A Review of Disorders of Water Homeostasis in Psychiatric Patients

Disorders of water homeostasis are common in psychiatric patients and include compulsive water drinking, the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH), and the syndrome of self-induced water intoxication (SIWI). Although water intoxication was recognized nearly 70 years ago, the physiological basis of these disorders of water metabolism still remains elusive. This review will provide a historical overview, critique current studies on compulsive water drinking and SIWI, discuss possible etiologies, and present current approaches to treatment of these disorders. Because of the complexity of the subject, a review of normal water homeostasis and the SIADH will be included.