How to Test for Diabetes Insipidus

If you suspect you have diabetes, you first have to narrow down what type of diabetes is.  To distinguish diabetes insipidus from diabetes mellitus, you should go to your primary care physician and have your urine tested for the type of sugar it contains.

Find out Whether You Have Diabetes Mellitus or Diabetes Insipidus

Diabetes insipidus is rarer than diabetes mellitus.  Symptoms may include excessive thirst, passing large amounts of colorless urine and bedwetting.  There is no definitive laboratory test to make the diagnosis of diabetes insipidus, although there are four popular methods to screen for it.

• Urinalysis.  People with diabetes insipidus have more dilute urine.  Urinalysis is the most common diagnostic tool.  The method involves taking a 24-hour urine collection noting the urine volume and the concentration of glucose and creatinine within the urine.


• Water Deprivation.  The doctor will ask you to stop drinking any for 2 to 3 hours before taking this test.  Some factors being tested include your body weight, your urine output and composition, as well as possibly blood levels of Antidiuretic Hormone (Vasopressin).


• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).  An MRI will be taken of the your head, which will reveal any abnormalities in or near the pituitary gland.


• Genetic Testing.  Diabetes insipidus is most often caused by damage to the pituitary gland or nearby parts of the brain.  For some people, this form of diabetes may be inherited.  In this case, genetic testing will reveal the disease’s source, if it is part of your genetic inheritance from your family.