Frequently Asked Questions
Medications
The Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus Foundation (NDIF) is dedicated to informing and helping the NDI community. The authors of the information archived on the NDIF website, and the archivists, cannot be held responsible for any damage which may result from using the information on this site without concurrence of your medical doctor. Consult your personal physician for your individual medical needs.
- Are there any known long-term health effects from taking diuretics?
- Can a person with NDI ever stop taking drugs for the disorder?
- How do each of the three most commonly prescribed medications for NDI treatment (chlorothiazide/hydrochlorothiazide, amiloride, and indomethacin) work in the body?
- How do the medications interact with each other?
- How often should my NDI child's electrolytes be checked?
- I hear of persons being able to go without medication. I do not see that happening for my boys. Why is the disease different in each patient?
- Is it likely that if the symptoms were caused by an antibiotic that they will persist for a long-term period after I stopped using the antibiotic?
- Is it possible to control the symptoms of NDI without medication--through diet and fluid intake alone?
- Is there any danger to the patient if use of any of the medications is discontinued suddenly as opposed to weaning a patient off the medication?
- Maxide is a brand-name diuretic to treat high-blood pressure. In my case, however, this diuretic causes my system to require less water intake and therefore less fluid output. Have you heard of this reverse-effect on persons with diabetes insipidus?
- My doctor prescribed DDAVP for my diabetes insipidus. What is the difference in taking that and taking hydrochlorothiazide and amiloride? I was also just diagnosed with eosinophilic granuloma. Do you have any information on that?
- My eight year old son was having trouble with bedwetting and our pediatrician prescribed DDAVP. After reading some information on your web site, I was wondering if I should have him tested for a form of NDI.
- Should females with NDI be medicated differently than males?
- What are the consequences of a serum sodium level being either too high or too low?
- What are the long-term side effects of the medications?
- What is the normal range of serum sodium?