Why do they consider diabetes insepidus a form of diabetes?!

Question: Why do they consider diabetes insepidus a form of diabetes?

Diabetes Mellitus was discovered before diabetes insipidus. Yet, they are completely different. Diabetes mellitus deals with your pancreas, blood sugar, and insulin. Diabetes insipidus deal with the water in your body, your pituitary gland, kidneys, and the hormone vasopressin. They are only similar in the symptoms that they have such as excessive thirst and excessive urination. I have diabetes insipidus. Awhile back I had to have surgery to remove a cyst on my ovary. Before the surgery, I had to fill out paperwork. The paperwork had a list of conditions and you had to check which ones that you had. For instance, high blood pressure, heart problems, lung problems, etc. I got to the box that said diabetes and I checked it because I have diabetes insipidus. When the nurse was going over the paperwork, she asked me if I had diabetes 1 or 2. I said neither. She then said,"I thought you had diabetes". I told her I did, I told her I had diabetes insipidus. She said that diabetes insipidus was not really diabetes. I asked her ,"what is it". She didn't answer me and just kind of walked away. If someone asks me if I am diabetic, what do I say--yes or no ???

Answers:

Would you believe it, it's because it's a type of diabetes.

Whereas diabetes mellitus has the old time name of "sugar diabetes", diabetes insipidus has the old time name of "water diabetes".

Both conditions relate to the passing of higher than 'normal' volumes of urine, resulting in extreme thirst ... though for different reasons.

Unfortunately, the fact that the nurse who questioned you about which type of diabetes you had, and then stated that diabetes insipidus "was not really diabetes" just goes to show how even stupid people can become nurses. (They get a bit of paper and think they know it all ... some of them!)

The reason the nurse couldn't tell you what diabetes insipidus is, is because she was stuck. She may never have met anyone with the condition before. (It's a rare condition when you compare it to diabetes mellitus.)

My advice to you, if you're asked whether you have diabetes in the future, is to clarify which type of diabetes it is that you have. It might pay you to explain to them that it's not the more common "sugar diabetes" that they may have heard of.

Because it's characterized by excessive urination, and that's what the word "diabetes" (siphon!) was originally coined for...anything that makes you pee clear a lot! Insipidus is rare enough that it doesn't warant it's own name. I would mark Diabetes, but write Insipidus next to it...most people will assume Mellitus, since it's so much more common.

It has an element of sugar problem? and is definitely to do with endocrine system. Yes, I agree that it should have been labeled differently. But then I think type 1 and 2 should have been labeled differently also as their only common point is the sugar problem. They are caused by entirely different things even tho the symptoms are similar and the treatment is similar.

So ask the Endocrinologists what insipidus is!

Next time you are filling out those irritating medical forms be sure to print "diabetes insipidus" in the space or under the listing. It has to be taken into account for your health.

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Why do they consider diabetes insepidus a form of diabetes?!

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