What Are the Causes of Orange Urine & Elevated Liver Functions?

Causes of orange urine and elevated liver functions can result from benign byproducts of food dyes, medications and abnormal liver pathology. This condition demands timely diagnosis and, if indicated, appropriate treatment.

Cause: Orange Food Pigment

• Causes of orange urine can include ingestion of carrots, sweet potatoes and squash. These foods contain beta carotene which gives orange vegetables their hue and is excreted in the urine.

Cause: Medications

• Causes of orange urine can include medications such as Pyridium, a urinary tract medication; Coumadin, a blood thinner; certain chemotherapy agents and B-complex vitamins.

Cause: Dehydration

• A common cause of orange urine is dehydration. As the urine becomes concentrated from limited fluid intake, the natural straw color of urine turns an intense yellow or orange.

Cause: Bilirubin

• Causes of orange urine and elevated liver functions include the elevation of bilirubin. Increased levels of bilirubin, the yellow-orange bile pigment, can result from abnormal liver pathology.

Considerations

• Causes of orange urine and elevated liver functions can be caused by benign entities such as food dyes and medications or from liver and bilirubin pathology. The physician can differentiate the two and institute appropriate treatment for the latter.