does the same again. Then I blow longer and it wakes and decides I'm at 20.
This happened at 10:30 pm with net carbs=22, total=29
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Bob since our breath analyzers do not measure ketone levels but acetone levels the read outs will be all over the board. From my research over a year ago (that was how I found MFP) about using breathalyzers that they are more or less go-no go gauges. I learned from reading early info when the guy started looking at developing an acetone detection meter it sounded like he started with the sensor like in the $15 meters off of ebay like I use daily.
Keep in mind these sensors seem to become more sensitive with time. Expect better results after your first 100 uses. That is just 20 days if you will blow 5x daily. These are not medical devices but low end alcohol breath analyzers based on my research.
This morning my $15 meter gave a readout of .052 and my blood ketone levels were 2.8 per Precision Xtra. Last night the readout was .056 and blood ketone levels were 1.9 so if I blow from a .050-.080 I know I am strongly into ketosis at around 2. If I blow .000 I know I knocked myself out of ketosis which happened recently. A few hours later I below a ,016 then later a ,024 so I new I was recovering from the hidden carb ambush.
Here is one of the $15 meter sources that I used the best I recall if you want to try it.
ebay.com/itm/LCD-Digital-Police-Breath-Alcohol-Tester-Analyzer-Detector-Breathalyzer-Advanced-/311159276709
My first intro to MFP was this MFP Keto group when I was researching how the Ketonix brand detected acetone.
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1236978/breathalyzer-for-ketosis-check
Bob the below may help you get past the start up learning curve.
bjjcaveman.com/2014/03/01/review-ketonix-acetone-breathalyzer-initial-impressions/
@Bob314159 what @yarwell posted on the subject looking blood, acetone meters and urine sticks is about as good as it gets from my research on keto testing methods.
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1236978/breathalyzer-for-ketosis-check
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I guess I have an older ketonix. Mine changes color and blinks. So I don't think I can help. There was a member here (PatchEFog) who compared the color and blinks with results from her blood monitor. I have found it helpful.0
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Mine also changes color from blue and blinks green some of the time. In theory I can control at what level it shows green [or yellow or red that I have yet to see]. But I have not found documentation on the meaning of the blink codes.MDAPebbles67 wrote: »I guess I have an older ketonix. Mine changes color and blinks. So I don't think I can help. There was a member here (PatchEFog) who compared the color and blinks with results from her blood monitor. I have found it helpful.
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It's a dilemma - I got this hoping I could guarantee I'm in a keto state. I'm never sure I am doing things right. I'm doing a keto diet for reasons other than weight loss (related to brain fuctions), though I need to, and am, losing weight. I don't get consistent results from strips (I know that strips are not so reliable) so I wanted something better.
Today I did a 1 hour weight and machine workout, walked for 40 minutes and my carbs are good - but ketonix tells me I have a reading of 1, the strips say I'm medium high. I'm thinking I wasted $150 (cost+shipping+duty)
On the positive side, I'm mostly in better health than I've ever been, my IBD symptoms are gone, I'm in a gym working out for the first time in 40 years and I weigh the least in abut 35 years.0 -
You may already know this much but the colors mean something. Blue-Not in ketosis, Green- low level ketosis, Yellow- moderate, Red- deep ketosis. The more blinks you have, the higher your ketosis level. (Green 5 blinks is higher than Green 2) Green 1 blink is supposed to equate to .5 mmol.
I will try to link PatchEFog's chart.0 -
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I just checked out the new ketonix. That is very different. I have the sport. There is no software involved. I hope you figure it out.0
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Bob keep working with the Ketonix. I expect the issue is your levels as indicated by the urine sticks is in part because your levels are all over the board.
From my research over a year ago I think the sensors in the Ketonix meters are more or less the same sensors in the $15 meters off of eBay but with just a digital readout less the cool flashing.
I have used three of these $15 versions. I am sure they do a good job detecting alcohol since that is what they were engineered to do I expect. All three of mine $15 versions acted just like your Ketonix for the first 100 uses. The third one just got "trained" after using it along with the second one for about 3-4 months using it 2x daily. This third one would read .000 most of the time when the 2nd one would almost without fail give a valid reading (after about 100 blows).
As a wild guess these sensors must only be like $1in cost in China and they are designed to test for the breaking down of alcohol but if cheap enough they will detect acetone ie. give a false positive as to being drunk.
If you order the $15 version go ahead and get two or three if you are a geek and try all three and get a feel for the different readouts. The warm up time is 15 seconds every time and you have two replaced the 3 AAA batteries from time to time. I never dated them but I would guess every 3-6 months.
A funny thing happened in my usage. My sternum solidified about 45 years ago from the Ankylosing Spondylitis which left me without chest expansion but with keto and the acetone blow meter usage for over a year my chest expansion/blow time has increased. 0 -
My guess is the new one - you can ignore the software and use like the old. From the software I can emulate the Sport and the color ranges are equal or I can set to Standard or Nutritional or my own custom rangeMDAPebbles67 wrote: »I just checked out the new ketonix. That is very different. I have the sport. There is no software involved. I hope you figure it out.
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Thanks for all the support.
Yes - the instructions warn the readings will be off if you take alcohol.GaleHawkins wrote: »Bob keep working with the Ketonix. I expect the issue is your levels as indicated by the urine sticks is in part because your levels are all over the board.
As a wild guess these sensors must only be like $1in cost in China and they are designed to test for the breaking down of alcohol but if cheap enough they will detect acetone ie. give a false positive as to being drunk.
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I have both an older model and a new model. Ketonix screwed up when they made the new one and I felt the same way you did when I first got my new model. But after talking to them, the problem is NOT to set it as a Sport model. Follow all these instructions below and it should work ok. I use mine all the time. But not lately, If I'm good on my carbs, my ketones are always good. Don't be on the ragged edge (40-50 gram carbs per day), always stay below 40.
Do this:
Plug in you Ketonix to a USB port on your PC.
Open the Ketonix PC software.
File > Settings
Set as Standard > apply > close
Close the Ketonix software.
Unplug your Ketonix and wait 10 seconds.
Plug it back in, if the Ketonix software automatically starts, kill it.
Follow my blog for how to test:
Ketonix Breath Analyzer Instructions
Let me know what happens after you do all of the above. The blog above, tells you EXACTLY how to breath into in a manner that will produce the correct and repeatable results. It takes practice. Fortunately it doesn't cost anything to practice.
I hope this helps,
Dan the Man from Michigan
Keto / The Recipe Water Fasting / E.A.S.Y. Exercise Program
Current weight: 194.9, 119 pounds down, 16 to go. 14 months on diet
It's Ketogenic or Bariatric Surgery! How I Found the Ketogenic Diet
Previous Discussions on the LCD & Keto Groups
Blog #10 Keto: Abbreviations, Acronyms & Terminology Used on the LCD & Keto
Well Meaning Diet Advice Given to You ~ That is Just Plain Wrong!
DittoDan's Keto Sub Groups Blog
Blog #13 DittoDan's Milestone's, First's And Good Changes Since Starting the Ketogenic Diet Updated
DittoDan's Keto Blogs
How I got Off of Diabetic Prescriptions Drugs Since I Started Keto Updated
Blog #11 Really Good Keto Websites
Low Carb Discussion Group on MFP (LCD)
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It's late at night - and I just ate something - but I tried anyway - I got 9 green blinks - and ended with a 40 score (twice my previous max)- so this looks good. Will do some more testing tomorrow - thanks0
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Hang in there Bob. I still say technology is going to be the death of us all. 0
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I'm turning into a robot, today I'm walking around with a new heart beat monitor that uses three different color LEDs to measure my forearm blood flow, a watch that measures my activity/energy and uses a GPS to calculate my walk speed when I'm exercising, a fitbit that counts steps taken, floors climbed, sleep quality, and a posture monitor that measures my upper back angle to help recover from a pulled back muscle form 2 months ago.
Now I finally also have a Ketostix that give me better info, last ate at 5pm, measured at midnight, 3 yellow flashes [never saw yellow before] and a reading of 42, that says I'm in the OK range.0 -
There was a thread over a year ago discussing this topic in the general forums. Pu_239(correct username?!?) was in the thread and may have been the OP. You may want to search the general forums as I remember there were some very good responses. I recall in terms of accuracy most folks were stating: least accurate to most accurate was ---> urine then breathing then blood work. Also, more then a few DUI's are tossed out due to poor calibrationof the breathalyzer being used. Dan's link above will provide you with a better option to get it right. Good luck.0
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Bob last night I blew a .088 on my meter but was too tired to go check my blood ketone level. About noon today I blew .082 and was feeling short on energy so I tested. Blood glucose was 84 (USA) and blood ketone level was 4.0 which is a record for me. 3.6 was the past record.
Ketone levels >2.0 seem to not be positive for my energy levels for some reason.0
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