Urine discolouration

Based on the Corpus Hippocraticum, punius the ELDER (23-79 AD) recommended treating liver diseases by means of wolf s liver with honey or by means of donkey s liver with parsley and honey. Treatment of liver diseases based on the use of poultices and laxatives, which is still known in modern times, dates back to the recommendations of Caelius Aureuanus (5 century AD). He also described the discolouration of urine associated with jaundice. 

Careful anamnesis (with meticulous precision and detailed detective work) allows important information to be gathered for the distinction between intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholestasis. Questions about medication and hormone intake, chemicals (occupation, hobbies, house and garden), alcohol, teas (containing alkaloids), cosmetics, etc. as well as about fever, arthralgia, pruritus and discolouration of the stools or urine are mandatory in this context, (s. tab. 12.5) (s. p. 76)... 

Urinary tract Diacerein is a drug used in osteoarthritis that elicits and inhibitory effect on interleukin-1 and metal-loproteases. The efficacy of diacerein in hand osteoarthritis was studied in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study among 86 Korean patients that were enrolled to receive diacerein (50 mg twice daily) or placebo for 12 weeks. The efficacy was similar between both groups, as was the safety profile. However, frequent discolouration of the urine - which disappeared spontaneously - occurred more often in the diacerein group (88%) than in the placebo group (20%) [48 j. 

Reddish-brown discolouration of the urine of a patient taking levodopa 4 g daily was found to be due to contact with chlorine bleach used to clean the toilet bowl. The test was repeated in vitro on the urine of several patients (59). 

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