Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T19:15:08.750Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Compulsive water drinking, water intoxication and alcohol abuse

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

John A. Cooney
John A. Cooney*
Affiliation:
Substance abuse and psychiatric rehabilitation services, Alberta Hospital, Ponoka, Canada
*
Dept. of Geriatric Psychiatry, Edmonton General Hospital, Edmonton, CanadaT5K 0L4
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Using urine specific gravity testing to estimate fluid intake Compulsive Water Drinking (CWD) was found to occur, without an age or sex bias, in 19.1% of rehabilitation inpatients in a Canadian psychiatric hospital. Chart review indicated that Water Intoxication had not been a major problem for these patients during their hospitalisation. Nursing opinion appeared to be a relatively weak test for CWD. In a comparison with age and sex matched control patients no significant association with alcohol abuse for the CWD patients or their relatives was found.

Keywords

Compulsive water drinkingpolydipsiawater intoxicationalcoholism.
Type
Original Papers
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , March 1991 , pp. 22 - 25
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Lee, S, Chow, CC, Koo, LCL. Altered State of Consciousness in a Compulsive Water Drinker. Br J Psychiatry 1989; 154: 556–558.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Cooney, JA. Compulsive Water Drinking and Water Intoxication. Am J Psychiatry 1989; 146: 1235.Google ScholarPubMed
3.Koczapski, AB, Millson, RC, Ripley, TL. Dr. Koczapski and Associates Reply. Am J Psychiatry 1989; 146: 1235.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Jose, CJ, Perez-Cruet, J. Incidence and morbidity of self-induced water intoxication in state mental hospital patients. Am J Psychiatry 1979; 136: 221–222.Google ScholarPubMed
5.Blum, A, Tempey, FW, Lynch, WJ. Somatic findings in patients with psychogenic polydipsia. J Clin Psychiatry 1983; 44: 55–56.Google ScholarPubMed
6.Illowsky, BP, Kirch, DG. Polydipsia and Hyponatremia in Psychiatric Patients. Am J Psychiatry 1988; 145: 675–683.Google ScholarPubMed
7.Arieff, AI, Guisado, R. Effects on the central nervous system of hypernatremic and hyponatremic states. Kidney International 1976; 10: 104–116.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Sandifer, MG. Hyponatremia Due to Psychotropic Drugs. J Clin Psychiatry 1983; 44: 301–303.Google ScholarPubMed
9.Ripley, TL, Millson, RC, Koczapski, AB. Self-Induced Water Intoxication and Alcohol Abuse. Am J Psychiatry 1989; 146: 102–103.Google ScholarPubMed
10.American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 3rd ed — revised. Washington DC: APA, 1987.Google Scholar
11.Feighner, JP, Robins, E, Guze, SB, et al. Diagnostic criteria for use in psychiatric research. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1972; 26: 57–63.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed