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Diabetes treatment online
Chronic Care Diabetes
Chronic Care Diabetes

Diabetes treatment online: same-day prescriptions

In order to treat your diabetes, consult with one of our board-certified doctors online today to prescribe the right treatment plan to manage your blood sugar levels. Get a new diabetes prescription to treat diabetes or refill an existing prescription today.*

PlushCare Content Team
Written by PlushCare Content Team
Carlo Manzana
Medically reviewed by Carlo Manzana, MD
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*Prescriptions are provided at the doctor's discretion. Learn more about our controlled substances policy and how to save up to 80% with our prescription discount card. PlushCare doctors cannot treat all cases of diabetes. Our primary care physicians can conduct an initial evaluation of your symptoms but may need to refer you to a specialist or for in-person treatment. If you are experiencing life-threatening symptoms, seek emergency medical attention immediately.

Diabetes treatment services

We provide a comprehensive approach to diabetes treatment that includes services related to most diabetic issues.

 

*Disclaimer: PlushCare medical staff cannot treat all cases of diabetes. Our medical team can conduct an initial evaluation of your symptoms, but may need to refer you to a specialist or for in-person treatment. If you are experiencing life-threatening symptoms, seek emergency medical attention immediately.

Medical treatment for type 1 diabetes

If you have type 1 diabetes, your pancreas does not produce enough or any insulin. This means that your treatment will center around insulin replacement, although sometimes our medical team will recommend a combination of insulin and oral medication.

Taking supplemental insulin will allow your cells to absorb glucose and use energy efficiently. You will need insulin at several points throughout the day—sometimes before and sometimes after a meal—depending on your specific situation. Self-monitoring your blood glucose will allow you to learn when you need insulin so you can administer the correct quantity.

Medical treatment for type 2 diabetes

While a type 1 diabetic will always need insulin, If you have type 2 diabetes you might be able to manage your blood sugar in other ways. Alongside lifestyle interventions, such as adopting a balanced, low-sugar diet, and a regular exercise program, our board-certified online doctors may prescribe one or a combination of the following oral diabetes medications:

  • Metformin: Metformin belongs to the class of drugs called biguanides and is usually the first prescribed medication for type 2 diabetes, available as a liquid or pill. Biguanides reduce the production of glucose in the liver and make muscle tissue more sensitive to insulin, thus improving the absorption of glucose. Some people find that taking metformin in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise program makes weight loss easier. For people with diabetes, this is particularly important as being overweight can exacerbate the disease.

  • Meglitinides: These stimulate the release of insulin but may cause low blood sugar. Examples are nateglinide and repaglinide.

  • DPP-4 inhibitors: These encourage the body to produce more insulin only when it is needed and reduce the amount of glucose being produced by the liver. Examples are alogliptin, linagliptin, and saxagliptin.

  • Sulfonylureas: These stimulate the release of insulin in the pancreas. Examples are glimepiride, glipizide, and chlorpropamide.

  • Thiazolidinediones, or TZDs: These improve the function of insulin in fat and muscle and slow glucose production in the liver. Examples are posiglitazone and Soliqua.

  • Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors: These drugs slow the breakdown of starches into glucose, thus reducing blood sugar spikes after a meal. Examples are acarbose and miglitol.

  • Bile acid sequestrants (BASs): These reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Because they do not enter the bloodstream, they are safer for people who have liver problems in addition to diabetes.

Prediabetes treatment

The goal of prediabetes treatment is to prevent the condition from progressing into full-blown type 2 diabetes. Without lifestyle changes, between 15 and 30% of people with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes in 3 to 5 years. That’s why it’s incredibly important, if you have prediabetes, to make healthy lifestyle choices to help bring your blood sugar levels back to normal and prevent them from further rising toward the levels seen in type 2 diabetes.

 

Applied diligently, the following lifestyle interventions have been shown to help prediabetic patients restore normal blood glucose control.

Healthy diet

Choosing foods that are naturally low in fat and calories and high in fiber will help balance your blood sugar. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains should dominate your diet.

Exercise

Try to get in at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week, more if you can manage it.

Weight loss

If you’re overweight, losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can greatly reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Healthy eating and regular exercise will help you achieve this.

Stop smoking

If you smoke, try to stop. Diabetics who smoke have greater difficulty controlling their disease than those who do not.

Medications, as needed

Depending on your level of risk for developing diabetes, your doctor might prescribe metformin or other medications.

Gestational diabetes treatment

During pregnancy, it is essential to monitor and control blood sugar so as to keep the baby healthy and avoid complications. Treatment for gestational diabetes might include:

Regularly monitoring blood sugar level

Your health care team may ask you to check your blood sugar with a blood glucose meter four to five times a day to make sure your level stays within a healthy range.

Healthy diet

Eating the right foods and appropriate portions is one of the best ways to control your blood sugar and prevent excessive weight gain. Doctors do not recommend trying to lose weight during pregnancy but can help you set appropriate weight-gain goals based on your weight before pregnancy.

Exercise

Exercise can help you maintain a healthy pregnancy weight gain, lower your blood sugar, and increase insulin sensitivity.

Medication

About 10 – 20% of women with gestational diabetes need insulin injections to lower their blood sugar to safe levels. Alternatively, your doctor may prescribe an oral blood sugar control medication.

Close monitoring of your baby

Your doctor will monitor your baby’s growth and development with regular ultrasound and other tests. If you do not go into labor by your due date, your doctor may induce labor to reduce the risk of complications for you and your baby.

 

 

 
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Diabetic ketoacidosis treatment

If you’re diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis, you will likely be treated in the emergency room or admitted to hospital. Treatment usually involves:

 

Fluid replacement

Oral or intravenous fluids are used to rehydrate you. This replaces the fluids you lost through excessive urination.

Electrolyte replacement

Electrolytes are essential minerals that your heart, muscles and nerve cells need in order to function normally – examples are sodium, potassium, and chloride. The absence of insulin can lower the level of several electrolytes in your blood and you might need to replace these with an intravenous infusion.

Insulin therapy

You will need intravenous insulin therapy to quickly restore your blood glucose to normal levels and reduce blood acidity. Your doctor may order additional tests to discover the cause of the diabetic ketoacidosis and decide if additional treatment is needed.

Diabetic neuropathy treatment

While there is no known cure for diabetic neuropathy, the goals of treatment are to slow the progression of the disease, relieve any pain symptoms, manage complications, and restore function. You’ll want to manage your blood sugar to keep it within a target range. This is important to help prevent nerve damage.

 

The target range will be determined by a variety of factors, such as your current health and age. Other ways to prevent the disease from getting worse include maintaining a healthy weight, and managing your blood pressure.

When it comes to managing diabetes-related nerve pain, many options are available. Some of the classes of drugs commonly prescribed for diabetic neuropathy are:

Anti-seizure drugs

Can ease nerve pain e.g. pregabalin (Lyrica), gabapentin (Gralise, Neurontin) and carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol).

Antidepressants

Can affect the chemical processes in the brain that make you feel pain. One class of medications is tricyclic antidepressants, including amitriptyline, desipramine (Norpramin) and imipramine (Tofranil). Another class, called serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), including duloxetine (Cymbalta), may ease pain with fewer side effects.

Diabetic neuropathy can be associated with urinary tract problems, digestive problems, low blood pressure on standing (orthostatic hypotension), and sexual dysfunction. Depending on which symptoms you have, your doctor will be able to advise you on an appropriate course of action.

Other diabetes treatments

There are also some newer treatments that have been shown to have a positive effect on blood glucose levels and diabetes. We’ll cover some of the common ones here. Please not that most likely, our doctors will have to refer you to an in-person specialist for evaluation for any of these treatment methods.

Artificial pancreas

This is an externally worn insulin pump that communicates wirelessly with a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) worn as a patch on the skin. The three main artificial pancreas systems currently being trialed by researchers are the closed-loop artificial pancreas, the bionic pancreas, and the implanted artificial pancreas. All three systems function similarly to a human pancreas. Blood sugar levels are measured every five minutes, and glucagon and insulin are automatically administered. Manual adjustment may be needed around mealtimes so that the appropriate amount of insulin is given.

Pancreatic islet transplantation

Islets are groups of cells that make hormones, located in the pancreas. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks these islets. Islet cell transplantation involves taking cells from an organ donor and replacing damaged islets in a person with type 1 diabetes. It is currently only available as an experimental treatment.

Diabetic neuropathy can be associated with urinary tract problems, digestive problems, low blood pressure on standing (orthostatic hypotension), and sexual dysfunction. Depending on which symptoms you have, your doctor will be able to advise you on an appropriate course of action.

Diabetes insipidus treatment

Although diabetes insipidus sounds similar to diabetes mellitus and shares some of its symptoms (such as extreme thirst and the need to urinate often), it is in fact, a very different condition to diabetes mellitus, and treatments for this condition are beyond the scope of this article. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes insipidus, seek medical advice from an in-person specialist.

Bariatric surgery (weight loss surgery)

There are several types of bariatric surgery, including gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, adjustable gastric band, and biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch. Although surgery is a drastic measure, it can be the best course of action for severely obese patients who have type 2 diabetes. Research suggests that this type of surgery helps both type 1 and type 2 diabetics regain normal blood glucose control. Our doctors do not conduct evaluations for bariatric surgery, but can refer you to the nearest specialist.

 
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Managing diabetes

Finding out you have diabetes can be alarming, but it need not be a life sentence. Diabetes treatments abound and there is constantly new research offering hope to the many millions of sufferers in the world today. Take heart in the knowledge that there is much you can do to improve your situation. From sticking to a healthy diet to developing an exercise habit, taking medication to trying out natural supplements or mind-body techniques. Work with our highly trained doctors and medical team to find the best lifestyle and treatment plan for you. A good diabetes management program will focus on:

  • Keeping blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible by balancing food intake with medication and physical activity.

  • Taking insulin and other medications, as prescribed.

  • Maintaining blood cholesterol and triglyceride (lipid) levels as close to the recommended range as possible.

  • Monitoring and maintaining normal blood pressure. High blood pressure can increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

  • Testing your blood sugar levels as often as needed based on discussions with your doctor.

  • Following a sensible and balanced meal plan suited to your individual dietary needs and diabetes profile.

  • Getting regular exercise.

  • Keeping regular appointments with your healthcare provider to monitor your condition and undergo any laboratory tests ordered by your doctor.

Diabetes treatment FAQs

How do I know if I have diabetes?

Most early symptoms are from higher-than-normal levels of glucose, a kind of sugar, in your blood. The warning signs can be so mild that you don't notice them. That's especially true of type 2 diabetes. Some people don't find out they have it until they get problems from long-term damage caused by the disease.

With type 1 diabetes, the symptoms usually happen quickly, in a matter of days or a few weeks. They're much more severe, too.

Both types of diabetes have some of the same telltale warning signs.

The only way to know for sure that you have diabetes is to get tested. The most common tests are the A1C blood test, the plasma glucose test, and the oral glucose tolerance test.

What causes diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes occurs when your immune system, the body’s system for fighting infection, attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Scientists think type 1 diabetes is caused by genes and environmental factors, such as viruses, that might trigger the disease. 

Type 2 diabetes—the most common form of diabetes—is caused by several factors, including lifestyle factors and genes.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy.

Your body breaks down most of the food you eat into sugar (glucose) and releases it into your bloodstream. When your blood sugar goes up, it signals your pancreas to release insulin. Insulin acts like a key to let the blood sugar into your body’s cells for use as energy.

With diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use it as well as it should. When there isn’t enough insulin or cells stop responding to insulin, too much blood sugar stays in your bloodstream. Over time, that can cause serious health problems, such as cardiovascular disease, vision loss, and kidney disease.

There isn’t a cure yet for diabetes, but losing weight, eating healthy food, and being active can really help.

What is the best treatment for diabetics?

There are a number of medications on the market to help manage this condition, but the following are the top 10 in terms of showing efficacy in lowering A1C and blood sugar levels.

  • Insulin (long- and rapid-acting)

  • Metformin (biguanide class)

  • Glipizide (sulfonylurea class)

  • Glimepiride (sulfonylurea class)

  • Invokana (sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor class)

  • Jardiance (SGLT2 class)​​​​​​​

  • Januvia (dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor)​​​​​​​

  • Pioglitazone (thiazolidinediones)​​​​​​​

  • Victoza (glucagon-like peptide 1 agonist)​​​​​​​

  • Trulicity (glucagon-like peptide 1 agonist)

Can diabetes be cured?

There's no cure yet, but scientists in the medical field are working on a ground-breaking weight management study, to help people put their type 2 diabetes into remission. Remission is when blood glucose (or blood sugar) levels are in a normal range again. This doesn't mean diabetes has gone for good.

 

3 simple steps to request diabetes treatment today

How It Works Step 1
Step 1

Book diabetes treatment, request appointment.

Book a same day appointment from anywhere.
How It Works Step 2
Step 2

Talk to your doctor about diabetes symptoms.

Visit with a doctor on your smartphone or computer.
How It Works Step 3
Step 3

Pick up prescription for diabetes treatment, if prescribed.

We can send prescriptions to any local pharmacy.

Diabetes treatment pricing details

To request diabetes treatment and get a new or refill on your prescription, join our monthly membership and get discounted visits.

30 days of free membership

  • Same-day appointments 7 days a week
  • Unlimited messages with your Care Team
  • Prescription discount card to save up to 80%
  • Exclusive discounts on lab tests
  • Free memberships for your family
  • Cancel anytime

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Paying without insurance

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Visits

$129

Visit price without insurance

Initial visits are $129.
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*If we're unable to treat you, we'll provide a full refund. Please note that any medication or lab work costs are not included. Please refer to our refund policy for additional information.

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PlushCare content is reviewed by MDs, PhDs, NPs, nutritionists, and other healthcare professionals. Learn more about our editorial standards and meet the medical team. The PlushCare site or any linked materials are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment.