Is This Normal?

I must have a wacked out  filter system.  Whenever I go pee I can usually smell my food.  I know it sounds gross but it's true.  It always happens with my coffee but sometime happens with a dish that is strong in flavor.  Is this normal?

Last month I was hospitalized for my liver levels being at an ALERT level.  During that time I was having gall bladder issues so they assumed a stone was stuck and bile was backing upo my liver causing the alarming levels.  I had many tests after that where my levels were gradually going down.  My last tests showed the level in the 100-200's. They also said I had a bladder infection but I felt nothing.  They kept asking if I was in pain but I wasn't.  I had no symptom from the bladder infection or the liver that I could feel. 

I have been having the food odor thing happening well before my hospital visit but now I am thinking that something might be wrong with my liver and that the food odor has something to do with it.  Could my liver not be functioning properlly and that is why I can smell my drink/food?

Always happens with my coffee too. : )  I'd say the odor is very normal. 

Sounds pretty normal.  Many strongly flavoured foods contain what they call 'volatile oils' and these will pass straight through and exit via the urine, pores and elsewhere.  Even semen in men can be tainted by strong flavours... TMI, I know.  Mind you, if you really want stinky pee... eat asparagus!

Don't worry.

omg gi-jane, I SOOO hear you on the asparagus thing.  There can be the tiniest amt of it in something, and my pee is stinky!  Ew!  I don't really notice it with anything else though which is weird!

Coffee's my big one but chicken and turkey too... and maybe salad? And onions, ugh. Yes. Pee is smelly!

Even more weird -- it's genetic whether you can actually smell the chemical compounds from asparagus in urine or not (not everyone can) -- have no idea why that would be a useful trait to pass on down to the kids!

On a more serious note for lookingfly4newyork, think kidneys=urine and liver=feces. So the liver is part of the gastric system and the kidneys are part of the urinary system (as in cleaning the blood or circulatory system).

Liver enzyme issues should show up (if they show up as any symptom at all) more as unusual-colored stools and not as strong smells in urine. As the others have pointed out, strong smells in urine are not uncommon or a marker of any illness necessarily.

However unrelated to any smells, you do mention that you have had a urinary tract infection where you had no pain (which is rare). If you do notice that your urine is cloudy (whether there is a strong smell or not), then that's when it'd be a good idea to go get checked for a UTI. 

Otherwise, don't worry about the smell and put it down to your genetics that you are nose-sensitive to a host of volatile organic compounds.

I have never noticed with foods before. I'll have to start paying attention. Ha! I know coffee makes it smell really strong, but I never noticed it until one of my friends pointed out to me that it happens.

Turkey and chicken - hmm! I've never eaten asparagus either. That genetics thing is so crazy. "Have no idea why that would be a useful trait to pass on down to the kids" -haha!

let me tell you, i had asparagus for dinner and lunch today (leftovers) and it stinks.  I thought I needed a shower but then remembered i ate asparagus.  I find it fascinating.

Lol!  you guys are all awesome for making me foeel so normal!  Thank you

I mentioned it to someone prior to this post and they acted as though I were from another planet. I am glad I asked!

P.S. You are killing me with the asparagus pee!

Vitamins/supplements can make your pee smell stronger too...

and make it look like you poured Mt. Dew in the toilet, lol

Original Post by delaney86:

I've never eaten asparagus either.

 Never eaten asparagus?? You are missing out!!! I LOVE asparagus... could eat it every day. :) Mmm... it's so good baked with goat cheese and cherry tomatoes, or crushed garlic and lemon, or balsamic vinegar and black pepper, or just boiled plain with a pinch of salt, or, or, or - I could go on and on. :P

Point is, try asparagus sometime soon! (Warning: marinated correctly, it can be addictive! You'll want it every day like I do!!)

Yum. ;)

Original Post by the_kats_meow:

Original Post by delaney86:

I've never eaten asparagus either.

 Never eaten asparagus?? You are missing out!!! I LOVE asparagus... could eat it every day. :) Mmm... it's so good baked with goat cheese and cherry tomatoes, or crushed garlic and lemon, or balsamic vinegar and black pepper, or just boiled plain with a pinch of salt, or, or, or - I could go on and on. :P

Point is, try asparagus sometime soon! (Warning: marinated correctly, it can be addictive! You'll want it every day like I do!!)

Yum. ;)

Haha no, I was raised on velveeta and hot dogs! Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll have to check it out.