Liver disease and certain metabolic disorders may cause musty-smelling urine. Some conditions that can cause changes in urine odor include: Bladder fistula.
Liver disease
Always see your doctor if you notice your urine has an unusual, ammonia-like odor. Other symptoms that may indicate your liver needs attention include dark brown or orange-hued urine.
Liver Disease.
If you have liver disease, it can make your urine color dark yellow and smell bad.
Dark Urine Color
If you are drinking an adequate amount of water but you are still experiencing dark colored urine, it may be an early indicator of liver disease. The urine color may range from brown, amber, or even orange due to the buildup of bilirubin.
Roughly a quarter of people with liver cirrhosis develop palmar erythema – a reddening of the skin on the palms. Dark urine. Urine that is dark orange, amber, cola-coloured or brown can be a sign of liver disease.
This is called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and has been associated with a higher risk of developing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Irritable bowel disease is not fully understood. It is a long-term condition that causes abdominal pain, bloating, stomach cramps, diarrhea, or constipation.
Urine is usually dark because of the bilirubin excreted through the kidneys. High levels of bilirubin may be attributed to inflammation, or other abnormalities of the liver cells, or blockage of the bile ducts.
You may also notice that your urine has an unusually strong or pungent odor, and urination may become labored or painful as it thickens in consistency. Changes in the constitution and color of your feces may also occur. Stools may become whitish or clay-colored, omitting a severe odor.
In most cases, a strong smell isn't a sign of disease. It's usually from your diet and medications, or it means you need to drink more water. Certain urine smells can be a sign of some conditions, but your doctor might not consider that to be the case unless you have other symptoms.
A bilirubin in urine test measures the levels of bilirubin in your urine. Normally, urine doesn't have any bilirubin. If there is bilirubin n your urine, it may be an early sign of a liver condition. Bilirubin is a yellow substance that your body makes during the normal process of breaking down red blood cells.
Stool That Smells Like Ammonia
Your large intestine produces ammonia when it digests protein. Your liver then neutralizes the ammonia and helps the body get rid of it. Ammonia smells from your stool may signal a problem with these organs, such as liver disease.
Common causes of smelly pee
certain types of food and drink, like asparagus or coffee. not drinking enough fluids (dehydration) some medicines. vitamin B6 supplements.
Blood travels through the liver. The liver filters (cleans) the blood, removing toxins and waste that eventually leave the body through urine and feces.
A liver blood test measures the levels of various things in your blood, like proteins, liver enzymes, and bilirubin. This can help check the health of your liver and for signs of inflammation or damage. Your liver can be affected by: liver infections — like hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
Dark urine (orange, brown, amber or cola-colored) and light-colored stools (lighter than normal) coupled with aforementioned symptoms can lead to a range of life-threatening liver diseases such as Liver Cancer, Cirrhosis, Hepatitis (A, B, C, D & E), Bile Duct Obstruction and Alcoholic Liver Disease.
The liver typically contains some fat, but excessive buildup can cause fatty liver disease. Fatty liver disease can decrease liver function and lead to weight loss, fatigue, and swelling in the abdomen or belly.
NASH can damage your liver for years or even decades without causing any symptoms. If the disease gets worse, you may experience fatigue, weight loss, abdominal discomfort, weakness and confusion.
If NASH cirrhosis is diagnosed early, the life expectancy is about 10 to 15 years. However, if you develop complications such as swelling or fluid in the abdomen, confusion, or bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract, life expectancy decreases dramatically to three to five years without a liver transplant.
Signs and symptoms
However, as your liver loses its ability to function properly, you're likely to experience a loss of appetite, nausea and itchy skin. In the later stages, symptoms can include jaundice, vomiting blood, dark, tarry-looking stools, and a build-up of fluid in the legs (oedema) and abdomen (ascites).
Some people with liver disease experience skin itching all over their body or in specific areas, like the feet or arms. Itchiness is not a symptom of liver disease on its own, though. Liver disease is a condition affecting your liver's ability to function.