What should you know about cholestasis dark urine?

Cholestasis means bile is not moving normally from the liver through the bile ducts into the intestine. Bile pigments can then build up in the blood and pass into urine, making it look brown or tea-coloured. Yellowing of the skin or eyes, pale stools, itching, nausea or discomfort under the ribs may also occur, although symptoms vary.

Dark urine is not specific to cholestasis. Concentrated urine from dehydration or heat exhaustion may look darker, and liver inflammation such as hepatitis A or hepatitis B can affect bile handling. A clinician may need to review symptoms, medicines, hydration and examination findings rather than judging the cause from colour alone.

Note when the colour changed, how much you are drinking, and whether stools, skin or eyes have changed. Drink safe fluids unless a clinician has restricted your intake. Do not stop prescribed medicines or start supplements to treat the colour without advice.

Arrange medical assessment if dark urine persists, returns without an obvious hydration explanation, or occurs with itching, jaundice, abdominal pain, nausea, fever or unusual tiredness. The clinician may request urine and blood tests and decide whether liver or bile-duct assessment is needed.

Seek urgent care for dark urine with severe abdominal pain, confusion, fainting, repeated vomiting, inability to keep fluids down, rapidly worsening yellow skin or eyes, or very little urine. These features may indicate a problem needing prompt treatment or significant dehydration.

Ask what your urine colour suggests alongside your other symptoms, whether liver tests are needed, which medicines or supplements should be reviewed, and what changes should trigger urgent help.