Diabetes Insipidus

The proper name for the most common form of diabetes is "Diabetes Mellitus" – the "diabetes" part means "syphoning of water" (sufferers pass large quantities of urine), and the "mellitus" part means "sweet as

honey" (the urine is sweet). However there is a rare form of diabetes not associated with sweet urine: Diabetes Insipidus. The "insipidus" part means "tasteless". Diabetes Insipidus and Diabetes Mellitus are completely unrelated.

If you have Diabetes Insipidus then you wee a lot because your body has a shortage of a hormone called Antidiuretic Hormone (usually referred to as ADH, also known as vasopressin), or because your kidneys cannot use your ADH properly. You can urinate large quantities of diluted urine even though you haven't drunk very much liquid – so a major problem with diabetes insipidus is dehydration.

Diagnosis of this condition is with blood and urine tests as usual. Treatment is usually for the rest of your life with self-administered medicines.

It comes in several forms:

• Central Diabetes Insipidus: caused by damage to your pituitary gland

• Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus: your kidneys are not responding corrently to ADH

• Dipsoge Diabetes Insipidus: you have drunk too much liquid and it is simply weakening your urine

• Gestational Diabetes Insipidus: during pregnancy when you have produced too much vasopressinase, and enzyme that breaks down ADH (ie the vasopressin); this form usually disappears several weeks after labour.