What should you know about dark yellow green urine?

Urine can look darker when you have taken in less fluid or lost fluid through sweating, vomiting or diarrhoea. Dehydration commonly makes urine more concentrated and may occur during hot weather or strenuous activity. Heat exhaustion can develop alongside heavy sweating, weakness, headache, dizziness or nausea.

A greenish shade may come from food colouring, supplements or some medicines. Dark urine with yellowing of the eyes or skin, pale stools, nausea, loss of appetite or discomfort under the right ribs can point to a liver or bile-flow problem; hepatitis A and hepatitis B are examples of conditions a clinician may consider. Colour alone cannot identify the cause.

Notice when the change began and whether it followed exercise, heat exposure, a new medicine, a supplement or strongly coloured food. Unless a clinician has told you to restrict fluids, drink water regularly and check whether the urine becomes lighter as you rehydrate. Do not stop a prescribed medicine without advice.

Arrange a medical review if the colour does not settle, keeps returning, or has no clear explanation. A clinician may ask about fluid loss, medicines and travel, examine you, and request a urine test or blood tests based on your symptoms.

Seek urgent medical help for confusion, fainting, severe weakness, inability to keep fluids down, very little urine, or signs of severe overheating. Prompt assessment is also appropriate for dark urine with yellow skin or eyes, severe abdominal pain, fever, burning when urinating, or visible blood. These warning signs are more useful than colour alone when deciding how quickly to seek care.

You could ask: Could a medicine, supplement or recent illness explain this colour? Do I need urine or blood testing? Which symptoms would mean I should seek urgent care? If liver trouble or dehydration is a concern, what changes should I monitor at home?