What should you know about dark amber color urine?

Urine naturally becomes more yellow as the body conserves water. A darker shade after sleeping, sweating, exercising, or spending time in hot weather may lighten after you drink fluids and pass urine again.

Concentrated urine is a common explanation, especially if you are thirsty, have a dry mouth, or are passing smaller amounts of urine. Some foods, vitamins, and medicines can also change urine colour, so consider anything new you have eaten or started taking.

A brown, tea- or cola-coloured appearance can sometimes reflect bilirubin in the urine, which can occur with liver or bile-flow problems. Hepatitis A or hepatitis B can present with dark urine, sometimes alongside yellowing of the skin or eyes, pale stools, nausea, tiredness, or pain under the right ribs. Dark urine may also occur with blood, a urinary infection, or muscle injury.

If you otherwise feel well and have been sweating or drinking less, sip water regularly and avoid heavy exercise until you are rehydrated. Notice whether the urine becomes lighter over the next several trips to the toilet. Do not deliberately overdrink if a clinician has told you to restrict fluids because of a heart, kidney, or liver condition.

Make a note of the colour, when it began, recent heat exposure, new medicines or supplements, and symptoms such as burning, fever, abdominal pain, or yellow eyes. This information can help a clinician decide whether a urine test, blood test, or other assessment is appropriate.

Arrange medical assessment soon if dark urine does not improve after rehydrating, keeps returning without a clear reason, or is accompanied by pain when passing urine, fever, back or side pain, or visible blood. A clinician can check for dehydration, infection, bleeding, and liver-related causes.

Seek urgent care for dark urine with confusion, fainting, severe weakness, inability to keep fluids down, very little urine, severe abdominal pain, yellow skin or eyes, pale stools, or severe muscle pain and swelling. These features may need prompt examination and treatment.

Ask whether the colour could be related to dehydration, a medicine or supplement, blood in the urine, or a liver problem. You can also ask which tests are useful, what symptoms should prompt urgent help, and whether you should change your fluid intake or activity while waiting for results.