During an intake interview with a patient who has SIADH, which symptom would you expect to report?

During an intake interview with a patient who has SIADH, which symptom would you expect to report?

• A. Headache
• B. Hypotension
• C. Weight gain
• D. Muscle cramps

Answer: (A)

SIADH causes excessive water reabsorption, leading to dilutional hyponatremia with low serum osmolality. The brain is especially sensitive to low osmolality, so water shifts into brain cells and cerebral edema develops, producing headache as a common early symptom. Weight gain from fluid retention and muscle cramps can occur with hyponatremia, but hypotension is not typical because the patient is usually euvolemic. So the most likely report during an intake interview is a headache due to the hyponatremia from SIADH.

SIADH causes excessive water reabsorption, leading to dilutional hyponatremia with low serum osmolality. The brain is especially sensitive to low osmolality, so water shifts into brain cells and cerebral edema develops, producing headache as a common early symptom. Weight gain from fluid retention and muscle cramps can occur with hyponatremia, but hypotension is not typical because the patient is usually euvolemic. So the most likely report during an intake interview is a headache due to the hyponatremia from SIADH.