Drink water but still thirsty

There are times when I get really thirsty and no matter how much water I drink I am still thirsty.
I can drink water until I am full and bloated and I still feel thirsty.

Can anyone tell me why ? And is there any dangers in drinking too much water ?

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for writing to the forum!
Extreme thirst is seen in diabetes, both diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus. You need to get your blood sugar and adrenal gland function done along with kidney function test.
Hope this helps. It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage. Do consult your doctor. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[pinkdalmation]

Hi, thanks for your reply

I did a routine blood panel both last year and this year and there is no change in my blood glucose level, it is constant at 4.8 mmol/l. However my dad and paternal grandmother are both diabetic.

Ive put in my blood panel results, if you could make any sense out of them id really appreciate it cos I dont understand it at all.

2008 2009
Haematology
ESR 2 15 mm/hr
RBC 4 4.2 x 10^12/L
Haemoglobin 11.3 12 g/dl
PCV 33 39 %
MCV 91 93 fl
MCH 31 29 pg
MCHC 33 31 g/dl
Platelet count 261 297 x 10^9/L
WBC 6 5.1 x 10^9/L
Differential Count
Neutrophil 59 56.9 %
Lymphocyte 31 32.2 %
Monocyte 6 9.1 %
Eosinophil 4 1 %
Basophil 0 0.8 %
Renal Studies
Glucose 4.8 4.8 mmol/l
Urea 3.5 3 mmol/l
Creatinine 85 76 umol/l
GFR 76 ml/min
Calcium 2.3 2.46 mmol/l
Inorganic phosphate 1.34 1.54 mmol/l
Uric Acid 0.3 0.29 mmol/l
Sodium 138 140 mmol/l
Potassium 4.8 4.9 mmol/l
Chloride 106 104 mmol/l
Lipid Profile
Total cholesterol 5 5.8 mmol/l
HDL cholesterol 2.26 2.49 mmol/l
LDL cholesterol 2.4 3 mmol/l
Triglycerides 0.7 0.74 mmol/l
Total/HDL ratio 2.2 2
Liver Function screen
Total Protein 72 80 g/l
Albumin 43 48 g/l
Globulin 29 31 g/l
A/G ratio 1.5 1.5
Total bilirubin 9 10.1 umol/l
Alkaline phosphatase 51 47 IU/l
SGOT (AST) 19 23 IU/l
SGPT (ALT) 8 11 IU/l
GGT 9
Hepatitis Screen
Free T4 16.9 12 pmol/l
Rheumatoid factor 1 3.1 IU/l

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
The tests you have posted are normal. So you may not have diabetes mellitus. But you will still have to rule out diabetes insipidus.
“Because DM is more common and because DM and DI have similar symptoms, a health care provider may suspect that a patient with DI has DM. But testing should make the diagnosis clear.
A doctor must determine which type of DI is involved before proper treatment can begin. Diagnosis is based on a series of tests, including urinalysis and a fluid deprivation test.
Urinalysis is the physical and chemical examination of urine. The urine of a person with DI will be less concentrated. Therefore, the salt and waste concentrations are low and the amount of water excreted is high. A physician evaluates the concentration of urine by measuring how many particles are in a kilogram of water or by comparing the weight of the urine with an equal volume of distilled water.
A fluid deprivation test helps determine whether DI is caused by one of the following:
• excessive intake of fluid
• a defect in ADH production
• a defect in the kidneys’ response to ADH
This test measures changes in body weight, urine output, and urine composition when fluids are withheld. Sometimes measuring blood levels of ADH during this test is also necessary.
In some patients, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain may be necessary as well.” Refer: http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/insipidus/index.htm#diagnosis
Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!