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Psychotropic drug regimes in compulsive water drinkers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

John A Cooney
John A Cooney*
Affiliation:
University of Alberta, Clinical Head, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Geriatrics, Edmonton General Hospital, 11111 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton. Alberta T5K 0L4., Canada
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Abstract

Objective: To assess the importance of psychotropic medications in Compulsive Water Drinking (CWD) among psychiatric inpatients. Method: The psychotropic medication regimes of 21 CWD inpatients (16 of whom had a diagnosis of schizophrenia) and 21 age and sex matched control inpatients were compared. The CWD group was selected on the basis of urine specific gravity testing amongst the non-geriatric rehabilitation population of a Canadian psychiatric hospital. Regular and prn medications were compared by type and dose. Results: Both groups had generally similar regular medication regimes. No significant differences were found for any of the more commonly prescribed medications. There was a nonsignificant tendency for more CWD subjects to be given prn psychotropics, likely a consequence rather than a cause of the polydipsia. Conclusion: No significant differences were found between the two groups. However, because of the large number of medications used and the relatively small number of subjects, the study has relatively low power. A larger study, combining the CWD inpatients of several hospitals, would be required to definitely rule out a role for psychotropics in the aetiology of CWD.

Keywords

Compulsive water drinkingPolydipsiaPsychotropic drugs
Type
Original Papers
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 10 , Issue 1 , February 1993 , pp. 8 - 11
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

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