Korean J Schizophr Res.  2015 Oct;18(2):86-90. 10.16946/kjsr.2015.18.2.86.

A Case Report: Irbesartan and Naltrexone Treatment of Polydipsia in a Patient with Schizophrenia

• Dong HS
• Kim SH
• Park SY

• KMID: 2103937
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.16946/kjsr.2015.18.2.86

Abstract

Polydipsia in schizophrenic patients is not uncommon, but a frequently underdiagnosed condition. The etiology of polydipsia remains unclear, and its complications can be life-threatening, while often being difficult to manage it. We report a case of a successfully treated chronic schizophrenic patient with polydipsia. The patient was male, 47-year-old, suffering 27-years of residual schizophrenia who had been consuming more than 10 L of water per day, and is complicated by hyponatremia. He was treated with irbesarten 300 mg and naltrexone 50 mg in the setting of closed ward. He consumed less than 3.5 L of water per day and serum sodium levels seemed to be stable following discharge from the closed ward. We suggest that irbesartan and naltrexone may have beneficial effects for treating polydipsia, and future prospective and well-controlled studies are to be performed.

Keyword

Polydipsia; Schizophrenia; Irbesartan; Naltrexone

MeSH Terms

Humans
Hyponatremia
Male
Middle Aged
Naltrexone*
Polydipsia*
Prospective Studies
Schizophrenia*
Sodium
Water
Naltrexone
Sodium
Water

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Water intake per day of polydipsic patient over time.

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  Fig. 2. Body weight of polydipsic patient over time.

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  Fig. 3. Serum Sodium Concentrations of polydipsic patient over time.

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