I had my first appointment at the end of June 1992, explained my symptoms and how I felt to the consultant who arranged for me to have a water deprivation test the following week. The results showed I had DI . I started taking medication at the beginning of July 1992. The treatment involves the administration of desmopressin which at that time was only available as a nasal solution or spray. One of the most difficult things is trying to explain to people what DI is.
Most people hear the word 'diabetes' and automatically think of insulin and needles.
There is very little information on diabetes insipidus to be found, even in medical textbooks, so it's not really surprising that most people have never heard of it. Hopefully, The Pituitary Foundation will improve matters by helping people to understand about DI and pituitary disease generally and will also provide a self-help group for patients. This leaflet has been prepared for patients with diabetes insipidus. We would like to emphasise that all patients are different and you should always see advice from your specialist or GP .