I just called Boots in Cambridge for Ketone testing strips and was interrogated like a criminal. They wanted to know why I wanted them, and I said I was testing for ketones, and then further questioning, so Isaid I was on a diet. She abruptly said, "Okay, right..I'm sorry, we're not allowed to sell them. Goodbye," and hung up.

What am I missing? I thought they were easily available and didn't know I was trying to purchase some restricted item. I know they are really for diabetics, but didn't want to be dishonest or rather, didn't think I had to be dishonest to purchase them.

Are there restrictions on their sale in the UK? (I hav only been here a few months) Maybe I can do without them, but I was curious to know if I am in ketosis.

Now I feel stupid for calling, and like I called to ask for ganja (marijauana).

Bye for now

Boots refused to sell my boyfriend Ketostix (that's the brand name) when he admitted he wasn't a diabetic, & they refused to give a reason. From what I've heard there aren't official restrictions on them, so I'm assuming Boots are just fascists. I don't have my boyfriend's scruples, so I went to Superdrug & lied- I said they were for my mum! - but they had run out.

Finally we got them from a company called Pharmacy4U, which I'm sure has a website (try Pharmacy4U.co.uk). After all that, though, we never use them any more! Maybe I will once I'm on maintenance. So don't worry too much about them

Take care, Daisy

Thanks Daisy, I think I'll just do without them or try the website you suggested.

Cheers

Hi Aine,

Just popped by to say I'm sorry you are having problems getting Ketostix. In my local Boots i've no difficulty buying them. Now on my third bottle. Have you tried your local independent chemist? Hopefully you'll get them there. Using the sticks can be quite reassuring as you see the colours change. Mind you mine have rarely gone beyond the moderate colour. Someone told me it's because I drink 4 litres of water.

Keep up the good work your doing and remember the water and vitamins are essential to wellbeing.

Anne T

Boots won't sell Ketostix to anyone who is using them for low carb dieting because they believe it is an unhealthy way to lose weight. Thats what the pharmasist said to me when I asked for them. She said it was company policy.

I got mine from Asda, but Tesco pharmacies and most independant pharmacies carry them and have no fascist tendancies!

Like Daisy said - don't worry too much about them and keep to the water and vitamins!

Thanks,

I'll try Superdrug and another pharmacy I know of.

Cheers

I bought them there and so did a friend, no questions were asked, but you have to ask the pharmacist for them. Make sure you get a good and distant expiry date. The first ones I bought, in the US, were just one month short of expiring and did not work. Drove me mad because I had just started then and really needed the feedback and reassurance. Tha pack I got from Lloyds expire in 4 years and work fine.
Zanny

I am just sending an e-mail to Boots head office to find out their official policy. I will keep all informed.
Last Chance

I am new to this low carb dieting and I too was beginning my search for Ketostix which brought me to your problem with boots. At the same time I have found a fantastic web site which not only sells the Ketostix, but they also sell some great other products, like sweets and crisps, many of which are completely free of carbs!!!

I thought this might be of interest to you. The site is called www.carblife.com.

I have also just been to Tesco at dinnertime to their pharmacy, who simply got them out of the cupboard and sold them at £4.78. Bingo!!!!

Just wanted to add my bit here -

i found Boots staff to be excessively rude when trying to buy Ketostix. I went round all my local pharmacies asking for Lypolisis testing strips - cos that is what Dr A calls them and no one knew what i was talking about. Since then I remembered an old friend had tried Atkins ages ago and she told me the brand name.

the pharmacy on the little parade of shops in Berrylands, Surbiton is currently on it's third attempt to get some for me, wholesalers either don't stock them or are out of stock!

i can't believe it is being such a saga to get them!

Emma

I mangaged to buy mine really easily. I ot them from my local co-op pharmacy. I was so happy that I have been using them and i am either doing something wrong with my eating ( i have lost 3 stone since September) or there is something wrong with my ketostix because i get no change at all or up to 0.5 at best.

My pharmacsist new that i was on a diet but had no problem in selling them to me.

To JuicyJackie!

I was having the same problem as you during my first couple of days with the strips. (I'm still in my induction diet period) I couldnt get the strips any further than a slight discolouration. I do recall reading in the book, that drinking lots of water "dilutes" the Keytones and so reduces the effectiveness of the tests.

One thing I have done this weekend also, is that Ive tracked not only my carbs, but my calories too, and really concentrated on bringing them down. (around 1200 cals, up to 10gm carbs) which although extreme, has really taken effect, and Ive managed to lose 3 pound in 2 days.

Once your on the next period of the diet, I dont think you need to be making the tabs purple anyway, as long as there is some reaction it is working. But as I say, If you want a boost on the ole weight loss, monitor your calories & carbs writing everything down, and bring them down a bit (perhaps not to the extreme I have, this is only for a week!!). It has helped for me.

p.s If you wanna stay in touch via email, let me know. I'm only from Cannock in Staffordshire myself. We can motivatae each other to our goals if you like?

Hi there,

Tarnyap, I just read about your low calorie intake. I keep reading all over this forum that you need to keep your calories to at LEAST 10 - 12 x your body weight in lbs, otherwise your body might think it's going into starvation mode and slow down the metabolism, which is not good in the long run for continuous weight loss. I know you may loose short term, but I'm not sure that it will help you long term.

Also becareful not to eat too FEW carbs as this has also been known to slow down loss if kept up too long. We are meant to start increasing our carbs by 5g per week once we stop Induction. I know a few weeks ago I was finding it hard to get my carbs above 22g ...ish, but I have managed it now and am still slowly loosing the weight.

Hope this helps, and I hope you don't think I'm trying to tell you what to do, just let you know what I have read all over this forum. We certainly need to stick together on this diet! There's enough criticism from other areas isn't there!

Re Boots, I had no problem with my local Boots they didn't even ask me.

But I must say I don't use them very much because apart from on Induction they don't show much, I do drink gallons of water daily, so that's probably the reason, and am still loosing weight.

Byee
Banana

well im gonna go to my local boots and see if they have any objection to me buying ketostix, and guess what im gonna give them what for if i get any rudeness, whats more head office and trading standards will hear of it , so look out boots, izzy

I rang Boots headoffice and spoke tothe spokesperson there. She told me they were not actually forbidding their stores to sell them to non-diabetics but they were advising that they were part of a very unhealthy way of eating and that the pharmacists may choose to refuse to sell them to non-diabetics.

I didn't bother arguing with her. If anyone wants to, Boots head office is in Nottingham.

I get mine no problem from the local pharmacy in Putney instead. If anyone's local, I'll tell you where it is. They always have them in stock.

Sara