Urination Changes
Tell your physician or nurse if you experience any of these changes:
- A strong urge to urinate more often.
- Urine that is cloudy or a different color, such as orange, red, green, or dark yellow.
- Urine that has a strong smell.
- Trouble urinating.
It is common for your urine to change color or smell different during chemotherapy. Talk with your physician or nurse to learn what changes you should expect and ways to better manage them.
Learn about liquids.
Drink more liquids.
- Drink liquids such as water, soup, milkshakes, and cranberry juice. Add extra water to the juice.
- Ask your physician or nurse how many cups of liquid you should drink each day. Most people need to drink eight cups a day.
Keep drinking liquids even if you have to go to the bathroom a lot. Liquids help your body to work well.
Some liquids can make bladder problems worse.
Talk to your TCI care team to learn what you should stop drinking or drink less of. This includes:
- Drinks with caffeine such as coffee, black tea, and soda.
- Drinks with alcohol such as beer, wine, mixed drinks, and liquor.
Questions to ask your TCI care team:
- What problems should I call you about?
- How much should I drink each day?
- What liquids are best for me?
- Are there liquids that I should drink less of?
- Are there liquids that I should not drink at all?
“My nurse told me how important it was to drink lots of water. She told me what changes to call about, such as fever or pain.”