What Causes Black Colored Urine?

Posted on Sun, 10 Aug 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 10 Aug 2014 Answered on

Tue, 2 Sep 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi, My dad is 68 years old. For the last 10 days, he's on Movicol XXXXXXX (earlier twice a day but now once a day), Shield ointment and Meva C for constipation and piles. Since yesterday, he's been passing dark, blackish urine. Is it serious?

Details:
- Stroke patient with right-sided hemiplegia
- Suffered acute kidney failure in December 2011: creatinine levels shot up to 4, urine had stopped; on examination there was a mild enlargement (grade 1) of prostrate, is also on Urimax once a day for last three years; creatinine levels in range over past 3 years
- On martifur for the last three years
- Has the following medication as well: tegretol 200 CR twice a day (is epileptic), tonact-tg, amlodipine
- Doesn't drink a lot of water
- No burning sensation while passing urine or pain anywhere else, no fever

Answered by Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta (2 hours later)

Brief answer...it is definitely serious
Dtailed answer....
Hello,
Thanks for the query.
Although a black urine can be caused by many foods and medicines but the way it has appeared in your father,it raises enough suspicion.The most likely cause for such type of urine is bladder cancer,however renal or bladder stone,bladder infection or enlarged prostate can also cause bleeding in urine,but in those cases it is painful.
Your father must immediately be seen by a urologist and investigated by doing urinalysis,urine culture and cytology,ultrasound abdomen,CT abdomen and a possible cystoscopy.
Treatment would depend upon finding the cause.
I hope it helps,however you may revert to me for any further query.
Best of luck
Thanks

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta (30 minutes later)

Thanks, Doctor. Just found out he's been having furazolidone (furoxone) 100 mg for the last two days, on his own. Doesn't it affect the appearance of urine?

Answered by Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta (1 hour later)

Hello,
Absolutely correct.
Furazolidine is known to cause dark coloured urine but the colour is very dark yellow and not black.
Although I am quite sure that this dark colour of urine should be from Furazolidine,but just get a simple urine analysis done to rule out passage of blood in the urine.
I simply want to remove the possibility of blood in urine.
Thanks

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar