Primary polydipsia Alcoholism may cause physiological thirst since ethanol inhibits vasopressin, the hormone primarily responsible for water retention in osmoregulation. The following conditions should also be excluded: DI, cerebral salt wasting, pseudohyponatraemia caused by hyperlipidemia or hyperparaproteinemia, SIADH, mineralcorticoid deficiency, salt-wasting nephropathy, nephrotic syndrome, chronic heart failure and cirrhosis. Tobacco smoking is an often overlooked factor linked to hyponatremia, due to the ADH-releasing effect of nicotine, although this is usually limited to heavy smokers. One study suggested that around 70% of patients with self-induced polydipsia were tobacco smokers. Diagnostic tests for primary polydipsia usually involves the fluid deprivation test to exclude ADH
Polydipsia in birds chickens (broilers), subjected routinely to chronic food restriction, show increased drinking after a single daily meal along with other oral stereotypies. Expression of these activities is correlated positively with the level of restriction imposed, and is thought to be controlled mainly by central dopaminergic mechanisms. Under experimental conditions where birds receive reinforcements on a strict schedule, for example receiving one pellet of food each minute often indicated by a tone or other stimulus, the birds may develop polydipsia. Under these conditions it is called schedule induced polydipsia or sometimes, adjunctive drinking. Some strains of hens are polydipsic, drinking almost twice