Acetazolamide: Treatment of Psychogenic Polydipsia

Abstract

We are reporting a case of psychogenic polydipsia from a State of Ohio psychiatric hospital. The patient has a known five-year history of psychogenic polydipsia with recurrent hyponatremia and has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder bipolar type 1, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria, for the past two decades. There was a marked improvement with the use of acetazolamide, resulting in a decreased compulsion to drink fluid and improvement of his hyponatremia. The patient was observed for six months. We evaluated the water balance of the patient with diurnal weight measurements (DWG) and a weekly comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) to monitor Na(+) levels. His symptoms and hyponatremia were improved with acetazolamide. The treatment was well tolerated without any adverse effects and improved his quality of life.