Alternate Names: Polyuria

Considerations: This is a fairly common symptom which is often noticed when it occurs at night.

Common Causes:

• too much fluid intake, particularly fluids containing caffeine or alcohol
• too much salt or glucose (if diabetic)
• drug use, especially diuretics
• diabetes (both diabetes insipidus and diabetes mellitus)
• psychogenic polydipsia, most common in women over age 30
• renal failure
• sickle cell anemia
• radiographic tests that use a contrast media
  • urine volume will increase for up to 24 hours following the dose

Home Care: Intake and output of fluids should be monitored. Record physical weight at the same time(s) and on the same scales daily.

Call If:

• excessive urination occurs over several days and is not explained by medications or increase in fluids.

What To Expect: The medical history will be obtained and a physical examination performed.

Medical history questions documenting the excessive urine volume in detail may include:

• time pattern
  • How long has this been noticed?
  • Does the volume of urine remain comparable from one day to the next?
  • Is the volume large one day and small the next day?
  • What time of day does the problem seem worse?
• quality
  • What color is the urine?
  • Has any blood been noticed in the urine?
  • How many times each day is urination necessary? What about at night?
  • Any problems controlling urine?
• aggravating factors
  • What makes the problem worse?
  • Does drinking large volumes of fluid increase the urine volume?
• relieving factors
  • Is there anything that helps relieve the problem?
  • Does restricting fluid intake reduce the urine volume?
• other
  • What other symptoms are also present?
    • Is there any pain or burning when urinating?
    • Is there pain in the abdomen or back pain?
    • Is there a fever?
    • Is bed wetting a problem?
  • What medications are being taken?
  • Is there a family history of diabetes or kidney problems?
  • Has there been previous urinary tract infections?
  • Dietary factors: What is the amount of fluids consumed each day? Salt? Caffeine? Alcohol?

• blood urea nitrogen test
• creatinine studies
• fluid deprivation test (the intake of fluids is restricted to see if the urine volume decreases)
• serum osmolality and osmolality, urine tests
• serum electrolytes