Diabetes FAQ » Diabetes Q&A » To the best of my knowledge I don’t have sugar diabetes, but I am thirsty all the time and I find that I am urinating a lot, do I just have a bladder infection or is it something else?

To the best of my knowledge I don’t have sugar diabetes, but I am thirsty all the time and I find that I am urinating a lot, do I just have a bladder infection or is it something else?

Only a doctor can tell for sure. You need to see a doctor to find out what you may have, there is a strong possibility that it is a bladder infection, however it could be a form of diabetes involving the pituitary gland not related to the traditional diabetes mellitus, which involves the pancreas.

Diabetes Insipidus

This disorder known as Diabetes Insipidus (DI), sometimes called water diabetes is a condition where there is an abnormally high level of urination, and the sufferers usually find that they are drinking very often because they are always thirsty. Because the urination happens so often, sufferers are often woken in the night to go to the bathroom. Sometimes there will be bedwetting (enuresis, which is involuntary urination). The color of the urine is not usually yellow, but rather a pale, or colorless watery look.

Diabetes Insipidus is not sugar diabetes, which is called diabetes mellitus, although both these two completely different disorders can resemble each other because of the excessive thirst and urination symptoms. The causes and treatment of Diabetes Insipidus sometimes called water diabetes are completely different from diabetes mellitus.

The four types of Diabetes Insipidus

The four types of Diabetes Insipidus have a different cause and therefore will be treated differently.

The first type of Diabetes Insipidus is called pituitary DI, central, or Neurogenic DI. In this condition the back of the pituitary gland has somehow been destroyed. Some other disease such as head injuries, tumors, genetic defects, infections and so on could be the cause the situation. Vassopressin is a hormone, which is produced in this area of the pituitary gland and normally regulates the urinary output from the kidneys. When the part of the pituitary gland is destroyed; it no longer produces this hormone. Sometimes this condition is hereditary and will be seen in early childhood where parents and siblings have the same disorder. However, most of the time despite various imaging tests such as an MRI, the causes remain unknown. Unfortunately this disease is incurable, though it can be treated with diabetic medication to reproduce the hormone affect. Doctors will often test for other abnormalities when this condition is present.

The second type of DI will occur during pregnancy, when either the pituitary has been damaged or the placenta destroys the Vassopressin hormone too quickly. This form of diabetes is called Gestagenic or gestational DI. The condition can be treated with medication; however, it usually clears up in about six and half weeks after the baby is delivered.

The third type of Diabetes Insipidus happens when the kidneys themselves do not respond to the Vassopressin hormone’s antidiuretic effect. This form of the disease is called Mephorogenic DI. The condition can be caused by different drugs or different kidney disorders, which includes genetic disorders. If medication is the reason for the condition, it may be cured, by changing the medications; however, not all causes have cures. There are diabetic treatments that can relieve the symptoms, even if it is not curable at this time. The fourth type of Diabetes Insipidus is called primary polydipsia and is caused by a brain abnormality where the area controlling thirst is affected. In this case people feel thirsty all the time and they drink a lot and because they drink so much they are overpowering the vasopressin hormone and stopping it from properly doing its job. This type of Diabetes Insipidus may be controlled with proper medication.

Excessive urination

Excessive urination would depend on how much a person urinates in proportion to their body weight. Generally speaking, a person who is roughly 150 pounds will be considered to have excessive urination, if they urinate about 3.5 quarts of urine in a two-hour period.

Excessive thirst

Someone who drinks more than 4 quarts or about 12 glasses of fluids a day would be considered to have a higher than normal thirst level.

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