Dark pink urine: what should you know?

Pink or reddish urine can occur when blood enters the urinary tract, including with irritation, infection, a stone, or another kidney or bladder problem. Beets, some medicines, menstrual blood, or vaginal bleeding can make the toilet water look pink without blood coming from urine. Dehydration may deepen the colour, especially after heat, sweating, vomiting, or diarrhoea. Burning, urgency, clots, side pain, fever, or a change to tea-coloured urine helps a clinician decide what to check.

If you feel well and can drink normally, take regular fluids and observe the next few times you pass urine. Do not assume the colour is harmless or take antibiotics without assessment. Note whether bleeding could be menstrual or vaginal, any recent strenuous activity, new medicines, pain, fever, and how long the colour lasts. A urine sample is often useful, and a clinician may arrange further tests based on the findings.

Seek urgent help for heavy visible blood, clots blocking urine, severe side or back pain, faintness, fever with shaking, vomiting, or inability to pass urine. Arrange prompt medical review for repeated pink urine, pain when passing urine, yellow eyes or skin, or a colour that remains after possible food or menstrual causes have ended.

Ask whether the sample should be collected away from menstrual bleeding, whether medicines or food could explain the colour, and which symptoms require urgent review.