Vasopressin
Vasopressin is also known as antidiuretic hormone and is a naturally occurring hormone in humans and animals. The major use of vasopressin is to preserve water from being excreted in the kidneys.
Vasopressin Facts
| Other names | ADH, Antidiuretic hormone, Argipressin, Diapid, Pressyn, Vasopressin |
| Effects | Increases water retention. Improves mental clarity and memory. |
| Legal status | Often needs a prescription to buy, but is legal to posses without one. |
The hormone is normally synthesized in the brain and its released is controlled by the osmolarity of the blood. Besides it activity on the kidney, vasopressin also has a myriad of other effects. In the brain it has been postulated to improve both the long and term short memory, control behavior and regulate temperature.
There is a lot of evidence that vasopressin may have an important role in the control of certain behaviors - especially sexual.
When levels of vasopressin in the body are low, most individuals are not able to preserve water and become dehydrated. High levels can occur from either medications or cancers.
Vasopressin is used to treat several medical disorders including diabetes insipidus (not diabetes mellitus). Since the hormone can also constrict tissues, it is also widely used to treat esophageal varices and low blood pressure. A synthetic version of vasopressin, desmopressin is also used to treat von Willebrand disease (bleeding disorder) and bed wetting in children.