Dark urine through the liver/bile

Diseases of the liver and gall bladder can lead to a darker color of the urine. This is caused by an increased concentration of direct bilirubin in the blood and consequently in the urine. This is also called hyperbilirubinemia.

Bilirubin is a natural substance of the body and is produced by splitting the blood pigment haemoglobin. The bilirubin is then processed in the liver to be excreted via the bile ducts and kidneys. Disease of the liver or the bile, or the bile ducts, can lead to a disruption in processing or removal and the bilirubin accumulates.

The increased bilirubin also causes the skin to turn yellow. This is then called jaundice or icterus. The following diseases can lead to jaundice and a dark coloration of the urine:

Hepatitis
Cirrhosis of the liver
Congested liver
Meulengracht disease
Liver tumors
Pancreatitis
Gallstones.

Some drugs have as a side effect the discoloration of the urine.

By taking vitamin B2 in high doses, the urine can turn dark yellow. The antibiotic nitrofurantoin can make the urine brown-yellow. This is a common antibiotic for inflammation of the urinary tract.

Rifampicin stains the urine red. This is an antibiotic that is mainly used to treat tuberculosis. The drugs L-dopa and methyldopa can even stain the urine brown-black.

These are typical Parkinson’s drugs. L-Dopa is a precursor of melanin, which can also cause a black coloration of the urine if it is concentrated in high concentrations. If the urine is slightly darker than normal in the morning, this is usually no cause for concern.

This is because less fluid is usually absorbed overnight than during the day. This results in a slight lack of fluid and the urine is more concentrated. This means that there is a higher percentage of dissolved substances in the urine.

Among these substances are also dyes that give the urine its yellow color. The dyes in urine are called urochromes or urine pigment. Urochromes are metabolic products of the body and are also produced by the breakdown of the blood pigment haemoglobin.Increased fluid intake during the day means that the urine is less concentrated and usually becomes lighter again.

The urine does not usually become darker through the consumption of coffee. The opposite could rather happen. This is because the caffeine in coffee has a diuretic effect.

This means that more urine is produced and excreted. The urine is less concentrated and therefore lighter. So if the urine is darker than normal, it is not the consumption of coffee but another cause.

Dark urine during pregnancy can have various causes. A simple reason can be a lack of fluid. During pregnancy the woman should drink at least 1.5-2 liters of fluid.

However, this may also be due to a pregnancy cholestasis. This is a liver disease of the mother during pregnancy. The discoloration of the urine is usually accompanied by yellowing of the skin and itching. Since this disease can cause premature labor and premature birth, this should be clarified by a gynecologist.