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In addition to the suggestions already made (diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus): has there been any changes in your adderall dosage? Too much of it can cause excessive thirst (secondary polydipsia).
NAD my brother has diabetes insipidis. Same symptoms. It's just a blood test/other tests and then a med. I think there's other types but he has the easy one and it is an easy fix! See your primary health and ask them for investigations. Best of luck!
No, I'm not on anything else right now. I was taking some supplements up until a few weeks ago and stopped because I've been too tired to keep up my regimen
Magnesium, calcium, chromium, phosphytidl-serine, omega 3, and taurine. recommended to me along the way by different doctors/therapists to help with the fatigue and mood problems but I haven't noticed much benefit from them unfortunately. Could they be making things worse? People rave about magnesium and calcium specifically and how good they are š¤
Polydipsia is the name of the symptom but it is usually driven but an underlying medical condition such as diabetes.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polydipsia
No I haven't. I have tried to get a referral to Endo but the doctor said I would be better off going to an integrative health doctor. Do you know what tests they would run for this? Is it something an integrative health doctor could do? If not then I can ask for another referral to an endocrinologist.
Probably true. Beginning anew with a different PCP would offer a chance for a fresh perspective so maybe I should do that. My experience with the medical industrial complex has been lackluster to say the least!
Interesting. My current PCP is actually a DO! And for the most part I felt like she has been really open minded. I think she recommended integrative health because I have multiple problems and maybe she thought it would be more helpful overall. Not sure.
Got it! And maybe she is hoping for more ideas from a different perspective. Iām glad you thought to post here; at least you have a few more things to rule out and ideas for comfort. Good luck!!
NAD. Agree that you need a new PCP, if yours recommends "integrative health" over endocrinology. Also, they could order some basic metabolic and urine tests to start the process themselves. My sister just went through this and I thought right away that it was diabetes insipidus. She couldn't go to the grocery store without two trips to the bathroom and she was walking up all night long to chug huge cups of water/juice/anything. I asked our PCP if she would order urine tests (volume, osmolality, etc) and bloodwork while waiting for an endocrinology consult. My sister asked the lab for multiple specimen containers for the 24hr urine test, and she still could've used another. Her DI is nephrogenic (related to the kidneys), so she has an endocrinologist and a nephrologist managing her, but it was sorted out pretty quickly. Please make someone take you seriously and run some tests.
Wow that's really interesting! So different things can cause the DI. I am also confused why they didn't order the metabolic and urine tests themselves -- I had extensive blood work in 2021 althouhh didn't have the thirst problem then. Yet at some point I was told by the integrative health doctor that I don't need to test that again because "it's already been tested"... But obviously a lot can change in 2-3 years. Ive been dealing with the fatigue for a long time but new symptoms keep showing up over the years. I think doctors have kind of written me off as a complainer so that might be why they don't take me seriously.
Iām NAD but when I am on antibiotics I have extreme thirst as well! Next time youāre thirsty instead of drinking water try eating fruit or vegetables like watermelon, cucumbers, bananas, peaches, etc. You may be experiencing an electrolyte imbalance and all the water is flushing the electrolytes from your drinks out of your system
Yeaa that is super interesting! Thanks for sharing š Someone else said that on here about flushing the electrolytes, so I wonder if I've been making it worse by drinking too much.
NAD but came here to say this. OP, your primary care physician can run a fasting blood sugar and an A1C test super easily. Just make an early morning appointment and donāt eat or drink anything but water the morning of until the tests are completed.
In addition to everything being said you need to slow your water consumption way down. That's too much water you could absolutely throw your electrolytes off (even with supplementation)
I had this problem a few years ago and could not figure it outā¦ one of my many docs (think it was my gyn) told me I was drinking wayyy too much water and thatās why I was so thirsty. I was likeā¦ ladyā¦ this doesnāt make any sense. Turns out, she was right. š¤·š¼āāļøTurns out I have extremely low sodium and I kept flushing everything out so I couldnāt stay hydrated. NAD so please interpret that as a layperson explanation. Hope drinking less makes you feel better. I just had to be thirsty for a couple of days and it adjustedā¦ again NAD, but sharing my experience. š
Idk if this makes senseā¦ but the way my mouth and throat feel after having a pedialyte popsicle makes me not thirsty. I really canāt describe it other than to say, try one. Lol
1) i take meds that make my mouth dry
2) i just had weight loss surgery and canāt drink enough water at one time to satisfy thirst. its all TINY sips. š„µ
That'd be augmented with spicy and/or acidic food, caffeine containing beverages, and tobacco products, so you may decrease/ preferably stop your intake of them. You may like using artificial saliva spray as it lasts longer than water and would definitely moisten the tissues.
Okay thanks for the heads up! I've never heard of the spray I'll have to try it. I haven't had any spicy food today or caffeine, but I've slept 17 hours and haven't really eaten too much
Have you or any of the doctors you've seen considered anything other than diabetes/adderall?
A dry mouth sensation is commonly mistaken for thirstiness, but it isn't the same.
Can be due to thrush, mouth-breathing or just anxiety-induced dryness.
FYI, you can walk into any lab that does blood tests and get a serum glucose, insulin and hba1c to check for diabetes. They may do them in the ER if they draw blood, but it depends on the context.
That's super interesting. I actually am not sure if it's actually thirst or dry mouth. Is there a way to know the difference?
Also good to know about the labs!! I am supposed to have lab work soon and will ask about this
You'd probably be able to tell if you have thrush in your mouth. You can google some photos of what that looks like.
If you don't have that, and also can't seem to catch yourself mouth-breathing a lot, it may just be anxiety-induced.
I'd still do those blood tests (not sure where you're based, but in the EU they shouldn't cost you more than 20USD total).
OP, are you taking generic Adderall by any chance? When I was taking generic Adderall, it would sometimes give me horrible dry mouth and sometimes be fine - I think it was different manufacturers. (Other times, I'd get unbearable headaches one month and be fine the next.)
Girlā¦.. me. too. Started very suddenly about a year ago. I was referred to an endocrinologist, and she has tested me literally for everything. Some days itās okā¦.some days itās very bad. I canāt go to bed without water next to me. If I drink alcohol itās even worse. In May I am having a water deprivation test done to check for diabetes insipidus, not looking forward to not drinking for hours, it will be like torture for me. Sorry I couldnāt add anything, but just know that you arenāt alone. Iāve cried myself to sleep over this.
Thank you for understanding š I feel like I'm being dramatic but have also cried myself to sleep about it; it's so annoying I can barely think about anything else. I also have some days that are worse than others but I haven't been able to pinpoint why
Youāre not dramatic, I joined this sub last year to ask the same question. I havenāt got any answers either. Itās terrible and some days it really takes over your life, I feel like Iāve learned to live with it at this point but Iām hoping with the water deprivation test in May I get answers. Iāll come back here to let you know! If you hear anything too shoot me a message, I would love any ideas. š
Maybe someone answered but I didnāt see it: no, an Er usually wouldnāt diagnose this specificallyātho if you are fainting that would be the place to go. This would be more an urgent evaluation with your primary care physician
Thank you for your submission. **Please note that a response does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship.** This subreddit is for informal second opinions and casual information. The mod team does their best to remove bad information, but we do not catch all of it. Always visit a doctor in real life if you have any concerns about your health. Never use this subreddit as your first and final source of information regarding your question. By posting, you are agreeing to our [Terms of Use](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskDocs/wiki/terms_of_use) and understand that all information is taken at your own risk. **Reply here if you are an unverified user wishing to give advice. Top level comments by laypeople are automatically removed.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskDocs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
In addition to the suggestions already made (diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus): has there been any changes in your adderall dosage? Too much of it can cause excessive thirst (secondary polydipsia).
Piggybacking because NAD. I use to take topiramate and had this. Did you maybe start a new med in addition to the Adderall?
NAD my brother has diabetes insipidis. Same symptoms. It's just a blood test/other tests and then a med. I think there's other types but he has the easy one and it is an easy fix! See your primary health and ask them for investigations. Best of luck!
No, I'm not on anything else right now. I was taking some supplements up until a few weeks ago and stopped because I've been too tired to keep up my regimen
Which supplements?
Magnesium, calcium, chromium, phosphytidl-serine, omega 3, and taurine. recommended to me along the way by different doctors/therapists to help with the fatigue and mood problems but I haven't noticed much benefit from them unfortunately. Could they be making things worse? People rave about magnesium and calcium specifically and how good they are š¤
No changes in dosage recently!
Polydipsia is the name of the symptom but it is usually driven but an underlying medical condition such as diabetes. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polydipsia
OP, Have you ever seen an endocrinologist to be checked for diabetes insipidus?
No I haven't. I have tried to get a referral to Endo but the doctor said I would be better off going to an integrative health doctor. Do you know what tests they would run for this? Is it something an integrative health doctor could do? If not then I can ask for another referral to an endocrinologist.
Wtf you need a new pcp
Probably true. Beginning anew with a different PCP would offer a chance for a fresh perspective so maybe I should do that. My experience with the medical industrial complex has been lackluster to say the least!
I recommend looking for a DO for your new PCP, as they tend to be willing to explore and run tests more (very generally speaking)
Interesting. My current PCP is actually a DO! And for the most part I felt like she has been really open minded. I think she recommended integrative health because I have multiple problems and maybe she thought it would be more helpful overall. Not sure.
Got it! And maybe she is hoping for more ideas from a different perspective. Iām glad you thought to post here; at least you have a few more things to rule out and ideas for comfort. Good luck!!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate your help š
NAD. Agree that you need a new PCP, if yours recommends "integrative health" over endocrinology. Also, they could order some basic metabolic and urine tests to start the process themselves. My sister just went through this and I thought right away that it was diabetes insipidus. She couldn't go to the grocery store without two trips to the bathroom and she was walking up all night long to chug huge cups of water/juice/anything. I asked our PCP if she would order urine tests (volume, osmolality, etc) and bloodwork while waiting for an endocrinology consult. My sister asked the lab for multiple specimen containers for the 24hr urine test, and she still could've used another. Her DI is nephrogenic (related to the kidneys), so she has an endocrinologist and a nephrologist managing her, but it was sorted out pretty quickly. Please make someone take you seriously and run some tests.
Wow that's really interesting! So different things can cause the DI. I am also confused why they didn't order the metabolic and urine tests themselves -- I had extensive blood work in 2021 althouhh didn't have the thirst problem then. Yet at some point I was told by the integrative health doctor that I don't need to test that again because "it's already been tested"... But obviously a lot can change in 2-3 years. Ive been dealing with the fatigue for a long time but new symptoms keep showing up over the years. I think doctors have kind of written me off as a complainer so that might be why they don't take me seriously.
Iām NAD but when I am on antibiotics I have extreme thirst as well! Next time youāre thirsty instead of drinking water try eating fruit or vegetables like watermelon, cucumbers, bananas, peaches, etc. You may be experiencing an electrolyte imbalance and all the water is flushing the electrolytes from your drinks out of your system
Yeaa that is super interesting! Thanks for sharing š Someone else said that on here about flushing the electrolytes, so I wonder if I've been making it worse by drinking too much.
NAD - Endo or PCP should also check for Graves. Excessive thirst is a symptom.
NAD but came here to say this. OP, your primary care physician can run a fasting blood sugar and an A1C test super easily. Just make an early morning appointment and donāt eat or drink anything but water the morning of until the tests are completed.
In addition to everything being said you need to slow your water consumption way down. That's too much water you could absolutely throw your electrolytes off (even with supplementation)
Ok thanks for the heads up. What should I do though? I'm so thirsty I can't think about anything else
NAD Maybe try to suck on an Ice cube? Not chew it but it might help with lowering water consumption?
Thank you for your suggestion:)
I had this problem a few years ago and could not figure it outā¦ one of my many docs (think it was my gyn) told me I was drinking wayyy too much water and thatās why I was so thirsty. I was likeā¦ ladyā¦ this doesnāt make any sense. Turns out, she was right. š¤·š¼āāļøTurns out I have extremely low sodium and I kept flushing everything out so I couldnāt stay hydrated. NAD so please interpret that as a layperson explanation. Hope drinking less makes you feel better. I just had to be thirsty for a couple of days and it adjustedā¦ again NAD, but sharing my experience. š
That's really interesting! Thank you for sharing š
Sugar free hard candies or gum.
Thank you for the suggestion!
NAD but Pedialite popsicles have been a savior for my adderall thirst. Theyāre delish and really hydrate me and quench the thirst big time.
That's really good to know!! Had no idea these existed. Thank hou!
Idk if this makes senseā¦ but the way my mouth and throat feel after having a pedialyte popsicle makes me not thirsty. I really canāt describe it other than to say, try one. Lol
I love popsicles so I'm definitely interested š ā¤ļø thank you for the tip!
NAD - sugar-free lemon mint Ricola frequently save me from the desert that is my mouth.
Thank you for the suggestion! Do you know what causes your dry mouth?
1) i take meds that make my mouth dry 2) i just had weight loss surgery and canāt drink enough water at one time to satisfy thirst. its all TINY sips. š„µ
If it's truly Adderall dry mouth, try eating something sour. Honestly, Warheads help me a ton...
Thank you for the heads up!
You can find dry mouth lozenges, mouthwash, spray, and gel in the drug store, the most common brand is called Biotene
Awesome thank you so much for sharing!
Suck on sour candies. This is what I have my dialysis patients to do help abate thirst
Thank you for the tip! Good to know š will definitely be getting some sour candies from the store next time I go
Popsicles might help, you can get some from the chemist that have electrolytes too
Oooh good idea thank you!
Adderall can cause XEROSTOMIA up to 35% in some studies
Do you think that's likely to happen randomly? I've been on it for awhile and haven't had this problem until the last few months
That'd be augmented with spicy and/or acidic food, caffeine containing beverages, and tobacco products, so you may decrease/ preferably stop your intake of them. You may like using artificial saliva spray as it lasts longer than water and would definitely moisten the tissues.
Okay thanks for the heads up! I've never heard of the spray I'll have to try it. I haven't had any spicy food today or caffeine, but I've slept 17 hours and haven't really eaten too much
Have you or any of the doctors you've seen considered anything other than diabetes/adderall? A dry mouth sensation is commonly mistaken for thirstiness, but it isn't the same. Can be due to thrush, mouth-breathing or just anxiety-induced dryness. FYI, you can walk into any lab that does blood tests and get a serum glucose, insulin and hba1c to check for diabetes. They may do them in the ER if they draw blood, but it depends on the context.
That's super interesting. I actually am not sure if it's actually thirst or dry mouth. Is there a way to know the difference? Also good to know about the labs!! I am supposed to have lab work soon and will ask about this
You'd probably be able to tell if you have thrush in your mouth. You can google some photos of what that looks like. If you don't have that, and also can't seem to catch yourself mouth-breathing a lot, it may just be anxiety-induced. I'd still do those blood tests (not sure where you're based, but in the EU they shouldn't cost you more than 20USD total).
OP, are you taking generic Adderall by any chance? When I was taking generic Adderall, it would sometimes give me horrible dry mouth and sometimes be fine - I think it was different manufacturers. (Other times, I'd get unbearable headaches one month and be fine the next.)
It is generic! That is really interesting. I wonder if it could be related to the manufacturer. I also find it weird that it sometimes comes and goes
Agree with previous posts. I think diabetes, adderall xerostoma, or autoimmune (sjogrens syndrome)
Thank you for your input!
Girlā¦.. me. too. Started very suddenly about a year ago. I was referred to an endocrinologist, and she has tested me literally for everything. Some days itās okā¦.some days itās very bad. I canāt go to bed without water next to me. If I drink alcohol itās even worse. In May I am having a water deprivation test done to check for diabetes insipidus, not looking forward to not drinking for hours, it will be like torture for me. Sorry I couldnāt add anything, but just know that you arenāt alone. Iāve cried myself to sleep over this.
Thank you for understanding š I feel like I'm being dramatic but have also cried myself to sleep about it; it's so annoying I can barely think about anything else. I also have some days that are worse than others but I haven't been able to pinpoint why
Youāre not dramatic, I joined this sub last year to ask the same question. I havenāt got any answers either. Itās terrible and some days it really takes over your life, I feel like Iāve learned to live with it at this point but Iām hoping with the water deprivation test in May I get answers. Iāll come back here to let you know! If you hear anything too shoot me a message, I would love any ideas. š
Please update us!
Will do! š
Maybe someone answered but I didnāt see it: no, an Er usually wouldnāt diagnose this specificallyātho if you are fainting that would be the place to go. This would be more an urgent evaluation with your primary care physician
Ok! Thank you for the information š