QUESTION from Iqbal:
My name is Iqbal and I am 38 years old. I was diagnosed with “Type B” diabetes one year ago. At that time, my fasting sugar was 228 mg/dL and after breakfast it was 338 mg/dL. For two months I used Diamicron 60 mg before food and Glucophage 500 mg after breakfast and dinner. I also do a half-hour brisk walk every day.
I have not used medicine for the last six months. My fasting sugar is below 110 mg/dL, two hours after breakfast it is below 140 mg/dL, and two hours after dinner it is usually 160–190 mg/dL. Sometimes it rises above 200 mg/dL after a heavy meal. My HbA1c is 6.2%.
Do I need medicine? Can I remain without medicine, and is diabetes reversible?
Quick Answer
Your A1C of 6.2% after six months without glucose-lowering medicine suggests good overall control and may meet the accepted definition of type 2 diabetes remission, provided the A1C is reliable and you have truly used no diabetes medicine for at least three months. However, remission is not a cure. Your repeated two-hour after-dinner readings of 160–190 mg/dL—and occasional readings above 200 mg/dL—show that your glucose regulation is not completely normal and should be reviewed with your doctor before deciding to remain off medication.
Answer by Dr. Albana Greca Sejdini, MD, MMedSc
Dear Iqbal,
I assume “Type B diabetes” means type 2 diabetes. Your original fasting glucose of 228 mg/dL and after-breakfast glucose of 338 mg/dL were clearly in the diabetes range. Lower readings now do not erase that diagnosis; they show that your glucose has improved greatly with treatment, activity, food changes, weight changes,.
Do Your Results Mean Remission?
An international expert group defines type 2 diabetes remission as an A1C below 6.5% that remains there for at least three months without usual glucose-lowering medication. Based on the information provided—A1C 6.2% and six months off medicine—you may meet that definition. Your clinician should confirm the result, review whether A1C is accurate for you, and document the remission.
Remission does not mean the diabetes has permanently disappeared. Blood sugar can rise again with weight gain, illness, reduced activity, aging, certain medicines, or declining insulin production. Continued testing and complication screening are still needed.
How to interpret the pattern:- A1C 6.2%: below the diabetes threshold and supportive of remission when maintained without medicine.
- Fasting below 110: reassuring, although 100–109 mg/dL remains above the laboratory normal range.
- Two hours after breakfast below 140: a good result.
- Two hours after dinner 160–190: often near or above the common target of less than 180 mg/dL.
- Occasionally above 200: high; repeated results need review.
Do You Need to Restart Medicine?
No responsible online answer can decide this from a few readings alone. With an A1C of 6.2% and no reported symptoms, a clinician may decide that continued lifestyle management with close monitoring is reasonable. However, medication may be recommended if after-meal elevations are frequent, A1C rises, or you have heart disease, kidney disease, excess weight, fatty liver, or other risks that could benefit from a specific medicine.
Do not restart Diamicron (gliclazide), metformin, or any other medicine on your own. Gliclazide can cause low blood sugar, and medication choice should consider kidney and liver function, weight, cardiovascular risk, meal pattern, and the full glucose record.
What to Do Next
- Arrange a diabetes review and bring your original diagnostic results, current A1C, medication history, weight trend, and home readings.
- For 7–14 days, test before dinner and exactly two hours after the first bite. Record the carbohydrate portion, drinks, activity, sleep, and any illness.
- Repeat A1C at the interval advised by your clinician—often every three months while confirming that control remains stable.
- Ask whether kidney function, urine albumin, blood pressure, cholesterol, eye examination, and foot assessment are up to date.
- Continue regular activity. A brief walk after dinner may help reduce the post-meal rise when exercise is medically safe.
- Use balanced portions rather than extreme restriction: non-starchy vegetables, adequate protein, high-fiber carbohydrates, and fewer sugary drinks or oversized refined-carbohydrate portions.
About herbs: No herb has been proven to cure type 2 diabetes or guarantee that medication will never be needed. Some supplements can interact with diabetes medicines, affect the liver or kidneys, or cause low blood sugar. Discuss the product with your doctor or pharmacist before using it.
Seek prompt medical care if glucose repeatedly reaches 300 mg/dL or higher, or high glucose occurs with vomiting, abdominal pain, rapid breathing, confusion, severe weakness, dehydration, or ketones. A single reading just above 200 mg/dL after a heavy meal is not usually an emergency when you otherwise feel well, but repeated readings should not be ignored.
Bottom line: Your improvement is excellent, and you may be in type 2 diabetes remission. That does not guarantee permanent reversal or prove that medication will never be needed. Confirm remission with your clinician, investigate the repeated dinner-related elevations, and continue lifelong monitoring.
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References
Answered by:Dr. Albana Greca Sejdini, MD, MMedSc, Family Physician
Medically reviewed by:Dr. Ruden Cakoni, MD, Endocrinologist
Last reviewed: July 2026
Educational only—not personal medical advice. Diagnosis and treatment should come from a qualified clinician who knows the patient’s medical history.