Warning: Bedwetting Drug May Cause Seizures

The FDA has warned that children should no longer use the nasal-spray form of the drug desmopressin to treat bedwetting because in rare circumstances, it can cause seizures and possibly death. But parents should also be aware that the more popular tablet form, too, can cause seizures if a child drinks too much after dinner. "The drug causes the kidneys to produce less urine at night, so I recommend kids drink no more than 8 ounces after dinner and nothing for an hour before bedtime," says pediatrician Howard Bennett, MD, author of Waking Up Dry. If a child drinks too much while taking the drug, it can lower the salt content in his bloodstream, and may lead to a seizure.

Copyright © 2008. Used with permission from the March 2008 issue of Parents magazine.

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