Why It’s Normal for Your Diabetes Treatment Plan to Evolve

Just because your doctor changed your medication doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong.

Written by Lauren Smith, MA | Reviewed by Mera Goodman, MD, FAAP

Updated on February 28, 2024

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When your doctor says they want to change your diabetes treatment plan to improve your blood sugar control, it might feel discouraging. You may wonder if you did something wrong. However, it’s natural for diabetes to progress over time, despite your best efforts. It doesn’t necessarily mean you are “failing” to manage your diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes progresses to some degree in most people, but it may progress faster or slower depending on your diabetes management. Sticking to your treatment plan may help slow the progression of diabetes. In some cases, it might even help regress the condition. The less you stick to the treatment plan, the higher the risk of diabetes complications.

Additional Medical Contributors

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• Tara Kim, MDTara Kim, MD, is an endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital, Northwell Health.

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References

American Diabetes Association. How type 2 diabetes progresses.

Wexler, D.J. (2023). Patient education: preventing complications from diabetes (beyond the basics). UpToDate.

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