Diabetes insipidus (DI) is a medical condition that causes an individual to experience extreme thirst and produce large amounts of urine. Although the name is similar, DI is not related to the medical condition that involves difficulty regulating blood sugar levels, referred to as diabetes mellitus. An anti-diuretic hormone (ADH), called vasopressin, helps control the amount of fluid the kidneys remove from the body. If something disrupts the system that produces ADH in the brain or the amount secreted, DI occurs. The cause of DI helps determine the treatment.
Increased Fluids
Some individuals with a mild case of DI might elect to receive no treatment for the condition beyond increasing fluid intake. Drinking enough fluid with DI is necessary to prevent dehydration. The kidney will continue to remove fluid from the body even without proper intake and cause symptoms of dehydration, such as extreme thirst, a dry mouth, headache and lethargy. Increasing fluids to over 2.6 quarts a day is normally enough to prevent dehydration in individuals with DI, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Desmopressin
If a lack of the ADH causes the condition, supplementing the hormone helps treat DI. A synthetic hormone, called desmopressin, is available by prescription in pill, nasal spray and injection forms. The medication works to decrease the need to urinate and also helps decrease the excessive thirst. Drinking only when thirsty is important when taking desmopressin because the medication decreases the kidney's response to an increase in fluid consumption. Taking too much desmopressin may cause swelling because of fluid retention and feelings of dizziness or weakness.
Low Sodium Diet
When a kidney dysfunction causes the DI, using desmopressin will not treat the condition. The treatment for individuals with kidney problems is decreasing dietary salt. Salt increases the need for the kidneys to produce urine to dilute the salt. Decreasing salt consumption lowers the demand on the kidneys to make additional urine.
Hydrochlorothiazide
Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), or indomethacin, may be prescribed by the physician for individuals who have kidney damage causing DI. These medications decrease the amount of urine produced by the body and helps improve symptoms by balancing the salt and water in the body. Drinking fluids when thirsty is important when taking this medication also.
