Dark urine before your period: what to know

Amber urine often becomes deeper when you have had less fluid, have been sweating, or have passed urine less often. Brown or tea-coloured urine deserves more attention, particularly if it remains dark after drinking normally. Blood from spotting can make urine look pink, red, or brown in the toilet or on tissue, even when the urine itself is not discoloured. A clean-catch sample collected away from active bleeding can help separate these possibilities.

Dark urine with yellowing of the eyes or skin, pale stools, marked itching, nausea, or unusual tiredness can occur with liver or bile-flow problems. Dark urine with pain, fever, or urinary symptoms may have a different cause. The colour alone cannot identify the source.

Notice whether the change is present in a fresh sample, and record its shade, smell, timing, and any spotting. Drink fluids regularly unless a clinician has told you to restrict them. Avoid using leftover antibiotics or assuming that the change is caused by your menstrual cycle. If the urine stays dark, arrange a medical review; a clinician may ask about medicines, supplements, recent exercise, fluid intake, and menstrual bleeding, then test a urine sample.

Seek urgent care for severe side or back pain, inability to pass urine, confusion, fainting, repeated vomiting, or visible heavy blood or clots. Arrange prompt assessment for fever, burning when passing urine, yellow skin or eyes, pale stools, or dark urine that persists despite normal hydration. These signs do not establish a diagnosis, but they make waiting for the next period less suitable.

Ask whether the sample should be repeated after spotting stops, whether urine testing is needed, and whether your medicines or supplements can change urine colour. Mention recent travel, heat exposure, strenuous exercise, abdominal pain, urinary burning, and any chance of pregnancy.