Polyuria: The excessive passage of urine (at least 2.5 liters per day for an adult) resulting in profuse urination and urinary frequency (the need to urinate frequently).
Polyuria is a classic sign of diabetes mellitus that is under poor control or is not yet under treatment. Polyuria occurs in some other conditions such as:
- Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus -- a genetic disease
- Polycystic kidney disease -- another genetic disease
- Sickle cell disease
- Pyelonephritis -- infection of kidneys
- Amyloidosis -- deposits of a substance called amyloid in the kidney
- Sjogren syndrome, and
- Myeloma.
Certain drugs such as the mood stabilizer lithium (Lithobid, Eskalith) and the antibiotic demeclocycline (Declomycin) can also lead to polyuria.
