What Causes Brown Colored Urine?

If you’ve noticed a change in your urine color recently, you may be concerned, and for good reason. The color of your urine can often be the first sign of an undiagnosed medical problem. Normal ranges in color from a pale yellow shade to a deeper amber color depending upon the amount of fluid you’ve taken in. Pale shades of urine generally mean that you’re well hydrated, while a dark amber color indicates that you need to drink more fluid. What about urine that’s even darker, even brown in color? Should you be concerned about brown colored urine?

Causes of brown colored urine: Medications

One of the most overlooked causes of brownish urine is the effects of medications. If you notice your urine has a dark color, the first thing to do is to determine if your medications could be causing it. Certain drugs, antibiotics, and even nutritional supplements can cause the urine to appear darker than normal. If you’ve recently started a new medication, ask your doctor if it could cause a change in your urine color.

Cause of brown colored urine: Foods

Certain foods can cause darkening of the urine. Rhubarb can turn the urine a dark orange shade, while asparagus can discolor the urine a dark green color. Ask yourself if you’ve eaten anything unusual if your urine appears dark. If so, your urine color should return to normal within a day or two.

Cause of brown colored urine: Dehydration

If you’ve been outside exercising in the heat and haven’t been sipping on water, you may develop brown colored urine related to dehydration. Why does this occur? When you’re not replacing lost water, your urine becomes more concentrated which causes it to appear darker than normal. If you notice this, try drinking several glasses of water and see if your urine returns to its normal shade.

Cause of brown colored urine: Blood in the urine

Sometimes blood in the urine can give it a brown color. Blood can be present in the urine for a variety of reasons including presence of a urinary tract infection, kidney stone, or kidney disease. If you’re having burning when you urinate, an infection is the most likely cause, while pain in the side suggests a kidney stone. If you’ve ruled out dehydration, foods, and medications as a cause for dark urine, it’s best to see your doctor for a complete urinalysis.

Cause of brown colored urine: Bile in the urine

When bile is present in the urine, it can give it a deep brown coloration. Bile can be found in the urine when liver disease is present or when there’s inflammation of the liver due to hepatitis. Hemolytic anemia where blood cells rupture releasing bilirubin can also cause the urine to be dark.

The bottom line? Brown colored urine needs to be evaluated by a doctor unless you find that food, medications, or dehydration is the cause. This is a symptom you don’t want to ignore.