Diabetes insipidus is a rare condition, affecting only about one out of every 25,000 people. Nobody knows for sure what the diabetes insipidus causes are for sure, but of course there are a lot of hypothesis about what causes diabetes insipidus. Diabetes insipidus is not related to diabetes mellitus. When used alone, the word diabetes almost always refers to diabetes mellitus. When referring to diabetes insipidus, the two words are always used together. Now that that is out of the way, let’s take a look at some of the possible diabetes insipidus causes.

Diabetes insipidus is characterized by an intense and unquenchable thirst and polyuria, which is a medical term meaning the excretion of large amounts of urine. It occurs in most cases when the body doesn’t produce, release, or store the hormone arginine vasopressin (ADH). ADH is an antidiuretic hormone. It can also occur when the kidneys don’t properly respond to ADH, an anti.

Some of the possible diabetes insipidus causes are thought to be:

  • Head injuries
  • Infections
  • Loss of blood supply to the gland
  • Surgery
  • Tumors

 

Some other less likely causes of diabetes insipidus can be:

  • Certain drugs like lithium, amphotericin B, and demeclocycline
  • High calcium levels in the body, or hypercalcemia
  • Certain kidney diseases

 

What are the Different Types of Diabetes Insipidus?

 

There are three types of diabetes insipidus. Causes of the different types aren’t completely understood either, but there is a difference in the types of the condition. They are listed below:

  • Neurogenic diabetes insipidus is simply a deficiency of ADH
  • Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is the insensitivity of the kidneys to the antidiuretic ADH.
  • Gestational diabetes insipidus describes the even rarer situation in which diabetes insipidus develops during pregnancy.

 

Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus Causes

 

While the other types of diabetes insipidus are fairly descriptive, the name “nephrogenic diabetes insipidus” doesn’t really help you understand the condition or the nephrogenic diabetes insipidus causes. The condition occurs when the kidney tubules don’t respond to the ADH.

Although it can be genetic and inherited, nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is usually an acquired disorder triggered by something else. Some of these diabetes insipidus causes, or triggers, that can cause this acquired disorder are:

  • Blockages in the urinary tract
  • High calcium levels
  • Low potassium levels
  • Use of some drugs (lithium, demeclocycline, amphotericin B) causes diabetes insipidus

 

Symptoms of Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus

 

Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus causes an absolutely uncontrollable thirst and usually a craving for ice water. It will also cause you to produce large volumes of urine, in the range of 3 to 15 liters daily. Dehydration can easily result if this fluid is not replaced.

Watch for the symptoms of dehydration, which are dry mucous membranes, dry skin, sunken in eyes and lethargy.

If enough fluids are taken in, the condition doesn’t seem to affect the electrolyte balance in the body. If the condition is present at birth, lifelong treatment will be required. This condition should not be treated by yourself. You’ll need medical advice to avoid complications.