Patri's Journal: Current
This is Patri's current journal. It is kept on LiveJournal as patrissimo, but you are reading the archived copy on patrifriedman.com.
Experimenting with anti-diuretic hormone (comment on this entry at LiveJournal)
Entry Date: 2004-08-12 14:47:00
Logged: 2004-08-12 14:51:01
Current Mood:
Current Music: Santana-Shaman-Santana - Shaman - Full Album
As many of you know, I have been struggling with chronic insomnia for years. One difficulty is that its multifactorial (ie many causes). I've recently addressed a new cause, related to frequent urination. I've had the problem for awhile that water seems to go right through me. I drink a lot of it, but I still often feel mildy dehydrated. Part of this is due to my using caffeine, but it seems like there is more to it. During the day, the solution is easy - drink a lot, and piss a lot. At night, though, its a problem. Its normal for me to get up 5-6 times during the night to pee, particularly towards the morning. I feel myself getting more deyhdrated every time I wake up, and by the time I get up in the morning, I'm always dehydrated. If I drink water, the peeing is worse, if I drink less, the dehydration is worse.
Anyway, rather than going on like an old lady about the details of my medical problems, lets turn to the cool science solution. There is a drug called vasopressin (or its close relative desmopressin) which I'd heard about as a smart drug. It aids memory formation. Well, it turns out that vasopressin is also ADH: Anti-diuretic hormone. That is, its a hormone made by the body which tells the kidneys to keep more water in the system. Its used as a treatment for nocturnal enuresis (aka bedwetting), diabetes insipidus (which could be my problem), and other ailments.
I've been using desmopressin at bedtime for a week or so, and its definitely helped. Yay synthetic hormones!
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