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What Causes Very Dark And Cloudy Urine And Sudden Severe Lower Back Pain?
Question: Urine sometimes very dark and cloudy, other times normal light yellow in color. No change in frequency of urination, volume, or flow. Strong smell once or twice. No pain during urination. Change in urine color has occurred for about one week. Sudden onset of severe lower back pain. Lower back pain has occurred twice in the past 48 hours, both times around 4:00 PM. Rest, take aspirin,pain goes away. Urine light red/dark pink immediately afterwards.
Brief Answer:
Several possible causes discussed and recommendations given.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I carefully read your question and understand your concern.
Urine color can be effected by several causes and I am going to explain some of them.
1. Urinary stones- when a stone is moving down the urinary tubes it scratches them and might cause bleeding and change of urine color that might not be all the time but only the times it moves and scratches. It might also cause back pain while all this happens.
2. Urinary infection- it might cause the urine to change color but also it causes frequency and discomfort with urination so it seems very unlikely in your case.
3. Certain foods- certain foods like beetroot can cause urine and even stools to have a red color, so if you have been eating plenty of them recently this might be a cause of the urine color change. It should not cause other symptoms with frequency or discomfort.
4. Certain medications- you have not mentioned that you take other medications other than Aspirine, which in itself does not cause urine color change so it is unlikely to be the cause of urine color in your case but in case you have used recently any other medications than it would be important for us to know as some medications get cleared from the body with urine and cause the color or odor of the urine.
5. Rare conditions of the urinary tract like tumors also can cause urine color change due to bleeding that they can cause.
6. Most of the time a common self limiting condition is the cause (food, medications, urinary stones) but the best way to know the exact cause of the urine color change is to have at least a urinalysis that will show if there is blood present in the urine or not.
If blood is present in the urine than an ultrasound will be needed and the doctor might decide other tests like cystoscopy or CT scan to visualize your urinary tract and see for possible causes of the bleeding.
Meanwhile please make sure you drink well to wash the urinary system and arrange an appointment with your doctor.
I hope this is helpful and answers to your question.
Regards,
Dr. Zotaj Antoneta, General & Family Physician
Several possible causes discussed and recommendations given.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I carefully read your question and understand your concern.
Urine color can be effected by several causes and I am going to explain some of them.
1. Urinary stones- when a stone is moving down the urinary tubes it scratches them and might cause bleeding and change of urine color that might not be all the time but only the times it moves and scratches. It might also cause back pain while all this happens.
2. Urinary infection- it might cause the urine to change color but also it causes frequency and discomfort with urination so it seems very unlikely in your case.
3. Certain foods- certain foods like beetroot can cause urine and even stools to have a red color, so if you have been eating plenty of them recently this might be a cause of the urine color change. It should not cause other symptoms with frequency or discomfort.
4. Certain medications- you have not mentioned that you take other medications other than Aspirine, which in itself does not cause urine color change so it is unlikely to be the cause of urine color in your case but in case you have used recently any other medications than it would be important for us to know as some medications get cleared from the body with urine and cause the color or odor of the urine.
5. Rare conditions of the urinary tract like tumors also can cause urine color change due to bleeding that they can cause.
6. Most of the time a common self limiting condition is the cause (food, medications, urinary stones) but the best way to know the exact cause of the urine color change is to have at least a urinalysis that will show if there is blood present in the urine or not.
If blood is present in the urine than an ultrasound will be needed and the doctor might decide other tests like cystoscopy or CT scan to visualize your urinary tract and see for possible causes of the bleeding.
Meanwhile please make sure you drink well to wash the urinary system and arrange an appointment with your doctor.
I hope this is helpful and answers to your question.
Regards,
Dr. Zotaj Antoneta, General & Family Physician
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Kampana
Answered by
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