Treatment of diabetes insipidus with carbamazepine

Oral carbamazepine has been shown to have antidiuretic activity in seven out of nine patients with neurohypophyseal diabetes insipidus. At the doses used side-effects were not a major problem. In the eighth patient a carbamazepine and clofibrate combination was effective but in the ninth carbamazepine was without effect. It is suggested that carbamazepine should be used initially in neurohypophyseal diabetes insipidus if oral therapy is indicated, but the mode of its antidiuretic action is as yet unclear.