Male urine that is dark brown: what to know

Urine can look darker after heavy sweating, fever, diarrhoea, or not drinking enough; dehydration often makes it more concentrated. Heat exhaustion may occur with heavy sweating, weakness, headache, dizziness, or nausea. Brown or tea-coloured urine can also contain blood or pigment released when muscle is injured. Liver inflammation, including hepatitis, may darken urine and can occur with yellow skin or eyes, pale stools, itching, tiredness, or nausea. Food, supplements, and medicines can also alter colour. Colour alone cannot establish the cause.

If you feel well and the change followed sweating or low fluid intake, rest somewhere cool and sip fluids unless a clinician has told you to restrict them. Observe whether the colour returns toward its usual shade. Contact a clinician if the colour persists, returns, or has no clear explanation. They may test urine and blood and ask about exercise, injury, medicines, travel, alcohol, and other symptoms. Do not stop prescribed medicine without advice, and do not assume dark urine is simply dehydration.

Seek urgent care for dark-brown urine with severe muscle pain or weakness, very little urine, fainting, confusion, high fever, severe abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, yellow eyes, or visible blood. After heat exposure, worsening dizziness, inability to drink, or altered alertness needs emergency assessment.

Ask whether you need urine and blood tests, whether recent heat or exercise could explain the colour, and which medicines or supplements may contribute. Tell the clinician when the change began and whether pain, fever, jaundice, or reduced urine has appeared.