Diabetes insipidus
Overview
Diabetes insipidus is a rare condition where you pee a lot and often feel thirsty.
Causes
Diabetes insipidus is caused by problems with a hormone called arginine vasopressin (AVP), also called antidiuretic hormone (ADH). AVP plays a key role in regulating the amount of fluid in the body. It's produced by specialist nerve cells in a part of the brain known as the hypothalamus. AVP passes from the hypothalamus to the pituitary gland, where it's stored until needed. The pituitary gland releases AVP when the amount of water in the body becomes too low. It helps retain water in the body by reducing the amount of water lost through the kidneys, making the kidneys produce more concentrated urine. In most cases of diabetes insipidus, the lack of production of AVP means the kidneys cannot make enough concentrated urine and too much water is passed from the body. This is called AVP deficiency (previously called cranial diabetes insipidus). In rare cases, the kidneys do not respond to AVP. This causes a specific form of diabetes insipidus called AVP resistance (formerly nephrogenic diabetes insipidus). People feel thirsty as the body tries to compensate for the increased loss of water by increasing the amount of water taken in. Find out more about the causes of diabetes insipidus