# Need physician advice - blood in urine **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 6, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-physician-advice-blood-in-urine/205883 "2003-10-06T16:35:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cmosdes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cmosdes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmosdes)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-physician-advice-blood-in-urine/205883/1 "2003-10-06T16:35:11Z")
This morning I had a wonderful surprise when I urinated after my run… my urine was bright red. I don’t recall if I had to go when I first woke up, but if I did I certainly didn’t urinate red. I appeared to urinate some blood the second time I urinated about 1 hour later but since then I’ve gone 2 more times and it has been clear. The second urine was a much darker red. I had the big V about 5 months ago and very occasionally there has been pain when, uh… clearing out the tubes. Last night there was some pain, but nothing even remotely as intense as I’ve experienced in the past. Please don’t chime in with “get thee to a doctor”. If a patient presented like this, what would be the first instinct? Probably nothing? Blood in the urine is _never_ a good sign? Likely just a delayed side effect of the vasectomy and nothing to worry about? I have no other symptoms that I can tell; no fever and no discomfort. I have a 3:00 appointment with my PCP. ---
**Author:** ![MrTuffPaws](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@MrTuffPaws](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrTuffPaws)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-physician-advice-blood-in-urine/205883/2 "2003-10-06T16:51:14Z")
“Blood in the urine is _never_ a good sign” Well, you said it. During your vasectomy, they may have injured your urethra. It happens more than you would like to know. Go in, have them shove a scope up your peepee, and hope it is nothing serious. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-physician-advice-blood-in-urine/205883/3 "2003-10-06T22:09:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cmosdes \* > **Blood in the urine is _never_ a good sign?** This is a false statement. About 12 years ago (in college) my roommate went on vacation and asked me to take over his paper route while he was away. I obliged. A few days later I noticed I had blood in my urine. I went to the doctor, where I underwent the “scope” procedure. The doctor said there was nothing wrong, and that the blood was simply the result of “weak” blood vessels. He asked me if there had been any change in my physical routine lately, and I told him I took over my roommate’s paper route. He said the bleeding was likely due to the extra physical exertion of delivering the papers. I think he was right. (I was very out of shape at the time, and delivering the papers almost killed me.) So anyway, while you should (of course) see a doctor, the above statement is most definitely false. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-physician-advice-blood-in-urine/205883/4 "2003-10-06T22:36:18Z")
What did you eat last night/afternoon? Once, I was experimenting with a new juicing machine, and made a glass of beet juice. The next morning my urine was bright red; the color in beets is apparently indigestible and water soluable. Scared me at first until I remembered what I had eaten. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-physician-advice-blood-in-urine/205883/5 "2003-10-06T23:20:02Z")
Blood in the urine can be almost anything urological, from the benign to the serious. Urinary tract infections, kidney stones, prostate tumors…all of these could be culprits, or it could be something else entirely. You really _do_ need to visit a urologist. Best of luck to ya. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-physician-advice-blood-in-urine/205883/6 "2003-10-06T23:30:22Z")
Have you eaten any beetroot? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-physician-advice-blood-in-urine/205883/7 "2003-10-06T23:30:34Z")
I second **Crafter\_Man** ’s statement. I had blood in my urine once, some 10 + years ago, went to the doctor in a panic. He took a urine sample, found no blood in it, and stated that if it’s a one time thing, then it’s probably a change in your physical activity that’s caused it, and nothing to be worried about. Haven’t had a problem with it since. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-physician-advice-blood-in-urine/205883/8 "2003-10-07T00:05:41Z")
Regardless, it is still good to get it checked out by a doctor. It’s not normal. It could be the sign of something bad, but often isn’t. You probably won’t even get anything shoved in to you unless your urine test indicates that something may be amiss. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-physician-advice-blood-in-urine/205883/9 "2003-10-07T00:30:22Z")
No need to dash off to a urologist right away. Internists and family practitioners can take care of most of the complaints and refer if need be. Of course, if a urologist was the one who cut on you 5 months ago, that is also a fine place to start the workup. But seeing a doc is the first step. ---
**Author:** ![cmosdes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cmosdes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmosdes)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-physician-advice-blood-in-urine/205883/10 "2003-10-07T16:49:10Z")
Went to the doctor’s office yesterday afternoon… The doctor asked a bunch of questions very similar to the ones listed here. I’ve had no trauma to my lower back/kidney region. No change in exercise or diet habits. No other symptoms that I’m aware of. The doctor has ordered a CT which I’ll have done Wednesday. His statement so far is that it is very unlikely due to the vasectomy as problems from that would have shown up months ago. He think it isn’t kidney stones as those are almost never asymptomatic – I should be in a lot of pain if it were kidney stones. Cancer is a possibility although my age is counterindicative of this. If the CT is clear, he will consult with a urologist on the next step for a more complete bladder examination. If that is clear he will chalk it up to an inflammation of some sort and leave it at that. So far, I’ve not had a repeat of the problem. I now feel really, really alarmist for having run off so quick to the doctor. ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-physician-advice-blood-in-urine/205883/11 "2003-10-07T18:41:56Z")
Don’t feel alarmist. If it had been something serious, or got worse, you’d have felt even more stupid (and much more ill) about not going. Blood in the urine - even if it doesn’t necessarily mean a major problem - should still be checked out. ---
**Author:** ![cmosdes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cmosdes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmosdes)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-physician-advice-blood-in-urine/205883/12 "2003-10-25T17:44:01Z")
Just in case anyone checks into this thread looking for information… In my case, it was diagnosed as Runners hematuria. Basically, I’m going to urinate some blood if I run on an empty bladder. It is ideopathic and of no concern at all.