Diabetes insipidus - Medtick
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Diabetes insipidus

What is it?

Diabetes insipidus is a rare condition where one urinates a lot and often feel thirsty it can range from 3 litres to 20 litres a day.

  • Urinate more than normal – most healthy adults pass urine 4 to 7 times in a 24-hour period

Diabetes insipidus is caused by problems with a hormone called vasopressin (AVP), also called antidiuretic hormone (ADH).

  • Vasopressin (AVP) plays a key role in regulating the amount of fluid in the body.
  • It’s produced by specialist nerve cells in a part of the brain known as the hypothalamus (area of the brain that controls mood and appetite).
  • AVP passes from the hypothalamus to the pituitary gland (pituitary gland is located below your brain, behind the bridge of your nose), where it’s stored until needed.
  • The pituitary gland releases AVP when the amount of water in the body becomes too low.
  • It helps retain water in the body by reducing the amount of water lost through the kidneys, making the kidney produce more concentrated urine.

NHS choices

There are many types of diabetes insipidus:

Cranial diabetes insipidus

  • The most common form where one does not produce enough vasopressin (AVP) caused by damage to the hypothalamus or pituitary gland – for example, after an infection, operation, brain tumour or head injury

Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus

  • Where one produces normal amounts of hormone vasopressin but there is a problem with the kidneys which collects the vasopressin in order to produce pure urine this is caused by kidney disease  and damage.

Hereditary nephrogenic Diabetic insipidus

  • A rare condition inherited form results from changes in the AVP receptor 2 gene (AVPR2) (a receptor is a like a pocked which accepts the vasopressin hormone) in the kidney filtration system and then allow vasopressin to produce its affects . Defects in the AVP receptor cause resistance to the antidiuretic effect of vasopressin. Because hereditary nephrogenic diabetic insipidus is an X-linked disorder it mostly cases occur in males.

Cause

Syndromes

Medication

Vitamins, herbals and minerals

Symptoms

Babies:

  • Excessive crying?
  • Irritability?
  • Aching, painful muscles, muscle cramps/spasms/stiffness?
  • Slower than expected growth?
  • High body temperature (hyperthermia)?
  • Unexplained weight loss?

Children:

  • Wetting the bed?
  • Loss of appetite?
  • General discomfort (muscle weakness), uneasiness or ill feeling (malaise) and/or fatigue (tiredness)?
  • Aching, painful muscles, muscle cramps/spasms/stiffness?
  • Weight loss?

Adults:

  • Dry mouth?
  • Extreme thirst (polydipsia)?
  • Urinate pale and/or watery urine?
  • Urinate more than normal (if a child see a medical doctor if  urinates more than 10 x daily) even at night (polyuria)?
  • Needing to urinate in small amounts at frequent intervals ( every 15 to 20 minutes), sometimes this can occur along with the feeling that you need to urinate as soon as possible?
  • General discomfort (muscle weakness), uneasiness or ill feeling (malaise) and/or fatigue (tiredness)?
  • Aching, painful muscles, muscle cramps/spasms/stiffness?
  • Difficult to concentrate and/or difficulty in concentrating and/or memory problems?
  • Irritated, depressed, anxiety and/or panic attack?
  • Affecting one daily routine?

Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:

This condition can lead to:

This condition has been associated with:

Test Results

This condition may show similar symptoms to:

Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice

Detailed Information

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