Dark amber, brown, or red-tinted urine may be a symptom of kidney failure. You should contact your doctor if you notice persistent changes in the color of your urine.
An increase in proteins, sugars, and blood cells can change the color of your urine or darken it. Sometimes, this color change may mean your kidneys aren’t functioning as well as they should.
However, your urine can change color for many reasons, including dehydration, food or beverages you’ve recently consumed, or other reasons.
You may need to speak with a healthcare professional if your urine is an unusual color and you don’t know why.
Read on for more information about your urine color when you have kidney failure and the other symptoms to look for.
If your urine is red or brown, it may indicate that your kidneys are failing. The color may also look like a very dark amber.
It may resemble the color of cola or tea.
However, not all darker urine is a symptom of a kidney health condition. It’s important to contact your doctor for an accurate diagnosis if you experience changes in the color of your urine.
The kidneys usually remove liquid waste from your body and keep minerals, salts, and water in balance.
If your kidneys are failing, they may retain fluids, and harmful waste can build up in your body. If this happens, your urine may include excess protein and blood.
This can cause your urine to change color, becoming a darker tan, brown, or even slightly red.
Many people don’t have symptoms in the early stage of kidney failure at first. Symptoms
As kidney disease progresses, in addition to visible changes in the color of your urine, there may be other symptoms of kidney failure, including:
- less urine when you pee
- fluid retention that causes your legs, ankles, and feet to swell
- difficulty sleeping
- muscle cramps, especially at night
- severe fatigue or drowsiness
- frequent nausea
- shortness of breath
- chest pain or pressure
- confusion
Learn more about signs of kidney disease.
Darker yellow urine may mean that you’re dehydrated.
For some people, urine can turn red after eating beets or foods with some dyes, and urine may also change color due to any medications you take.
It’s important to contact a doctor if you notice color changes in your urine. They can help determine the underlying cause.
Learn more about what can cause dark urine.
Should I be concerned about my kidneys if my urine smells sweet?
Sweet-smelling urine may result from glucose building up in urine and can be a symptom of diabetes. Diabetes can link to kidney health conditions like diabetic nephropathy, so it’s important to let your doctor know if you suspect you may have symptoms of it.
How does having high blood pressure affect my kidneys?
High blood pressure
While darker amber, brown, or red-tinted urine can indicate that the kidneys have difficulty filtering blood, it may also just mean you’re dehydrated. Urine color can even occur due to foods and medications you’ve consumed.
Notify your healthcare professional if your urine doesn’t return to a typical paler color or if you believe there’s blood in your urine. They can perform further testing to determine if it’s a symptom of an underlying condition.
