June 16, 1999
Daily Care
Question from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada:
Our 14 year old son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 10. He has always had nighttime enuresis. My question concerns the use of the drug DDAVP [a prescription medication for decreasing excess urine flow] in diabetics. His brother and father had the same condition, so it isn’t necessarily related to his diabetes, although we notice that enuresis occurs when his blood sugars are high at bedtime and or in the morning.
Answer:
I am not sure what you are asking but you are correct that this condition is hereditary and that your son would have suffered whether or not he developed diabetes. Nonetheless, his likelihood of being dry overnight is considerably reduced by high night-time sugars. His best chance is good control coupled with controlled use of DDAVP. There are no drug interactions to worry about.
KJR
