Alcoholic Ketoacidosis

Alcoholic ketoacidosis is a problem caused by drinking a lot of alcohol without eating food. It can happen to people who binge-drink alcohol.

If you drink a large amount of alcohol, get sick to your stomach, throw up, and can't eat or drink for a day or more:

• Your blood sugar (glucose) levels drop

• Your body makes less insulin to help your cells use blood sugar for energy

• Your cells start burning fat for energy instead

• Broken down fat goes to the liver and is made into ketones (acids)

• The acid level in your blood goes up

Symptoms include:

• Extreme thirst

• Feeling sick to your stomach

• Throwing up

• Belly pain

• Deep, fast breathing

Doctors suspect alcoholic ketoacidosis from your symptoms and your alcohol use. To know for sure, doctors will do:

• Blood and urine tests

Doctors treat alcoholic ketoacidosis with:

• Thiamin (a type of B vitamin), given by vein (IV)

• IV fluids (containing glucose if the blood sugar is low) and electrolytes (minerals, such as sodium and potassium, that help with many important body functions)

• Insulin only if your blood sugar goes too high with treatment