Bloody Urine (Read 943 times)

Everything seems fine today...although, I think the long run I had scheduled for today isn't happening.

had this before and while a bit scary was told that it isn't that uncommon and if it goes away on it's on should be fine and here it's on the internet so it must be true: http://www.time-to-run.com/doctor/bloodyurine.htm

I got my first in a middle of the forest and thought thats it, I have a cancer of something. But, I was just lacking water. I have got this two times in my life and both were at winter. Drink one cup of water before you go to your run and problem is solved.

Yeah, my FIL did have cancer...of the bladder. We lost him 2 years ago next month. Once upon a time he ran the Chicago Marathon and was the fittest guy I knew his age. He was in his late 40s when he first was diagnosed. He fought for almost 13 years and had his bladder replaced, only to have the cancer return and eventually spread to a kidney, ureter, and then liver, where it turned terminal. I cannot stress enough that it's probably nothing, but it could very well be something and shouldn't be dismissed casually. Bladder cancer doesn't just happen to drinkers and smokers, it sometimes happens to healthy, active guys. I run my races with a garish yellow Livestrong hat. Because some people I love are no longer here to run.

This happened to me once after a hard, hot race. I sat around drinking slightly salty water until I peed clear again. That was enough to convince me that my kidneys were not failing and I was probably going to live. You do want to be careful. Rhabdomyolysis is nothing to mess around with, though it's rare.

Might sound like that, but after you have experienced the topic, and red urine is not that uncommon amongst runners, you do not get that worried about it anymore. If your urine is totally red it means you have ether really, really rare disease or during the run the movement caused the inside wall of your bladder to rub against each other because your bladder was too empty, thus red urine. Nothing to worry about that, even though it is shocking to witness it. Grandpa's, couches and doctors advice is to drink one cup of water before you go to run. This fills the bladder enough to prevent rubbing. So, you can worry your ass off like I did in the woods, but at the end the most probable cause for this shocking experience is that you were dehydrated. But, every one of us should do annual medical checks so that if you happen to have a rare disease it can be diagnosed as early as possible. After you have experienced most of the runners symptoms, you just do not anymore get that worried with this sort of things. I have had it, I have checked it, I have laughed about it and when I got it second time I just shrug my shoulders, put my pants up and continued the run. I hope I am smart enough to remember to drink that one cup of water before my runs so that I do not need to experience it third time. There are not that many diseases you could have if your urine is totally red and you have not damaged your kidneys.

Might sound like that, but after you have experienced the topic, and red urine is not that uncommon amongst runners, you do not get that worried about it anymore.

Agreed. But it is also common in certain kidney diseases, infections and cancers. All hematuria needs to be explained. Once you have confirmed that it comes from running, you no longer need to worry about it.

I have had this happen several times and it was always caused by a kidney stone. This has happened especially after very hard runs and I can usually only see blood the first time I go after said run. No one mentioned it (I don't think). I have had a problem with kidney stones for the last 10 years and have had 6 surgical procedures. If you don't know, when they are in the kidney they don't hurt but they can cause bleeding, especially if they are big. It's when they get stuck in the ureter that the fun starts and if that ever happens you will definitely know about it.

Go see a doctor.

OK, people, listen up. The OP asked a medical question. A doctor responded. What part of "Go see a doctor" don't you understand?

I understand. If the question were something trivial as, How does the Garmin 405 do in the rain, or What do you think about the Asics 2330, or even what is this pain in my shin, that might be something that you could take internet advice on. But when you post a symptom, and a MD/runner thinks that it could be serious enough to tell you to see a doc, maybe you should give that advice more credibility than one from an anonymous internet guy who says everything is OK and recommends "annual health checks".