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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffThe most common signs and symptoms of diabetes insipidus are:
- Extreme thirst
- Excretion of an excessive amount of diluted urine
Depending on the severity of the condition, urine output can range from 2.6 quarts (about 2.5 liters) a day if you have mild diabetes insipidus to 16 quarts (about 15 liters) a day if the condition is severe and if you're taking in a lot of fluids. In comparison, the average urine output for a healthy adult is in the range of 1.6 to 2.6 quarts (about 1.5 to 2.5 liters) a day.
Other signs may include needing to get up at night to urinate (nocturia) and bed-wetting.
Infants and young children who have diabetes insipidus may have the following signs and symptoms:
- Unexplained fussiness or inconsolable crying
- Unusually wet diapers
- Fever, vomiting or diarrhea
- Dry skin with cool extremities
- Delayed growth
- Weight loss
When to see a doctor
See your doctor immediately if you notice the two most common signs of diabetes insipidus: excessive urination and extreme thirst.
- What is diabetes insipidus? Diabetes Insipidus Foundation. http://www.diabetesinsipidus.org. Accessed June 18, 2010.
- Diabetes insipidus. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/insipidus. Accessed June 18, 2020.
- Bichet DG. Diagnosis of polyuria and diabetes insipidus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 15, 2010.
- Bichet DG. Treatment of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 15, 2010.
- Rose BD, et al. Treatment of central diabetes insipidus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 15, 2010.
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