Urine Colour

[genie123]

For a week or more I was passing very dark orange/almost brown urine towards the end of the day. Realising that I hadn't peed much either during the day I was concerned. Then I decided perhaps not taking enough fluids so increased these and yes the colour is ok now. Just wondering whether by increasing the fluids and changing the colour I'm covering up something more worrying that my body was trying to tell me. I have no other symptoms.

[Old_Geezer]

Dark pee can suggest not drinking enough water.

[Sqad]

Yes...you have summed the situation up quite nicely.....your dark urine was due to you dehydration and now that you have increased your fluid intake, the colour of your urine is normal.
Well played.
I am assuming of coarse, that you had no other symptoms .eg loin pain, lack of appetite or temperature.

[david small]

Dehydration, drink at least two to three litres of WATER a day for one week. Then notice if there is vast improvement.

[woofgang]

doesn't have to be water so long as its watery fluids ie not vodka.....juicy fruit, ice lollies, tea and coffee at normal strength....it all counts and it all helps

[Hopkirk]

Beer

[genie123]

Thanks everyone feeling reassured.

[KARL]

I am unconvinced of the need to drink two litres of water daily, and would not be surprised if it might even have undesirable effects in some cases. Normally your body tells you how much fluid you need to take in - if too little then you become thirsty, beyond that (i.e. not thirsty) you are OK. It sounds to me that perhaps your thirst development may not be functioning correctly. Had it been a singular event, i.e. just one day then not much to be concerned about. You may need to consciously monitor your urine to ensure sufficient fluid intake (use the colour as a guide, even soup is a liquid). As a by-the-way, I am 73 and have very rarely drunk watery liquids amounting to 2 litres per day even though I have spent decades in very warm countries- others around me expressed surprise, if not concern. On one particular occasion however I believe I drank about 3 litres or more in a period of four hours - I knew I was dehydrated and kept drinking until I was no longer thirsty. There is no indication that I have come to any harm from having too low a liquid intake. I assume my body functions much as anyone else's.

[Sqad]

Excellent answer by Karl to which I agree whole hardheartedly.

[Buenchico]

>>> I am unconvinced of the need to drink two litres of water daily, and would not be surprised if it might even have undesirable effects in some cases

Both the kidney consultant at our local hospital and the out-of-hours GP I had to see a while back suggest that the target figure for everyone (and not just people like me, who've had some kidney problems) should be to drink 3 to 4 litres of fluid per day.

I start and finish each day with a pint of squash and a mug of tea and I drink loads more in between.

[Sqad]

Buenchico...yes, you have quoted that before.....but i cannot agree.

[ummmm]

I was always told to go by the colour of your urine. It should be a pale straw colour.

[Jackdaw33]

Does milk count as a fluid?

[Sqad]

Yes ^^^..as does water content of food.

[alavahalf]

Whenever I have 6 pints of Doom Bar .. I also have slightly dark wee .. would another 2 pints improve things ?

[Old_Geezer]

Try stout and make it really dark.

[alavahalf]

I was more concerned of the six pints only making 3.5 litres !

[KARL]

A further side comment: I know someone who aims to drink enough water to result in colourless urine, insists that is how it should be. I told her that she must be following dubious advice. She continues and is still alive.

[Buenchico]

From the NHS Scotland website:
https://www.nhsinform.scot/media/2084/urine-chart.jpg

[10ClarionSt]

I very rarely drink water, especially the bottled variety, even less, water in plastic bottles. I don't trust the contents of water. If it's in plastic bottles, it can be stored for a long time, and chemicals from the plastic can get into the water, hence the "use by" date, which should be "consume by". And there could be anything in tap water. Didn't they find traces of Ibuprofen in tap water not long back? Water can be very bad for you!
Seen on a label of bottled water in a supermarket:
"Filtered over millions of years in the mountains of Bavaria. Best before Sept 2019" Good innit?!!

[chrissa1]

Having drunk tap water for nigh on 70 years, I think I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt.