[Effectiveness of and tolerability to oral desmopressin in the treatment of central diabetes insipidus]

Abstract

Intranasal desmopressin represents the treatment of choice in Central Diabetes Insipidus. Nevertheless, this route of administration bears some practical disadvantage, linked to either difficult delivering technique, or the status of nasal mucose. The antidiuretic effectiveness of oral desmopressin has been recently demonstrated, both in experimental animals and in man. In our study we compared oral vs. intranasal desmopressin efficacy in 13 patients affected by Central Diabetes Insipidus. The results show that the peroral administration of Desmopressin at a mean dose of 500-600 micrograms/die determines an antidiuretic effect comparable to that of intranasal route, without affecting body weight, arterial pressure and chemical analysis. Side effects, generally limited to the first week of treatment, were described (nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness [corrected], bitter taste, epygastralgia, asthenia, epystassis), inducing 4/13 patients to withdrawal the trial.