Medications for Diabetes Insipidus
Diabetes Insipidus is a rare condition usually causing extreme thirst and too much passing of very dilute urine. This is caused by a hormone shortage in the pituitary gland located at the bottom of the brain.
There are two main types of diabetes insipidus. Central diabetes insipidus happens from a reduced creation of antidiuretic hormone (vasopressin) which is the hormone that normally averts the kidneys from making too much urine. It is usually caused by injury to either the pituitary gland or the hypothalamus because of:
- Head injury
- Surgery
- Infection
- Tumor
Vasopressin production is located in the hypothalamus, and stored then released to the blood system by the posterior pituitary. Diabetes insipidus may also develop with normal quantities of antidiuretic hormone, when the kidneys don’t respond correctly to the hormone. This situation is called nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is usually hereditary in males. It can also occur in people who take medication for instance:
- Lithium
- Demeclocycline
- Aminoglycosides.
A number of medications can be given which decrease the quantity of fluid passed out into the urine. These include:
- Rasopressin (Pitressin) injected
- Desmopressin acetate (DDAVP) inhaled
Other medications which can be given include some antidiuretic drugs:
- Chlorpropamide
- Clofibrate
- Carbamazepine
Those people with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus however will also need a special diet that restricts the amount of solute taken in. They can also be treated with a type of medication called a thiazide diuretic. If nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is caused by drugs like lithium, totally stopping the drug can help re-establish typical kidney functioning. However, if the lithium use has been for many years, the nephrogenic diabetes insipidus can be permanent. The nephrogenic diabetes insipidus which can be treated is usually done so by consuming enough fluid which match the urine output and with medications which decrease urine output. Medications used to treat nephrogenic diabetes insipidus include:
- Ant-inflammatory medication such as indomethacin
- Diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) and amiloride
Just as a reminder these two types of diabetes insipidus are very rare but there are ways to treated it when it does occur.
