Diabetes Insipidus | Diagnosis & Tests


How do you test for diabetes insipidus?

To check for diabetes insipidus, your doctor may order a urine test. This will show how much water is in your urine, and can rule out type 1 or type 2 diabetes (if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, there will be excess sugar in your urine). Your doctor might do a blood test to check for high sodium levels, which is another indication of diabetes insipidus.

Your doctor may also order a water deprivation test. During this test, you aren't allowed to drink any liquids. The staff will weigh you, check your urine and blood every hour for several hours. If the results of the test show that you have diabetes insipidus, you will probably also have pictures taken of your brain with an MRI (magnetic resonance image) scan. The scans can show problems or tumors in the brain that could be causing your diabetes insipidus.

Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff

Reviewed/Updated: 02/14
Created: 09/00