Psychogenic polydipsia with hyponatremia: report of eleven cases

Am J Kidney Dis. 1987 May;9(5):410-6. doi: 10.1016/s0272-6386(87)80144-0.

Abstract

Psychogenic polydipsia is an uncommon clinical disorder characterized by excessive water-drinking in the absence of a physiologic stimulus to drink. The excessive water-drinking is well tolerated unless hyponatremia supervenes. This report describes 11 patients with psychogenic polydipsia and hyponatremia (ten men and one woman) who were collectively hospitalized a total of 70 times for treatment of complications of this disorder. This group differs from the classical patient with psychogenic polydipsia, ie, a hospitalized schizophrenic, in that none was institutionalized and there was a high incidence of chronic alcoholism (10), intractable hiccups (7), self-induced vomiting (6), and laboratory evidence for rhabdomyolysis (5).

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Alcoholism / complications
  • Compulsive Behavior*
  • Drinking*
  • Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / etiology
  • Female
  • Hiccup / etiology
  • Hospitalization
  • Humans
  • Hyponatremia / etiology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Osmolar Concentration
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Rhabdomyolysis / etiology
  • Sodium / blood
  • Thirst

Substances

  • Sodium