Patient Resources
Can Diabetes Go Away on Its Own?
The short answer is no, not on its own. The longer answer is more hopeful than that sounds, and it depends on which type you have.
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Written by the Health Service Alliance care team. Updated September 2026.
Type 1 and type 2 are different questions
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the body stops producing insulin. It does not go away and it is not caused by diet. It is managed with insulin for life, and that management has improved enormously.
Type 2 is a different mechanism, and it is the one behind most of the hope attached to this question. It can sometimes be pushed into remission, which is not the same as being cured.
What remission actually means
In type 2, remission describes blood sugar staying in a healthy range without diabetes medication, usually after sustained changes in weight, diet and activity, and most often in people who reached it earlier in the course of the condition.
It is real and it is worth pursuing. It is also not permanent by default. Blood sugar can drift back, which is why people in remission keep getting checked rather than closing the file. The American Diabetes Association and the CDC both publish current guidance on this.
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The dangerous version of this question
The risky move is treating a good reading as permission to stop. Blood sugar improving while on medication is the medication working, not the condition leaving.
Never stop or reduce a diabetes medication on your own. If you want to try for remission, that is a conversation to have with a provider who can watch the numbers while you change things, so that progress is measured rather than guessed at.
Where to start if you are not sure
Plenty of people reading this have not been diagnosed and are wondering. A fasting blood sugar or an A1C is a simple test, and prediabetes is the stage where the odds are most in your favor.
Our centers provide primary care at all six locations, including this kind of ongoing management. We accept Medi-Cal, Medicare and most plans, and there is a sliding fee discount if you have no coverage.
We accept Medi-Cal, Medicare, and most plans
No insurance, or not sure what you have? You are still welcome, and our team helps you apply for Medi-Cal.
Sliding-fee scale available based on household income.
- Medi-Cal and Medicare welcomeAlong with IEHP and most major plans.
- Free coverage checkWe confirm your plan on the phone, at no cost.
- Sliding-fee scaleCosts adjusted to your income when you are uninsured.
- We help you apply for Medi-CalFree enrollment and renewal help, at any center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to the questions we hear most. Anything else? Call us during business hours.
Is type 2 diabetes reversible?
It can sometimes go into remission, meaning healthy blood sugar without diabetes medication. That is not the same as a cure, and it needs to be confirmed and monitored by a provider.
Can I stop my medication if my numbers look good?
No, not on your own. Good numbers usually mean the treatment is working. Any change should be made with the provider who can check what happens next.
What about prediabetes?
Prediabetes is the stage where change makes the most difference, and it is often found on a routine test before there are any symptoms at all.
Your family deserves good care, close to home.
Call us to get seen, or check which plans we take. Medi-Cal and most plans accepted, and nobody is turned away for inability to pay.