Ask Dr. H: Foods and medications can affect color of urine
Question: I know that urine is supposed to be straw- or wheat-colored. But what would make it white or clear?
Question:
I know that urine is supposed to be straw- or wheat-colored. But what would make it white or clear?
Answer: Actually, urine that's light yellow, bright yellow, clear, reddish, light orange, amber or green can all be normal - depending on the circumstances. In general, the more diluted your urine is, the lighter the color.
However, certain foods, vitamins or medications will have an effect.
Foods that will turn your urine reddish are beets, rhubarb and blackberries. Asparagus can turn urine green, and cause it to have a rotten-egg odor. B vitamins, especially Vitamin B2, can cause urine to appear bright yellow.
Compazine for nausea can cause urine to turn reddish-brown.
Urine that appears dark yellow is probably concentrated because of dehydration. Urine might turn red or pink because of blood from conditions such as a urinary tract infection, kidney stones, or a kidney/bladder tumor. Cloudy urine raises suspicion of an infection of the urinary tract. If your urine remains oddly colored or it becomes cloudy - especially with symptoms like burning, flank pain, fever or increased urinary frequency, it's wise to let your doctor know right away and to get a urinalysis.
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Test may indicate a kidney problem
Q:
My bloodwork consistently shows that my creatinine level is high. The normal range is between 0.5 and 1.2; mine ranges from 1.7 to 2.0. Both nurses and doctors advise me to drink more water, but lots of water has no effect. Any advice?
A: You're describing one of several markers doctors use to figure out how well your kidneys are working. The serum BUN (blood urea nitrogen) level is another important blood level that goes along with a blood creatinine level. It would be helpful to know your BUN level too.
BUN and creatinine are simply breakdown products of blood and muscle. In a normal healthy state, there's a fairly steady and predictable breakdown of old red blood cells and muscle. However, if too much blood or muscle breakdown occurs, or the kidneys can't properly get rid of these waste products, the blood levels of BUN and creatinine will rise.
In a state of dehydration, the level of BUN rises much faster in proportion to the level of creatinine, resulting in an abnormally high BUN to creatinine ratio.
Your rise in serum creatinine could mean that you're dehydrated, but I don't have enough information to be sure. Another possibility is that it's a side effect from a medication you're taking, such as a water pill. They can dehydrate you a bit and make the BUN and creatinine levels rise.
Review your medication list with your doctor. If no offending medication is found, I'd suggest seeing a kidney specialist. A 24-hour urine collection can accurately determine the extent of kidney impairment. Your problem may be acute and reversible, or it might represent a chronic decline in kidney function from high blood pressure, diabetes or kidney disease. Mild impairment isn't necessarily a cause for concern, but it does need to be watched for signs of further decline.