- Common causes of orange-ish urine include dehydration and certain supplements and meds.
- Also eating too many orange-colored foods can cause orange pee.
- More concerning reasons can include liver disease or other liver issues.
If you notice that your pee looks orange, it may just be from certain medications, supplements like vitamin C, or eating too much orange food.
But in some cases, orange pee may be a sign of a more serious underlying issue like liver problems or severe dehydration.
Here are five reasons why you might have orange pee and when you should see a doctor.
1. Dehydration
When your body is dehydrated, your kidneys work to conserve water by letting out less water in the urine. When this happens, the normal compounds released with your urine are less diluted, so they can appear dark yellow or orange.
This may be more common the first time you pee in the morning, since you likely haven't had much water during the night.
However, orange pee may not be the best way to tell if you're dehydrated.
"Dehydration should be monitored by physical symptoms rather than urine color," says Dr. Dena Rifkin, a professor of clinical medicine at UC San Diego.
Aside from feeling thirsty, some other common symptoms of dehydration are:
- Peeing less often than usual
- Muscle cramps
- Having a dry mouth
- Feeling fatigued
- Headache
"If you are thirsty, you should drink, and when you are not thirsty, there is no particular reason to drink unless you have specific medical issues," Rifkin says.
In particular, it's important to keep your urine diluted if you have kidney stones or certain other kidney diseases.
If you think you're dehydrated, you can try sipping water or an electrolyte drink like Pedialyte regularly throughout the day.
If you're very sick and can't keep any fluids down, you can also go to the emergency room to get IV therapy.
2. Liver problems
In some cases, orange urine can be a sign that you have a liver condition called cholestasis.
Cholestasis occurs when you have a blockage in the flow of a digestive fluid called bile between your liver and your small intestine. Bilirubin, a yellow substance found in bile, can build up in your body.
"This can be released in your urine, causing the urine to look very dark yellow or orange in color," says Dr. Rena Malik, a urologist and pelvic surgeon in private practice.
However, if your orange urine is caused by liver disease, you'll likely have other symptoms as well, Rifkin says.
Some common symptoms of cholestasis are:
- Yellow tint in your skin or the white of your eyes (jaundice)
- Itchy skin
- Fatigue
- Nausea and vomiting
- Light or clay-colored stools
- Stomach pain
If you think you may have liver problems, go see your doctor as soon as possible — they can do blood tests or imaging scans to help diagnose you.
Depending on what is causing your cholestasis, your doctor can offer treatments like antibiotics, a procedure to remove blockages, or a specific dietary plan.
3. Certain medications
There are several medications that can cause your pee to look orange.
Some of the most common medications include:
- Laxatives with senna
- Certain chemotherapy drugs
- Phenazopyridine (Azo), which is often used to treat pain caused by urinary tract infections
- Sulfasalazine, an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat ulcerative colitis
- Warfarin, a common blood thinner
- Rifampin, an antibiotic used to treat tuberculosis
You can talk to your doctor if you're concerned about your pee color, but in general, there's no reason to worry if your medication changes your pee color.
4. Some supplements
Taking certain vitamin supplements can also make your pee look orange. Your body can't always absorb all of the vitamin content, so your body may release any extra in your urine.
Some of the most common supplements that cause orange urine are:
If supplements are to blame, your orange pee may look especially bright or even neon, especially if you're taking vitamin C.
Having orange pee isn't necessarily an issue, but if your pee changed color after you started your supplements, double check the dosage information to make sure you aren't taking more than recommended.
5. Eating certain foods
You may also have orange urine from eating foods high in beta-carotene, an orange pigment found in foods like carrots, sweet potatoes, and apricots.
Beta-carotene pigments "are released in the urine when you're eating large quantities of this type of food, which can then cause the urine to be orange in color," Malik
But this color change should only happen if you're eating unusually large amounts of orange foods. "This really should not happen in a meaningful way in people with normal dietary patterns," Rifkin says.
So if you haven't changed your diet, it's best to check with your doctor to see if there's another reason for your orange urine.
When to see a doctor
It's important to see a doctor to get your blood work and urine checked out if:
- Your urine doesn't go back to normal after you drink water or stop taking a supplement
- You're feeling unwell or have new, unexplained symptoms
- You see blood in your urine
- You have a sudden change in the color of your pee without any explanation
Insider's takeaway
In many cases, orange urine isn't a cause for concern — "generally speaking, if you know something you're taking or eating is causing your urine to be orange I would not be worried," Malik says.
"However, it should become lighter with increased fluid intake or when you stop the offending medication or food," Malik says.