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Why is my pee a brownish color?

If the color is between light brown and dark yellow, it may mean that you are just a little dehydrated. Even certain foods can give a brown tint to your urine, like rhubarb, asparagus, or fava beans. Someone who is menstruating may also have urine that appears brown when blood mixes in.

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Key takeaways: Urine can take on many colors. But it might feel uncomfortable or too personal to ask why yours is a certain shade. Many times, your level of hydration causes a change in the color of your urine. If you’re severely dehydrated, it may even appear brown. There are other causes of brown pee besides dehydration. Some of them are harmless, while others can be more serious — like infection or blood. Most people take note of the color of their urine and notice that it can change from day to day. This is a good habit, because your pee can provide some clues about your health and what’s going on inside of your body. And the color of your urine can tell you more than just your hydration status. Brown pee, in particular, is common and can mean several different things — ranging from harmless to more serious. So let’s review some of the different causes of brown urine and what to do when it happens.

What can my pee say about my health?

The color of your urine can change depending on several factors, from hydration status and medications to underlying medical conditions.

What color should urine be?

Urine gets its yellow color from urobilin or urochrome , a chemical that is produced when your body breaks down red blood cells. Your kidneys then remove this chemical from the blood, combine it with water, and excrete it as urine. Generally, the more water that you drink, the paler your urine will be. Drinking too much water may cause your urine to appear clear. Darker yellow means that you may not be drinking enough fluids. Although urine generally varies between lighter to darker yellow, it can also take on many different hues for different reasons. Here, we’ll discuss common reasons why your pee may turn brown.

What causes brown pee?

Brown pee isn’t always a cause for concern. If the color is between light brown and dark yellow, it may mean that you are just a little dehydrated. Even certain foods can give a brown tint to your urine, like rhubarb, asparagus , or fava beans . Someone who is menstruating may also have urine that appears brown when blood mixes in. This is most common at the start or end of menstruation, when the blood can appear more brown than red. There are also certain medications that can turn your pee brown. These include:

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Senna , a common over-the-counter laxative

Phenytoin (Dilantin), an anti-seizure medication

Levodopa, a medication for people with Parkinson’s disease

Antibiotics, such as nitrofurantoin (Macrobid) and metronidazole (Flagyl)

Antimalarial medications, like chloroquine and primaquine

Iron supplements

These cases are often the cause of brown urine, which aren’t a reason for concern. But sometimes brown urine can be a sign of something more serious going on.

Are there any serious causes of brown pee?

There are several health conditions that can lead to brown urine. Some are temporary and treatable, but there are also long-term and potentially serious causes. We’ll review a handful of these conditions.

Urinary tract infection

Urinary tract infection (UTI) may lead to darker colored urine for different reasons. In most cases, the color change is due to blood in the urine. This can occur when bacteria cause bleeding as they invade and inflame the lining of your urinary tract.

Liver disease

Liver disease , such as cirrhosis or hepatitis , can lead to dark urine. This occurs when there are abnormally high levels of bilirubin in the urine, which is a waste product that the liver typically breaks down. If you have brown urine due to liver disease, you’ll likely have other symptoms from your condition. Some examples are:

Extreme fatigue

Jaundice

Nausea or vomiting

Abdominal pain or distention

Weight loss

Swelling of the legs

Kidney disease

There are several kidney conditions that can result in brown urine. These include: End-stage kidney disease or kidney failure: Brown urine can result from the buildup of waste products that occurs when the kidneys aren’t functioning normally. Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis : This is a very rare complication of strep throat that’s more common in children. Kidney stones : As stones move down the urinary tract, they tend to irritate the lining and lead to bleeding.

Rhabdomyolysis

Rhabdomyolysis is a condition that occurs when there’s a significant amount of muscle breakdown, like after intense exercise. As muscles break down they release myoglobin, a dark-colored substance that you excrete in your urine. During rhabdomyolysis, you’ll likely experience significant body and muscle pain, as well as swelling in the arms and legs.

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The most common cancer that can lead to brown urine is renal cell carcinoma , which can cause blood to leak into the urine. Melanoma can also cause melanin, a dark pigment, to leak into the urine. But this is extremely rare.

What should I do if I notice my pee is brown?

If you notice a dark hue to your urine, but you otherwise feel well, a good step is to start hydrating. If the dark color clears and you don't have any other symptoms, it’s safe to say you’ll be OK. But if your pee is still dark after you drink a good amount of water, you should watch for signs that something more serious is going on. It’s a good idea to see your provider if you experience any of the following:

Fever, which can be a sign of infection

Muscle aches or pain

Persistent vomiting or diarrhea

Abdominal or flank pain

Fatigue or disorientation

Even if you don’t have any of these symptoms, and your urine color doesn’t improve within hours when you’re better hydrated, you should reach out to your provider for further evaluation. The bottom line It’s completely normal to check out the color of your urine. In fact, it’s one of the many ways to keep daily tabs on your health. A variation in the color and shade of urine is normal. If your pee turns brown, don’t be shy to talk to your provider about it. And if you have other new symptoms with your brown urine, it’s best not to delay evaluation. The Unmentionables is a series that focuses on common curiosities about our bodies that, at some point, have been labeled as taboo, shameful, or embarrassing. But these are important questions we all have about our health, and we should be able to ask them. This series aims to dispel the stigma, normalize the discussion, and openly address these important health topics.

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goodrx.com - Why Is My Pee Brown? Urine Color and Your Health - GoodRx

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