Can You Get Off Diabetes Medication?

One of primary goals here at DMP is to support you to achieve your diabetes health goals, naturally. And we know many people hate taking medications – and that’s what we’re here to chat about.

Unfortunately, the standard medical approach is to prescribe medication. Medications can sometimes be a necessary tool in managing blood sugar levels, but they are not the only option, and for many, they are not needed forever.

So today, let’s talk about the opposite: Can you get off diabetes medication?

We invite you to join the discussion and share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

The Role of Medication in Diabetes Management

Medications such as Metformin, Sulfonylureas, DPP-4 inhibitors, and SGLT2 inhibitors play a role in managing blood glucose levels. These medications work in various ways to help control blood sugar, from increasing insulin sensitivity to preventing glucose reabsorption in the kidneys.

However, the effectiveness of these medications can be limited. For instance, Metformin can reduce A1c by up to 1.5%, while SGLT2 inhibitors might lower it by only 0.7%. This often leads to the use of multiple medications simultaneously, a practice known as polypharmacy, which can result in a host of side effects and complications.

Deprescribing: Is It Possible?

Deprescribing, or the process of reducing or stopping medications, is a topic that deserves a lot more attention. We discussed this in detail in the Type 2 Diabetes Talk podcast during our Medication Series:

• Episode 15 Diabetes Unscripted
• Episode 16 The Medshadow Effect with Su Robotti
• Episode 17 Unspoken Truths About Prescription Medications
• Episode 18 Deprescribing Diabetes Medications

If you haven’t listened to these episodes, it’s highly recommended, particularly Episode 18 on deprescribing.

What the evidence actually show us is that deprescribing medications, getting people off medications or at the very least reducing the number of medications or the dosages, is not only possible but also beneficial for many people.

In a conversation with medical doctor Dr. Maria Colón-González, a proponent of humanized medicine, she emphasized that medications do not have to be a lifelong commitment. And here at DMP, we see our members reducing and stopping medications all the time!

When Should You Consider Getting Off Medications?

Studies have shown that for those with stable and low A1c levels (below 7%), deprescribing does not significantly affect blood glucose control, in most cases.

In other words, if your A1c levels are 7% or below, it’s time to consider talking to your doctor about reducing the medications.

It’s even better if you can achieve levels below 6.5% or better yet 6% – we’ve found that’s the case with many of our members, because once your levels are in the normal range, or close to, doctors are usually happy to support reduced medication.

Why Consider Deprescribing?

1. Side Effects: Long-term use of medications like Metformin can lead to vitamin B12 deficiency, while others like insulin and Sulfonylureas and insulin increase the risk of hypoglycemia, which can be a major issue the older you get. There can also be other side effects like dizziness, which is very common and can come out of nowhere.
2. Quality of Life: Reducing medication can decrease the burden of managing multiple drugs and their associated side effects, leading to an improved quality of life.
3. Treatment over prevention: If you need to take more and more medication, your diabetes is getting worse, not better. Instead, by focusing on natural treatment, you’re not masking symptoms and watching your condition become progressively worse, you’re eating to treat your diabetes, which helps reverse your metabolism and its function at a cellular level.
4. Empowerment: Taking control of your health through diet and lifestyle empowers you and nothing feels better than that!

Steps to Take

If you want to reduce or stop your medication, it’s crucial to do so under medical supervision.

Here are some steps to consider:

1. Consult Your Doctor: Discuss your desire to reduce medications with your healthcare provider. Never attempt to do it alone, without advising your doctor.
2. Diet and nutrition is your primary treatment strategy: Focus on eating to treat your diabetes – that’s what we teach people here at DMP, and our members are getting great results!
3. Incorporate healthy lifestyle practices – Nutrition is the most important part of treatment and reducing medications. Other things that help include regular physical activity, quality sleep and stress management, along with incorporating natural therapeutics such as Berberine.
4. Monitor and adjust: Regularly monitor your blood sugar levels and adjust your plan as needed.
5. Be proactive: The journey to reduce or eliminate medications is possible, but it requires proactive management and a shift in mindset. Getting off medication usually doesn’t happen overnight, so it’s important to have patience and keep be proactive with diet and lifestyle.
6. FOCUS on the right things until you get there: The worst thing we see people doing is flip flopping around chasing the next best thing or following inaccurate information – don’t do that!

We see our members reducing and getting off their medications, so it is possible. Just FOCUS – and the best way to do that is to Join Us As A Member – we can provide the resources and support you need to do it, like the many people before you.

Join the Discussion

We invite you to share your experiences, thoughts and questions on this topic.

Do you want to reduce or stop medications? Not sure if you’re ready to consider it?

Or perhaps this is the first time you’ve heard that the possibility of reducing and stopping medications is possible. How does that make you feel?

Maybe you’re facing challenges and not sure how to go about it or get started?

Let’s chat about it. Leave your comments below.

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