Polydipsia often goes with hypokalemia). Antipsychotics can have side effects such as dry mouth that may make the patient feel thirsty. Primary polydipsia describes excessive thirst and water intake caused in the absence of physiological stimuli to drink. This includes both psychogenic primary polydipsia and non-psychogenic primary polydipsia, such as in patients with autoimmune chronic hepatitis with severely elevated globulin levels. Psychogenic polydipsia is an excessive water intake seen in some patients with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, and/or the developmentally disabled. It should be taken very seriously, as the amount of water ingested exceeds the amount that can be excreted
Primary polydipsia attention and motor speed. Other areas with volume reductions (both white and grey matter) include: Signs and symptoms of psychogenic polydipsia include: The most common presenting symptom is tonic-clonic seizure, found in 80% of patients. Psychogenic polydipsia should be considered a life-threatening condition, since it has been known to cause severe hyponatraemia, leading to cardiac arrest, coma and cerebral oedema. It can also cause central pontine myelinolysis. Treatment for psychogenic polydipsia depends on severity and may involve behavioural and pharmacological modalities. If the patient presents with acute hyponatraemia (overhydration) caused by psychogenic polydipsia, treatment usually involves administration of intravenous hypertonic