Your activity: 4 p.v.

Patient education: Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) (The Basics)

Patient education: Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) (The Basics)

What is the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH)? — The syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (also called "SIADH") is a condition that happens when your body makes too much antidiuretic hormone (also called "ADH"). ADH helps manage the amount of water in your body. If you have too much ADH, your kidneys can't get rid of water. Fluid builds up in your body and dilutes the amount of salt in your blood. This causes a condition called "hyponatremia."

What causes SIADH? — Many things can cause SIADH, including:

Medicines – These include certain medicines used to treat type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, seizures, and cancer.

Infections such as pneumonia

Surgery

Brain and spinal cord problems – This includes strokes, bleeding, or an infection in your brain.

Cancer – This includes different types of lung cancer (especially small cell) and cancer of the stomach, pancreas, or brain.

What are the symptoms of SIADH? — The symptoms are the same as the symptoms of hyponatremia and include:

Nausea and vomiting

Headache

Confusion or trouble thinking clearly

Feeling weak or tired

Feeling restless or irritable

Muscle weakness, spasms or cramps

Seizures or passing out

Is there a test for SIADH? — Yes. Tests include blood and urine tests.

How is SIADH treated? — That depends on what is causing your SIADH. For example, if you have an infection, your doctor might prescribe medicines to treat it. They might also tell you to:

Limit the amount of fluids you drink

Eat salt tablets or get a salt-water solution into a vein

Stop taking a medicine that is causing the problem

More on this topic

Patient education: Hyponatremia (The Basics)

This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Jan 02, 2023.
This generalized information is a limited summary of diagnosis, treatment, and/or medication information. It is not meant to be comprehensive and should be used as a tool to help the user understand and/or assess potential diagnostic and treatment options. It does NOT include all information about conditions, treatments, medications, side effects, or risks that may apply to a specific patient. It is not intended to be medical advice or a substitute for the medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment of a health care provider based on the health care provider's examination and assessment of a patient's specific and unique circumstances. Patients must speak with a health care provider for complete information about their health, medical questions, and treatment options, including any risks or benefits regarding use of medications. This information does not endorse any treatments or medications as safe, effective, or approved for treating a specific patient. UpToDate, Inc. and its affiliates disclaim any warranty or liability relating to this information or the use thereof. The use of this information is governed by the Terms of Use, available at https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/know/clinical-effectiveness-terms ©2023 UpToDate, Inc. and its affiliates and/or licensors. All rights reserved.
Topic 86640 Version 5.0