What Parents Should Know About Desmopressin

What Is Desmopressin and How Does It Work for Bedwetting

Desmopressin is a medication that mimics a natural hormone in the body called vasopressin (also known as antidiuretic hormone, or ADH). Vasopressin’s job is to help the kidneys balance how much water they hold onto and how much they release as urine.

Health care providers sometimes prescribe desmopressin for children who have bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis), especially if the main problem is that they make too much urine at night.

Desmopressin does not work for every child with bedwetting. 

Research shows that it works better in children who have increased urine production during the night (nocturnal polyuria) and normal voided volume during the day. It is not as effective in children with reduced voided volume during the day, and normal urine production at night. It is difficult to determine which group your child fits in unless strict measurements are done.

It is often a case of trying it for each specific child to see if dry nights happen. If dryness does not happen with the largest dose (3 tablets of 0.2mg), it is not the treatment for your child. If dry nights occur with the medication, it can be very helpful for special occasions.

Since desmopressin acts quickly (within 1-2 hours) and is out of the body by the morning, it can be taken on an as needed basis.

Travel, Sleepovers, and Camps: Desmopressin Can Help Kids Feel Confident

If your school age child does respond to desmopressin, it can help with sleepover situations and camps. Taking the medication 1-2 hours before bedtime will decrease the amount of urine produced that night. In theory, if the bladder can hold all the urine produced, there will be a dry night. 

It can give your child the freedom to enjoy nights away from home. They must remember to take the medication every night. If a night is missed, bedwetting will happen that night. This short acting medication does not last more than one night.

Tips for Giving Desmopressin Safely to Your Child

Give at the right time.

·      Typically 1–2 hours before bedtime.

Manage fluids carefully.

·      Stop drinks about 1 hour before the dose.

·      Avoid drinking until 8 hours after the dose.

·      Don’t use it on days your child has been especially active and very thirsty (such as after sports in hot weather).

Watch for side effects.

·      Headaches, nausea, or vomiting.

·      Unusual tiredness or confusion (rare, but could signal low sodium).

·      If your child is unwell with vomiting/diarrhea, skip the dose.

Use only for special occasions, not months or years.

Other treatments, such as bedwetting alarms, should be used when at home.

Not a permanent cure

It’s not the only option, and it doesn’t cure bedwetting in every child. But for many families, it provides peace of mind, better sleep, and a boost in a child’s self-esteem for special occasions.

A more permanent fix is using a bedwetting alarm to help your child make that important nighttime brain-bladder connection. Once your child has learned to wake to a full bladder or hold it until morning, no more bedwetting!