What Is DDAVP® Nasal Spray?

DDAVP® Nasal Spray is a trade name of desmopressin, a synthetic analog of vasopressin. This is a naturally occurring hormone responsible for reducing the volume of urine. The DDAVP® Nasal Spray trade name is used by pharmaceutical company Sanofi-aventis U.S., although there are other trade names for desmopressin, which include Stimate and Minirin.

Since DDAVP® Nasal Spray is used for reducing urination to control the body’s water balance, it is classified as an antidiuretic. It is manufactured as a spray in a 5-milliliter (mL) bottle with compression pump, designed for administering to the nose 0.1 mL at a time. Each pump delivers 0.1 milligrams of desmopressin acetate, which is its salt form, or desmopressin derived from the organic compound of acetic acid. Other chemicals that DDAVP® Nasal Spray contains include sodium chloride, citric acid monohydrate, disodium phosphate dihydrate and benzalkonium chloride.

An increase in urination is a primary indication of diabetes insipidus (DI). This is caused by the deficiency of vasopressin. The urine increase vasopressin causes is in its dilution or water component, thereby decreasing its concentration. DDAVP® Nasal Spray is specifically used for one of the two types of DI known as central diabetes insipidus, which concerns vasopressin deficiency. The treatment is not effective for the other type, nephrogenic DI, which is caused by a lack of response of the kidneys to vasopressin.

DDAVP® Nasal Spray is also used for nocturnal enuresis, since it concerns urination. People with nocturnal enuresis involuntarily urinate when they are asleep, specifically at night. This condition is more commonly known as bed wetting. Besides urinary disorders, DDAVP® Nasal Spray is applied to people with blood-related ailments such as hemophilia and von Willebrand's disease.

Adults have a dosage range of 0.1 to 0.4 mL per day, which can constitute one dose or be split into two or three doses. The most common dose, however, is 0.2 mL split into two doses. A daily dosage range of 0.05 to 0.3 mL is recommended for people between the age of 3 months and 12 years, either in a single dose or two doses.

People who have a history of medical conditions such as coronary artery insufficiency, hypertensive cardiovascular disease or cystic fibrosis should use DDAVP® Nasal Spray with caution. Also, side effects such as scarring and fluid accumulation can occur in the nose. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) places DDAVP® Nasal Spray in the relatively mild pregnancy category B of its classification system of pharmaceutical fetal risk.