text: knowledgeable about ketones?? please tell me . . . . .? i don't know as much as i should, being a type i for about a year and a half now.  how does being ill affect them? have a bad head cold(lots of congestion).  are there certain meds that i am not supposed to take? ok to take on your first question first: ketones are breakdown products of fatty acids. in diabetic people who have low glucose (eg. if you take too much insulin, or a type 2 diabetic doesnt take their meds) the cells in your body eg.liver and muscle start utilizing other sources of energy. as a result of these "abnormal" pathways being activated, fats are broken down into ketones rather than a molecule known as acetyl coa. this is a problem because ketones are highly acidic, and their buildup causes a condition known as diabetic ketoacidosis (dka) which can lead to serious consequences if left untreated.  now, with regards to your second question, i strongly recommend going to your doctor rather than getting info about drugs from the internet. this is because not only are you different, being a diabetic, but you may also have other factors (age, sex, pregnancy, other conditions, genotypic variations) that make you react differently to drugs.