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Research Article| Volume 20, ISSUE 12, P1308-1320, December 1985

Psychogenic polydipsia and water intoxication—Concepts that have failed

  • W.V.R. Vieweg
    Correspondence
    Address reprint requests to Dr. W. V. R. Vieweg, Western State Hospital, Box 2500, Staunton, VA 24401.
    Affiliations
    From the Clinical Evaluation Unit, Western State Hospital, USA

    Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Commonwealth of Virginia, USA

    Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, Department of Pharmacology, and the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and the Clinical Computing Laboratory, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
    Search for articles by this author
  • J.J. David
    Affiliations
    From the Clinical Evaluation Unit, Western State Hospital, USA

    Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Commonwealth of Virginia, USA

    Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, Department of Pharmacology, and the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and the Clinical Computing Laboratory, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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  • W.T. Rowe
    Affiliations
    From the Clinical Evaluation Unit, Western State Hospital, USA

    Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Commonwealth of Virginia, USA

    Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, Department of Pharmacology, and the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and the Clinical Computing Laboratory, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
    Search for articles by this author
  • M.J. Peach
    Affiliations
    From the Clinical Evaluation Unit, Western State Hospital, USA

    Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Commonwealth of Virginia, USA

    Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, Department of Pharmacology, and the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and the Clinical Computing Laboratory, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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  • J.D. Veldhuis
    Affiliations
    From the Clinical Evaluation Unit, Western State Hospital, USA

    Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Commonwealth of Virginia, USA

    Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, Department of Pharmacology, and the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and the Clinical Computing Laboratory, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
    Search for articles by this author
  • D.L. Kaiser
    Affiliations
    From the Clinical Evaluation Unit, Western State Hospital, USA

    Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Commonwealth of Virginia, USA

    Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, Department of Pharmacology, and the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and the Clinical Computing Laboratory, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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  • W.W. Spradlin
    Affiliations
    From the Clinical Evaluation Unit, Western State Hospital, USA

    Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Commonwealth of Virginia, USA

    Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, Department of Pharmacology, and the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and the Clinical Computing Laboratory, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-3223(85)90116-7
Psychogenic polydipsia and water intoxication—Concepts that have failed
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      Abstract

      Ten patients (8 men, 2 women; mean age 38.7 ± 8.1 years), 7 of whom had schizophrenic disorders and 3 of whom had bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness), manifested psychosis, intermittent hyponatremia, and polydipsia (PIP syndrome). The relationship between serum sodium and urinary water excretion among the 10 PIP patients is described in detail. The success of lithium in improving serum sodium levels and in decreasing urinary water excretion among the three PIP patients with bipolar disorder and the failure of changes in urinary water excretion to explain changes in serum sodium levels among the 10 PIP patients argue against “psychogenesis” as the explanation for the polydipsia and excessive water intake as the sole explanation for hyponatremia or complications ascribed to water intoxication.
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      Article info

      Publication history

      Received in revised form: July 8, 1985
      Received: January 7, 1985

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      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-3223(85)90116-7

      Copyright

      © 1985 Published by Elsevier Inc.

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