Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesTreatmentDiagnosisWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Treatment
Diagnosis
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Frequently Asked Questions
A change in urine color can be concerning. Sometimes, dark urine is a symptom of simple dietary changes or medication side effects. However, in some cases, dark urine can also indicate a more significant health condition.
The good news is that a simple urine test called aurinalysisand other diagnostic tools can help you and your healthcare provider understand what is causing the change.
This article will review dark urine symptoms, causes, treatments, complications, diagnostic tests, and when to see a healthcare provider.
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Dark Urine Symptoms
The primary symptom of dark urine is a color change from a normal, lighter urine color to a darker hue. Depending on the underlying cause, urine colors can be:
Talk to your healthcare provider if you experience any urine color that is not within the normal range of your usual urine color.
What Does Blood in Urine Mean?
Causes of Symptoms
The kidneys are responsible for producing urine. When you eat or drink, fluids pass through the digestive and circulatory systems into the kidneys. Then your kidneys filter waste out of the fluids and expel the waste through the urine along with any excess fluids.
One of the most common causes of dark urine is dehydration from drinking an inadequate amount of fluids. However, there are many other causes of dark or abnormally colored urine, including illness, infection, medicine, or even the foods you eat.
Causes of dark urine symptoms may include:
When Is Mucus in Urine Normal and Abnormal?
What Medications Can Cause Dark Urine?
Sometimes, a new medication may make your urine darker, including:
It is important to discuss medication side effects with your healthcare provider to learn if the medication you will be taking can cause dark urine.
How to Treat Dark Urine
Always communicate with your provider if you are experiencing dark or unusual-colored urine. Diagnostic testing, such as a urinalysis, may be necessary to determine the cause and ensure there are no unknown underlying medication conditions.
Are There Tests to Diagnose the Cause of Dark Urine?
A urinalysis is a simple urine test that examines a small sample of your urine. This test is noninvasive and requires that you provide urine in a clear container for analysis.
A urinalysis typically includes three parts:
Hyaline Casts in Urine: Understanding Ranges on Urinalysis
If you’re experiencing dark urine or any other change in urine color, see your healthcare provider for a physical examination and testing.
Fortunately, a urinalysis or other diagnostic tests can help you and your healthcare provider understand what is causing the issue. Based on the results of a urinalysis, your provider may want to perform other diagnostic tests.
Summary
Dark urine may be a symptom of simple dietary changes or medication side effects. However, it can also be a symptom of a larger health condition.
Depending on the cause, dark urine may be dark brown, cloudy or milky, pink, red, dark yellow, orange, or even green and blue.
One of the most common causes of dark urine is dehydration. However, many other diseases, infections, foods, and medications can cause dark urine.
A urinalysis is a simple urine test that can help determine the cause of dark urine symptoms. This test is noninvasive and requires a small amount of urine for analysis. The test will examine color and clearness, check for things that don’t belong, and test the substances in your urine to ensure they are within normal levels.
A Word From Verywell
Dark urine symptoms can be concerning. But the good news is that a visit with your healthcare provider can help determine the cause. See your healthcare provider to ensure there aren’t any underlying medical conditions that may be causing your dark urine symptoms.
Frequently Asked QuestionsNormal urine color is a light yellow to amber color. Dark urine may indicate dehydration or another more serious underlying medication condition. See your healthcare provider for additional testing for any new or prolonged symptoms of dark urine.Because normal urine color is typically a light yellow to amber color, a darker cooler may signify a more serious healthcare issue. Diagnosis is impossible without additional diagnostic testing and a visit with your healthcare provider. You should contact your provider, who will likely gather your past medical information, perform a physical, and order additional diagnostic testing such as a urinalysis.High glucose levels fromdiabetescan damage the blood vessels in the kidneys over time. This puts more strain on the kidneys to filter blood and can eventually causekidney disease. A symptom of diabetes and kidney disease may be bloody or very dark urine.UTIs are also more common in people with diabetes.Blood in the urine from a UTI may make the urine appear darker and redder in color.See your healthcare provider immediately to find out if any underlying medical conditions may be causing your dark urine symptoms. Causes can range from dehydration, medication use, and foods to more serious healthcare conditions such as liver cirrhosis or rhabdomyolysis.
Normal urine color is a light yellow to amber color. Dark urine may indicate dehydration or another more serious underlying medication condition. See your healthcare provider for additional testing for any new or prolonged symptoms of dark urine.
Because normal urine color is typically a light yellow to amber color, a darker cooler may signify a more serious healthcare issue. Diagnosis is impossible without additional diagnostic testing and a visit with your healthcare provider. You should contact your provider, who will likely gather your past medical information, perform a physical, and order additional diagnostic testing such as a urinalysis.
High glucose levels fromdiabetescan damage the blood vessels in the kidneys over time. This puts more strain on the kidneys to filter blood and can eventually causekidney disease. A symptom of diabetes and kidney disease may be bloody or very dark urine.UTIs are also more common in people with diabetes.Blood in the urine from a UTI may make the urine appear darker and redder in color.
High glucose levels fromdiabetescan damage the blood vessels in the kidneys over time. This puts more strain on the kidneys to filter blood and can eventually causekidney disease. A symptom of diabetes and kidney disease may be bloody or very dark urine.
UTIs are also more common in people with diabetes.Blood in the urine from a UTI may make the urine appear darker and redder in color.
See your healthcare provider immediately to find out if any underlying medical conditions may be causing your dark urine symptoms. Causes can range from dehydration, medication use, and foods to more serious healthcare conditions such as liver cirrhosis or rhabdomyolysis.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Medline Plus.Urine - abnormal color.Urology Care Foundation.The meaning behind the color of urine.Revollo JY, Lowder JC, Pierce AS, Twilla JD.Urine Discoloration Associated With Metronidazole: A Rare Occurrence. Journal of Pharmacy Technology. 2014;30(2):54-56. doi:10.1177/8755122513500921.National Kidney Foundation.Urinalysis (urine test).American Diabetes Association.Kidney disease (nephropathy).Nitzan O, Elias M, Chazan B, Saliba W.Urinary tract infections in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: review of prevalence, diagnosis, and management.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2015;8:129-136https://doi.org/10.2147/DMSO.S51792Nitzan O, Elias M, Chazan B, Saliba W.Urinary tract infections in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: review of prevalence, diagnosis, and management.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2015;8:129-136https://doi.org/10.2147/DMSO.S51792
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Medline Plus.Urine - abnormal color.Urology Care Foundation.The meaning behind the color of urine.Revollo JY, Lowder JC, Pierce AS, Twilla JD.Urine Discoloration Associated With Metronidazole: A Rare Occurrence. Journal of Pharmacy Technology. 2014;30(2):54-56. doi:10.1177/8755122513500921.National Kidney Foundation.Urinalysis (urine test).American Diabetes Association.Kidney disease (nephropathy).Nitzan O, Elias M, Chazan B, Saliba W.Urinary tract infections in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: review of prevalence, diagnosis, and management.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2015;8:129-136https://doi.org/10.2147/DMSO.S51792Nitzan O, Elias M, Chazan B, Saliba W.Urinary tract infections in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: review of prevalence, diagnosis, and management.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2015;8:129-136https://doi.org/10.2147/DMSO.S51792
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Medline Plus.Urine - abnormal color.Urology Care Foundation.The meaning behind the color of urine.Revollo JY, Lowder JC, Pierce AS, Twilla JD.Urine Discoloration Associated With Metronidazole: A Rare Occurrence. Journal of Pharmacy Technology. 2014;30(2):54-56. doi:10.1177/8755122513500921.National Kidney Foundation.Urinalysis (urine test).American Diabetes Association.Kidney disease (nephropathy).Nitzan O, Elias M, Chazan B, Saliba W.Urinary tract infections in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: review of prevalence, diagnosis, and management.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2015;8:129-136https://doi.org/10.2147/DMSO.S51792Nitzan O, Elias M, Chazan B, Saliba W.Urinary tract infections in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: review of prevalence, diagnosis, and management.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2015;8:129-136https://doi.org/10.2147/DMSO.S51792
Medline Plus.Urine - abnormal color.
Urology Care Foundation.The meaning behind the color of urine.
Revollo JY, Lowder JC, Pierce AS, Twilla JD.Urine Discoloration Associated With Metronidazole: A Rare Occurrence. Journal of Pharmacy Technology. 2014;30(2):54-56. doi:10.1177/8755122513500921.
National Kidney Foundation.Urinalysis (urine test).
American Diabetes Association.Kidney disease (nephropathy).
Nitzan O, Elias M, Chazan B, Saliba W.Urinary tract infections in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: review of prevalence, diagnosis, and management.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2015;8:129-136https://doi.org/10.2147/DMSO.S51792
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