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Brought to you by the insurance specialists at Peter C. Foy & Associates Changes in Urine ~ When to See a Doctor

Urine is simply excess water and waste products that your kidneys filter from your blood. Its
color usually ranges from pale yellow to deep amber, depending on its concentration — the
proportion of waste products to water. That, in turn, depends partly on how much fluid you
consume.
For the most part, we pay little attention to urine, unless it looks or smells unusual. A surprising
number of things can affect the color and odor of your urine. The most common ones are
harmless and temporary, including foods, vitamins, and certain medications. But sometimes
changes in urine signal a medical problem, which may range from relatively benign (a urinary
tract infection) to serious (kidney or bladder cancer). Here are some suggestions on when you
can relax and when you should consult your clinician.

Vegetables, Fruits, and Vitamins
Beets, blackberries, and rhubarb can temporarily turn urine pink or red, which can be alarming,
because it may be mistaken for blood. The pigment that gives beets their deep magenta color is
stable only at certain levels of stomach acidity and is usually too faint to show up in most
people’s urine. The phenomenon — dubbed “beeturia” — occurs in only about 10% to 14% of
the population. Even if you’re in that select group, eating beets won’t always have a visible
effect, because the acidity of your stomach (and therefore your urine) depends on when you ate
and what else you ate. Rhubarb can also turn urine dark brown or tea-colored, as can fava beans
and aloe. Carrots, carrot juice, and vitamin C can color urine orange, and B vitamins can turn it a
fluorescent yellow-green.
Asparagus sometimes gives urine a greenish tinge and a distinctive smell. Why this occurs is a
matter for speculation. Some blame it on the sulfur-containing fertilizers used on asparagus
plants (there is no record of the vegetable changing urine odor before such fertilizers were
introduced). Others suggest that only people who carry a particular gene break down the sulfur-
containing proteins in asparagus that release the odor. Still another view is that the smell of
everyone’s urine undergoes a change, but only some of us notice it. The current consensus seems
to be that some of us produce smelly urine after eating asparagus, and some of us do not, while
some can detect the odor and some cannot.

The information within this Health Tip does not provide medical advice. It is for general information purposes only and may not be relied on as a
substitute for actual professional medical advice, care or treatment. You are encouraged to consult your physician or your local health care
provider to obtain professional medical advice, which may agree or disagree with the information and materials contained on this site. You
should consult your own physician or your local health care provider regarding your own symptoms, medical condition, treatment or medications.
21650 Oxnard Street, Suite 1900, Woodland Hills, CA 91367, (818) 703-8057-main (818) 703-0935-fax License #0803080 Medications and Medical Problems
Various prescription and over-the-counter medications can change the look of your urine. So can
certain medical conditions, most commonly urinary tract infections (UTIs), which affect about
half of all women at least once during their lives. The mucus and white blood cells associated
with UTIs can turn urine cloudy and cause an unpleasant odor. Symptoms also include a frequent
and urgent need to urinate, burning pain with urination, and abdominal pain. Contact your
clinician if you experience these symptoms, which usually disappear quickly after you start oral
antibiotics.
Medications Associated with Changes in Urine Color
Color of urine
Medications
senna (Ex-Lax), chlorpromazine (Thorazine), thioridazine (Mellaril) rifampin (Rifadin), warfarin (Coumadin), phenazopyridine (Pyridium) amitriptyline (generic), indomethacin (Indocin), cimetidine (Tagamet), Dark Brown or chloroquine (Aralen), primaquine (generic), metronidazole (Flagyl), UTIs can also cause blood in the urine (hematuria). If the amount is very small, the urine appears normal, and the blood is visible only under a microscope. Larger amounts can cause urine to appear pinkish, red, or cola-colored. Another possible cause of hematuria is kidney stones — hard, crystalline masses ranging in size from a grain of sand to a pearl that form within the urinary tract or kidney. A stone may cause hematuria if it irritates the ureter (the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder). Kidney stones can also cause extreme pain in your back or side, and fever, chills, and vomiting, for which you should seek immediate medical attention. But most stones will pass out of the body without medical intervention. Hematuria can also result from an injury to the upper or lower urinary tract (for example, in a car accident or bad fall). Strenuous exercise (especially running) can sometimes cause hematuria because the repeated jarring damages the bladder. Less common sources of hematuria are bladder cancer and kidney cancer or other kidney disease — so be sure to check with your doctor if your urine appears reddish for no apparent reason. Reference: Harvard Medical School – HEALTHbeat The information within this Health Tip does not provide medical advice. It is for general information purposes only and may not be relied on as a substitute for actual professional medical advice, care or treatment. You are encouraged to consult your physician or your local health care provider to obtain professional medical advice, which may agree or disagree with the information and materials contained on this site. You should consult your own physician or your local health care provider regarding your own symptoms, medical condition, treatment or medications. 21650 Oxnard Street, Suite 1900, Woodland Hills, CA 91367, (818) 703-8057-main (818) 703-0935-fax License #0803080

Source: http://www.pcfoy.com/documents/Healthy-Lifestyle/Changes-in-Urine-When-to-See-a-Doctor.pdf