Strange suffering 35-year-old patient must drink over 20 liters of water a day

If a 35-year-old man does not drink 20 liters of water every day, his life is in danger

A 35-year-old man from North Rhine-Westphalia has to drink 20 liters of water every day - otherwise there is a danger to his life. Bielefeld is suffering from a rare metabolic disease called diabetes insipidus renalis. The disease is characterized by an increased urinary excretion and a strong feeling of thirst.

Too little fluid intake is unhealthy

When people drink too little, the fluid balance comes into imbalance. That endangers the health. It is well known that fluid loss can lead to physical and mental discomfort. Concerned people may experience concentration problems, dry mouth, tiredness, loss of appetite or constipation. That the human body needs enough fluid to stay healthy is not a question. But how much water should we drink? It is usually advised by medical experts to consume two to three liters per day. However, a man from North Rhine-Westphalia needs 20 liters daily - otherwise he is in mortal danger.

A man from Bielefeld has to drink 20 liters of water every day due to a rare metabolic disease - otherwise there is a risk of death. (Image: GianlucaCiroTancredi / fotolia.com)

Never slept more than two hours in a row

According to media reports, the 35-year-old Marc Wübbenhorst from North Rhine-Westphalia suffers from a rare metabolic disease called diabetes insipidus renalis since his birth.

If he does not drink 20 liters of water every day, he dies. Already two hours without fluid intake are therefore life-threatening for the man from Bielefeld. As a result, he often has to empty himself.

"I have never slept in my life more than two hours," said Wübbenhorst to the "New Westphalian".

Survival only with timely therapy

"Diabetes insipidus is a condition in which the kidneys are unable to adapt the fluid to the needs of the organism," explains Professor Dr. med. med. L. Schaaf from the Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry on the portal of the patient support group for pituitary and adrenal diseases in Munich.

"Delineation of this is diabetes mellitus. In this disease, sugary urine is eliminated, while in diabetes insipidus very thin, sugar-free urine is produced, "the expert said.

As the children's network writes, affected people even before birth, the amount of amniotic fluid is greatly increased.

"Already in the first days of life dry out the almost exclusively male newborns despite ample amount of drinking, develop fever, vomiting and constipation," said the experts.

"Adults drink 10-20 liters a day and excrete the same amount again. Only with timely diagnosis and therapy is there a chance of survival. "

Patient suffered from a kind of fatigue depression

According to the "New Westphalian" (NW), about 60 people in Germany suffer from the rare disease. Marc Wübbenhorst has come to terms with the disease.

In school, however, he was particularly troubled by the fatigue associated with his thirst.

"As a kid, I had that massive. I had friends, girlfriends, but at some point everything just got too much for me. I did not want to go to kindergarten, paint anymore, or go to the lantern parade. I had a kind of exhaustion depression ", explained the Bielefeld to the NW.

Even today, the disease still burdened him: "It is often a life on the limit."

Occupation and everyday life are determined by the disease

The profession and everyday life of the 35-year-old, who works in an architectural office today, are still determined by his illness: "Some things, such as long journeys or some sports, just do not go."

In addition, dramatic incidents are not excluded: "One day we worked incredibly long in the office, sometime it was 22.30 clock in the evening, I'm on the train and had my bottle of water not with me," recalls Wübbenhorst.

But then the train got stuck and the toilet in the compartment was locked. A friend finally found him at the Bielefeld Jahnplatz - completely disoriented and confused. According to the report, the first signs of dehydration had already set in: "He then got me something to drink quickly, my rescue."

In addition to sufficient amounts of water there is the treatment of diabetes insipidus, according to Professor. med. L. Schaaf in the gift of Vasopressin.

"In contrast to the naturally occurring hormone, the drug vasopressin (DDAVP / desmopressin) works over several hours, so that the hormone usually only needs to be administered twice a day," said the specialist. (Ad)