Definition | Potomania – Primary polydipsia – Psychological polydipsia

Potomania is characterized by an overwhelming need for to drink constantly, most often water. It is a eating behavior disorder of psychological origin, and very rarely of physiological origin. It is accompanied by polyuria, that is to say excessively abundant urine. However, although drinking water is a vital need for the body in normal times, too much consumption on a duration too long can be fatal.

Poisoning … with water

On average, a human needs to hydrate 1.5 liters of water per day. However, people with potomania can consume ten liters! If this threshold is reached every day for a certain period, the body will not be able to assimilate such a quantity of liquid.

Indeed, from ten liters of water per day, the osmotic balance of the human body is upset. This means that the level of solutes molecular (sodium, potassium, etc.) is imbalanced between the extracellular and intracellular medium. In this case, because of a decrease in the osmotic pressure. This should normally prevent the passage of the solvent (here, water) from the least concentrated solution (here, the extracellular medium) to the most concentrated solution (here, the cell). Thus, if it decreases beyond a certain point, water enters the cell in disproportionate quantities … which can lead to implosion.

In fact, excess water dilutes the amount of electrolytes in the blood, which can cause water poisoning, or overhydration.

To avoid this, the body decreases the level of vasopressin, thehormone antidiuretic, resulting in polyuria. This strategy works for a while, but the dilution still takes place. Several consequences therefore arise. Water retention, edema, brain disorders, risk ofepilepsy… The edemas come from the swelling of a organ or tissue in response to the buildup of water between cells. Brain disorders are triggered either by the implosion of nerve cells or by cerebral edema. And the risk of epilepsy is caused by thehyponatremia, i.e. a sodium concentration lower than 135 nmol / L in the plasma which breaks the osmotic balance and causes intracellular hyperhydration. All of these repercussions are dangerous for the person suffering from drug addiction (and for any human).

How is addiction managed?

In order not to get there, different treatments and accompaniments are possible. In the event that the potomania comes from a behavioral disorder, psychotherapy or psychoanalysis is necessary. It consists of a progressive approach, where the patient is given a certain number of Bottles of water for a given period. Then, little by little, their number is reduced, until reaching a reasonable consumption.

Potomania can also have a biological cause, such as diabetes, in which case the biological origin of the disorder must be treated. More rarely, it may be due to medical treatment. Therefore, the person who prescribed this treatment must be alerted in order to make the necessary changes.