The following symptoms and complaints may occur together with polydipsia (excessive thirst):
Leading symptom
- Polydipsia (> 4 liters of fluid intake per day).
Accompanying symptom
- Polyuria (pathological/diseased increased urine output; volume varies between > 1.5-3 l/day depending on doctrine).
Warning signs (red flags)
- In terminal illness (progressive, incurable disease), hypercalcemia (excess calcium) may cause excessive thirst.
- In case of severe thirst always think of diabetes mellitus (diabetes). Older patients, however, complain in such cases rather dry mouth. Even in acute illness does not have to be dehydration (lack of fluids) the reason for strong thirst, also here can be an acute onset diabetes mellitus the cause.
