Why is my pee brown?

So, for the past few days my urine has been a dark yellow/brown color. I think it's very weird since my pee has always been either clear or light yellow. I always make sure I get enough water (at least a liter a day). Could it be the changes in my diet. I've been eating more protein lately and less carbs and fats. My ratio is about 50% protein, 30% carbs, and 20% fats daily. I also recently started taking creatine supplements, as well as a multivitamin and protein powder. I've been on this new deit and taking my supplements for 3 days now, and my urine has been dark for about 3 days. Anyone know the cause?

Another possibility other than kidney problems, is liver problems. one of the metabolites that makes your pee yellow comes from the liver, if there is too much of this metabolite (bilirubin) your pee will look brown. You should also try to see if you can tell if it is cloudy or foaming both point towards kidney issues. Other common causes could be myoglobin from muscle breakdown if you are working out too much, blood from your kidneys or bladder, or a metabolic disorder where you dump certain amino acids in the urine inappropriately (urine will turn brown after exposure to air for a few minutes in this case). also check your ankles for swelling (press firmly over the bottom of your shin bone - if it leaves a dent you are swollen) and check your eyelids for morning puffiness, both signs of kidney problems.

PS diluting it with water does NOT rule out blood.

I understand the difficulty of the insurance thing but please see a doc as soon as you can. Most likely it is nothing serious but waiting too long can be dangerous if you are sick with kidney or liver problems.

Original Post by chblacks:

Another possibility other than kidney problems, is liver problems. one of the metabolites that makes your pee yellow comes from the liver, if there is too much of this metabolite (bilirubin) your pee will look brown. You should also try to see if you can tell if it is cloudy or foaming both point towards kidney issues. Other common causes could be myoglobin from muscle breakdown if you are working out too much, blood from your kidneys or bladder, or a metabolic disorder where you dump certain amino acids in the urine inappropriately (urine will turn brown after exposure to air for a few minutes in this case). also check your ankles for swelling (press firmly over the bottom of your shin bone - if it leaves a dent you are swollen) and check your eyelids for morning puffiness, both signs of kidney problems.

PS diluting it with water does NOT rule out blood.

I understand the difficulty of the insurance thing but please see a doc as soon as you can. Most likely it is nothing serious but waiting too long can be dangerous if you are sick with kidney or liver problems.

Yea, my urine is foamy. It's been foamy for quite a while now. I'm talking months or years. Was that a sign of kidney problems back then? And I've had back pain for a few years too. Damn.