Desmopressin
Brand names: DDAVP, Octim, Stimate
Desmopressin is a synthetic analogue of vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone) used for cranial diabetes insipidus and nocturnal enuresis, and to transiently raise factor VIII and von Willebrand factor in mild haemophilia A and von Willebrand disease.
Adult dose
Paediatric dose
Dose adjustments
No numeric renal dose adjustment is stated in the UK SPC. §4.4, verbatim: 'Care should be taken with patients who have reduced renal function and/or cardiovascular disease.' CROSS-CHECK, US PROVENANCE — the US oral tablet label goes further and makes renal impairment an outright bar: 'Desmopressin acetate tablets are contraindicated in patients with moderate to severe renal impairment (defined as a creatinine clearance below 50mL/min).' That statement belongs to a different product, route and indication (oral tablets for diabetes insipidus/nocturnal enuresis) and is recorded here as a flag, not as a rule for the parenteral haemostatic dose above.
No hepatic impairment dose adjustment, and no hepatic caution of any kind, is stated in any fetched section of this SPC or of the US label.
Dose independently re-sourced from UK Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) via the eMC; US FDA prescribing information (openFDA / DailyMed) — cross-check; US labelling may differ from UK — clinician-reviewed. Always confirm against the product SmPC and your local formulary before prescribing.
THE SAME PER-DOSE FIGURE APPLIES ACROSS THE WHOLE PAEDIATRIC RANGE — §4.2, verbatim: 'The dose for adults, children and infants is 0.3 micrograms per kilogram body weight, administered by subcutaneous injection or intravenous infusion.' The SPC states one weight-based per-dose figure for adults, children and infants alike, with no age band, no weight band and no separate paediatric ceiling, which is why dosePerKg carries it. || NO MAXIMUM DOSE IS STATED, so maxDose is empty and the calculator applies no cap. || NO LOWER AGE OR WEIGHT CUT-OFF APPEARS IN ANY FETCHED SECTION of this SPC — the absence of one here is not evidence that none exists. || CONCENTRATION IS NULL: the strength of Octim Injection is not stated in any fetched section, so no mg/mL figure could be sourced and no volume can be derived here — read the strength off the ampoule. || FLUID RESTRICTION IS MANDATORY AROUND THE DOSE, §4.4 verbatim: 'When repeated doses are used to control bleeding in haemophilia or von Willebrand's disease, care should be taken to prevent fluid overload. Fluid should not be forced, orally or parenterally, and patients should only take as much fluid as they require to satisfy thirst. Intravenous infusions should not be left up as a routine after surgery.' || §4.8 records a paediatric-specific signal: 'Very rare cases of emotional disorders including aggression in children have been reported.' || Verify all under-18 dosing against a children's formulary before prescribing.
US labelling (FDA)
Reference — US labelling, may differ from UKDOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Central Diabetes Insipidus The dosage of desmopressin acetate tablets must be determined for each individual patient and adjusted according to the diurnal pattern of response. Response should be estimated by two parameters: adequate duration of sleep and adequate, not excessive, water turnover. Patients previously on intranasal desmopressin acetate therapy should begin tablet therapy twelve hours after the last intranasal dose. During the initial dose titration period, patients should be observed closely and appropriate safety parameters measured to assure adequate response. Patients should be monitored at regular intervals during the course of desmopressin acetate …
Source: US FDA prescribing information (openFDA / DailyMed), label dated 2025-11-13. Accessed 2026-06-12. US dosing and indications can differ from UK practice — use UK sources for prescribing decisions.
Contraindications
- §4.3, verbatim — 'OCTIM Injection is contraindicated in cases of: habitual and psychogenic polydipsia'
- Unstable angina pectoris (§4.3)
- Decompensated cardiac insufficiency (§4.3)
- von Willebrand's Disease Type IIB — §4.3, verbatim: 'where the administration of desmopressin may result in pseudothrombocytopenia due to the release of abnormal clotting factors which cause platelet aggregation'
- Applies to the diagnostic use only — §4.3, verbatim: 'Fibrinolytic Response Testing should not be carried out in patients with hypertension, heart disease, cardiac insufficiency and other conditions requiring treatment with diuretic agents.'
- NOT a contraindication but a §4.4 precaution — measures to prevent fluid overload must be taken in 'conditions characterised by fluid and/or electrolyte imbalance', in 'patients at risk for increased intracranial pressure', and in 'patients with conditions requiring treatment with diuretic agents'
- NOT a contraindication but a §4.4 limitation of effect — 'OCTIM Injection does not reduce prolonged bleeding time in thrombocytopenia.'
- CROSS-CHECK, US PROVENANCE (oral tablet label, different route and indication) — contraindicated in known hypersensitivity to desmopressin acetate or any component, in moderate to severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance below 50 mL/min), and 'in patients with hyponatremia or a history of hyponatremia'
Side effects
- §4.8, verbatim: 'Side-effects include headache, stomach pain and nausea.'
- §4.8: 'Isolated cases of allergic skin reactions and more severe general allergic reactions have been reported.'
- §4.8: 'Very rare cases of emotional disorders including aggression in children have been reported.'
- Water retention / hyponatraemia — the dose-limiting harm; §4.8, verbatim: 'Treatment with desmopressin without concomitant reduction of fluid intake may lead to water retention/hyponatraemia with accompanying symptoms of headache, nausea, vomiting, weight gain, decreased serum sodium and in serious cases, convulsions.'
- §4.8: 'During intravenous infusion of OCTIM Injection, vasodilation may occur, resulting in decreased blood pressure and tachycardia with facial flushing. This side effect is normally avoided by infusing the product over 20 minutes.'
- CROSS-CHECK, US PROVENANCE (oral/intranasal label): large doses of the intranasal formulations 'have produced transient headache, nausea, flushing and mild abdominal cramps... These symptoms have disappeared with reduction in dosage'; transient increases in AST no higher than 1.5 times the upper limit of normal in long-term diabetes insipidus use; and 'rare reports of hyponatremic convulsions associated with concomitant use with the following medications: oxybutinin and imipramine'
Monitoring
- Factor VIII levels — §4.2: 'As some patients have shown a diminishing response to successive doses, it is recommended that monitoring of Factor VIII levels should continue.' If no prior response data exist, 'blood should be taken pre-dose and 20 minutes post-dose for assay of Factor VIII levels in order to monitor response'; expect a rise to 2-5 times pre-treatment levels
- Fluid balance and thirst-limited intake — §4.4: fluid must not be forced orally or parenterally, and IV infusions 'should not be left up as a routine after surgery'
- Body weight, plasma sodium and plasma osmolality — §4.4: 'Fluid accumulation can be readily monitored by weighing the patient or by determining plasma sodium or osmolality.'
- STOP RULE, §4.4 verbatim: 'If there is a gradual increase of the body weight, decrease of serum sodium to below 130mmol/l or plasma osmolality to below 270mOsm/kg, the fluid intake must be reduced drastically and the administration of OCTIM Injection interrupted.'
- Blood pressure — §4.4: 'During administration of OCTIM Injection, it is recommended that the patient's blood pressure is monitored continuously'; watch also for tachycardia and facial flushing from vasodilation (§4.2/§4.8)
- Review co-prescriptions that add antidiuretic effect — §4.5: tricyclic antidepressants, SSRIs, chlorpromazine and carbamazepine 'may cause an additive antidiuretic effect leading to an increased risk of water retention and/or hyponatraemia', and 'NSAIDs may induce water retention and/or hyponatraemia'
- For the diagnostic use, take the venous sample 20 minutes after administration (§4.2)
Clinical monograph
How it works
It acts on renal vasopressin (V2) receptors to promote water reabsorption, and stimulates release of factor VIII and von Willebrand factor from endothelial stores, briefly improving haemostasis.
Prescribing in practice
- Hyponatraemia from water retention is the key hazard and can cause seizures, so fluid restriction and sodium monitoring around dosing are essential.
- Use with caution where fluid overload is a concern, including cardiac or renal impairment, and in older people who are more susceptible to water intoxication.
- Effectiveness in raising clotting factors diminishes with repeated doses (tachyphylaxis), limiting its use over consecutive days for haemostatic indications.
Monitoring
Monitor serum sodium and fluid balance, especially at initiation and when the indication carries a high water-retention risk; for haemostatic use assess factor VIII or von Willebrand factor response and clinical bleeding.
Counselling the patient
- Follow the fluid-restriction advice given, and report headache, nausea, drowsiness or confusion, which may signal low sodium.
- Seek urgent help if a seizure or marked drowsiness occurs.
- For bedwetting, avoid drinking large amounts of fluid in the evening as advised.
Evidence & guidelines
A standard treatment for cranial diabetes insipidus and a recognised option in nocturnal enuresis and in mild haemophilia A and von Willebrand disease.
Reference: UKHCDO Guidelines for vWD; MHRA DSU 2017 (hyponatraemia); BSH Guidelines on haemophilia; Drug verified in RxNorm (NLM); confirm dosing against the manufacturer SPC (eMC). Verify against your local formulary and current prescribing references before prescribing. The structured dose values shown have been reviewed by a clinician. Monograph status: clinician-reviewed (2026-07-04).
Related
Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.
- Paracetamol overdose · TOXBASE/NPIS; MHRA DSU 2012/2024; SNAP regimen (Lancet 2014)
- TCA overdose · TOXBASE/NPIS; AACT/EAPCCT position statements; Resuscitation Council UK ALS
- Opioid overdose · TOXBASE/NPIS; Resuscitation Council UK
- Anticholinergic toxidrome · TOXBASE/NPIS; AACT/EAPCCT
- Benzodiazepine overdose · TOXBASE/NPIS; AACT/EAPCCT
- β-blocker overdose · TOXBASE/NPIS; AACT/EAPCCT; ESC
Featured in these MRCEM clinical pathways
Desmopressin is a core drug in the following exam-focused workups on our sister siteReviseMRCEM.
MRCEM Primary / Intermediate / OSCE candidates: each pathway includes exam-style questions, RCEM/NICE citations, and FAQ summaries.