# Blood in urine



## Steve D (Mar 1, 2002)

Two weeks ago after a long hard ride, I had blood in my urine. I experienced this twice: immediately after the ride, and again after doing a recovery ride the next day. 

I've been riding a lot (150-200 miles/week). Also, I may have been dehyrdrated after the initial hard ride.

Since then, I have been drinking lots of water and haven't seen any more blood. I've reduced my riding. Also, I've gone to my Doc and determined that I don't have an infection. I'm awaiting results from a CT scan.

Since seeing my MD, a running friend of mine says that marathoners sometimes will have bloody pee that lasts a day or two after the race, but I haven't heard of cyclists experiencing this. Anybody else experience these symptoms after riding?


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

I was about to ask this question myself.

My urine's been noticeably different as well and I've stated riding about the same distance you have - 20mi/h segments per day on a "TT" pace with recovery rides every 3rd day. No blood, but surely not the usual color despite all the water intake. Creeps me out a bit because I start to question if my kidney's failed or something.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Urine color*



Ventruck said:


> My urine's been noticeably different as well and I've stated riding about the same distance you have - 20mi/h segments per day on a "TT" pace with recovery rides every 3rd day. No blood, but surely not the usual color despite all the water intake. Creeps me out a bit because I start to question if my kidney's failed or something.


If you just have urine that is too dark, you probably are not getting enough water. Another way to check is that you should have to pee every 2-3 hours. If you are peeing frequently and have dark color, then it's time to see a doctor.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

Kerry Irons said:


> If you just have urine that is too dark, you probably are not getting enough water. Another way to check is that you should have to pee every 2-3 hours. If you are peeing frequently and have dark color, then it's time to see a doctor.




no... urine doesn't have to be red-tinged to have "blood" in it. not saying he does, but that statement- you probably are not getting enough water- downplays a potential problem


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## Buzzard (Sep 7, 2004)

Steve D said:


> Two weeks ago after a long hard ride, I had blood in my urine. I experienced this twice: immediately after the ride, and again after doing a recovery ride the next day.
> 
> I've been riding a lot (150-200 miles/week). Also, I may have been dehyrdrated after the initial hard ride.
> 
> ...


It could be small abrasions caused by kidney stones. This happened to me a couple of times several years ago when I was riding motocross. Of course, this is only possible if you have kidney stones to begin with. I hope that's not the case. The pain and discomfort caused by a passing stone rates right up there...trust me. The CT scan will show kidney stones if present.


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

I would go to your doctor to be safe. The last time I had blood in my urine, it turned out to be a kidney stone. THAT F'ING SUCKED. The longer you get, the worse it will be.

Blood in urine is pretty common for runners, especially after a marathon. Don't be too concerned, but at the same time, be pretty concerned.


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## Pbnj (Jul 13, 2009)

Steve D said:


> Two weeks ago after a long hard ride, I had blood in my urine. I experienced this twice: immediately after the ride, and again after doing a recovery ride the next day.
> 
> I've been riding a lot (150-200 miles/week). Also, I may have been dehyrdrated after the initial hard ride.
> 
> ...


I'm not sure how old you are, I'm 52 and ride 30 miles aday. A couple months ago had this happen to me also. To make along story short in a way, Come to find out, I have an enlarged prostate, not cancerous at all but did bring on a bad infection that kept me down for a couple months. Had to have an IV of medication 2 times daily for 6 weeks. It was a real bad case of UTI ( uranary tract infection) It can be serious if you don't get it in controll in the begining of the infection. Not saying you have one ( UTI ) but I would sure have the Doc check into this. It may be nothing, but it's not good when you have blood in the urine.


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## rcsting (Jul 6, 2005)

That same thing happened to a friend of mine. Turned out to be a kidney stone.


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## brentster (Jul 12, 2007)

iliveonnitro said:


> I would go to your doctor to be safe. The last time I had blood in my urine, it turned out to be a kidney stone. THAT F'ING SUCKED. The longer you get, the worse it will be.
> 
> Blood in urine is pretty common for runners, especially after a marathon. Don't be too concerned, but at the same time, be pretty concerned.


This EXACT same thing happened to me. Last year, during the rest stops on a couple of rides, I was peeing blood red and stupidly ignored it thinking I was dehydrated. The following week, on a 60 mile ride, I experienced the worst pain ever. I barely made it back to my car and had to drive myself to the hospital. It turned out to be a kidney stone and I had to have it blasted out of me. Cost me about $1,800 - with insurance.

Do yourself a favor and drink LOTS OF WATER to flush it out NOW.


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## Kevin_in_SB (Mar 7, 2009)

Go see a Doctor you should not have blood show up when you piss.


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## Dajianshan (Jul 15, 2007)

If I ever piss blood I am not going to take it to an internet forum before seeing my doctor. Go! Now!


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## moabbiker (Sep 11, 2002)

Stones or dehydration. If it's dehydration you are in trouble as this is typically an advanced symptom, not good for repeated cases.


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## Puchnuts (Oct 9, 2008)

Cranberry Juice is truly a specific for bladder-infections - a common cause of blood in the urine. But if it resulted from trauma such as a bike crash, it can be indicative of more serious condition. See a doctor! :thumbsup: 

And drink cranberry-juice. not kidding.


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## ZoSoSwiM (Mar 7, 2008)

Doctor time.. I'll also suggest the same as above. I knew a guy that passed a 4mm stone. I was in my college Bio class.. he sat next to me. Passed out half way through class then went to the hospital..

You only have 1 body. Treat it well.


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## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

read the link below. It is fairly common in intense exercise - I've had it following really hard races but it merits a trip to your doctor just to be sure there's not something more behind it.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/blood-in-urine/DS01013


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## MT Road (Sep 26, 2004)

I echo thoughts above you are at risk for kidney stones (according to my doc after I passe 2 and had 2 blasted ) if:

You have a high protein diet
Dehydrate yourself ofter
Sweet a lot
or it is hereditary

for me, I eat a high protein diet, and get dehydrated often... 

YOU DO NOT WANT A STONE.. I think I have a high pain tolerance but I was in the fetal position crying and vomiting..

Mine was found the same basic way I did a 104 mile ride, and that night had some blood in my urine, then I woke up at 1:00 in the worst pain ever, the doctor thinks the jaring from the ride dislodged the stone, a blessing in disguise.

Now I am stone free and drink at least 90 oz of water a day..

C


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## Steve D (Mar 1, 2002)

Thanks guys.

As i mentioned, I did go to my doctor and posted this as I awaited my CT scan results. Everything came back normal so no stones, and no UTI either. 

The bloody pee happened just twice. Since then, I've been drinking lots and lots of water. I took a few days off the bike and even changed my saddle from an Aliante to a Specialized Alias (wider with cut out). After chatting with my doc he okayed me to ride so long as I promised to stay hydrated.

Good thing as I just completed a 3-day 300 mile ride across Massachusetts. Rode from West Stockbridge to Sturbridge Friday in the pouring rain and actually bumped into and rode with Magnus Backstedt! (how cool is that?). On Saturday and Sunday I did the Pan Mass Challenge to Provincetown. On Sunday I finished up with 3-time Boston marathon winner Uta Pippig. It was a cool weekend and my health seems okay. I managed to drink more than usual and never had any issues.

Thanks again for your responses.


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## ZoSoSwiM (Mar 7, 2008)

Glad to hear! Keep up with the water!

I went to the doctor early this year.. I was having weird chest pains. We did an ekg, chest xray, echo, a few blood tests and all of my results came back perfect. The cardiac doc even said I had one of the strongest hearts he's looked at. 

But.. I was still having chest pain. 

I kept cycling and kept building my base along with intensity. I started drinking much more water and since then I cut back from a whole pot of coffee a day down to 1/3 of a pot. My chest pain has pretty much gone away. I feel better than ever. That first week or so I gained a few pounds.. Then stabilized. Now I'm peeing much more often and it's clear. 


I was dehydrated for so long that my body finally told me.


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## Pbnj (Jul 13, 2009)

Glad to hear the good news. Sounds like everything is back on track.

Enjoy the ride


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## Lee Vining (Jun 23, 2009)

Though this thread is dated, thought I'd add my tale for those experiencing visible blood in pee (known as gross hematuria). I take no joy in writing this epistle – but hope that in the telling, it clarifies understanding of the condition – which is a symptom of something else.

In March/April, I noticed dark urine after riding and xc skiing. day, I redirected my stream into a cup, and discovered cola-colored pee. Weird. No pain, no fever, no night sweats or unexplained weight loss. Nada. After superhydrating, I did another catch the following morning; my urine still appeared rosy. Called an advice nurse who recommended a visit to urgent care. So off I went. The attending PA did a dip and informed me that I had off-the-scale hematuria. He announced that blood in urine w/no other symptoms (dysuria, flank pain, etc) could signal a serious underlying condition. He told me to get to a urologist within the week. He said that worst-case scenario was bladder cancer, but overexertion or asymptomatic kidney stones were more likely culprits.

Saw urologist same week, and doc ordered a pelvic CT scan and blood work. Tests revealed neither masses, nor unusual markers, but scan did indeed reveal stones in both kidneys - 4 mm left, 3 mm right. OK. Not great, but not the big C. I’d take the stones.

The CT scan and needle poke were, unfortunately just Step 1 and 2 of diagnostic procedure. Step 3 was the dreaded digital (prostate issues can cause hematuria). This I stoically endured. Step 4, however, was nigh inconceivable, and required a valium to merely ponder: my doc would pass a scope up my – yep -- and into the bladder to check for tumors, etc. 

Despite much anticipatory gnashing of teeth, the procedure was fairly trivial (bypassing the prostate was the worst part). Doc found no tumors, but _did_ see a very small AVM -- an arteriovenous malformation. Bladder AVMs are quite rare, but doc didn't seem too concerned. Told me it could be the source of blood, but the stones were likely the culprit. AVM could prove harmless, and might have to be cauterized one day. I was told to hang tight and wait for the stones to pass.

Thus ensued 5 months of waiting, frustration and many milliliters of bloody urine following nearly every strenuous workout. Meanwhile, I willed my body to pass those stones. I tried folk remedies (stone breaker tea), lemon juice and olive-oil cocktails, hanging bat-like on an inversion table, skipping rope, learning to slackline (lots of jarring dismounts), and running. No luck. Costs to lifestyle fairly severe - had to cancel a backcountry ski trip, no climbing, backcountry trail-running totally out, since the passage of a 4mm stone while in the outback could qualify as an emergency – especially if the stone blocked the ureter.

Unfortunately, none was forthcoming. Doc ordered an IVP (an xray with fluoroscopy) to check out the kidneys. The 4mm stone had somehow grown to 6mm. Right kidney still held a 3mm stone.

6mm stone = too big to pass. Doc scheduled an ESWL - external shock wave lithotripsy - whereby pinpoint sound waves pulverize the stone into gravel that can be peed out. Although this procedure required no "penetration," a general anesthetic was required, and indeed, the worst after-effect was the raw throat from intubation. But no bruising or bloody urine (typical after-effects), and no shards of stone. I wondered what had happened when I was under the general. Was the lithotripter defective?

An ultrasound was performed a month after the procedure, and revealed the stone had been shattered into a 3.6mm shard and 2.4mm-worth of bits. They were still lying wait in the lower calyx. Meanwhile, the right kidney stone had grown to 5mm. I was told to strain my pee and hope for the best.

Still, no bits. Went out for a 60-mile ride three weeks after lithotripsy, and did hill repeats the next day, with inevitable results. Very bloody pee. No fragments. WTF?

Finally, last week - nearly 5 weeks after the lithotripsy - I passed the 3.6mm stone (along with a huge clot). Amazingly, I didn't require narcotics - was able to control pain w/NSAIDs. Miraculous.

Today, after a short but strenuous ride, more tea-colored urine. Caue? Either remaining stones or the AVM. If right stone doesn't pass, I’ll need another ESWL or a ureteroscopy (flexible scope inserted into urethra, then through ureter, into kidney, where the stone will be nuked by laser. On the way back out, AVM will be cauterized.

Moral of my exhaustive tale: visible blood in urine without accompanying pain should be taken very seriously. Hie thee to a urologist. Typical diagnostic procedures will be the same as mine. Not pleasant, but better to know than to not.

Best case scenario is that you simply overexerted yourself . Congratulations! Bloody pee is not uncommon – for runners, that is (I have known marathoners who took great pride in their post-race hematuria). Unfortunately, pee in blood is a less likely outcome of a road riding hammer fest. Sorry.

Cancer is unlikely. A bladder AVM is incredibly, incredibly unlikely. Guess that makes me special. 

Most likely scenario: renal calculi, aka stones. Though simple stones may seem a minor ailment, prepare yourself for inconveniences, multiple procedures, and mild to incapacitating discomfort (relieved with anything from over-the-counter meds to an IV in an ER). 

If you're into adventure sports, you may want to think twice about venturing too far beyond a trailhead. This I have found to be the worst part of the ordeal – thus far.

Hope this helps -- and best of luck.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

Dajianshan said:


> If I ever piss blood I am not going to take it to an internet forum before seeing my doctor. Go! Now!


:thumbsup: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^:thumbsup:


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## Steve D (Mar 1, 2002)

Happy to say that 2 years later I'm still alive and kicking. In the interim it happened once more. I too got scoped and Doc says it was nothing more than dehydration. Everybody drink!


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## DG62 (Jan 18, 2009)

I had this happen a few days in a row after very early morning long runs about a decade ago. A little unsettling when it first happens. 
I saw a doctor and it was determined the cause was most likely dehydration. The doctor also indicated that when the bladder is empty (as in the morning) the jarring from a run can cause it to slap against itself and cause some bleeding. Recommended some pre-exercise hydration, which I had not been doing.
Recently I experienced some very dark urine this summer post late afternoon rides in hot and humid weather which immediately cleared up after re-hydrating.
As has been indicated, if you are exercising for extended periods or in hot weather, dehydration is a likely cause for blood/dark colored urine. Rehydration should clear up and discoloration. If the discoloration persists or is not due to exercise, a visit to the doctor's office should seriously be considered.


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## Pedalhead (Sep 22, 2010)

Kidney stone did it for me. Unreal back pain stopped me in my tracks at work and i collapsed. My next urination was bloody and that was it. Doctor said i probably passed it in that urine. I cannot imagine a 4mm stone - ouch!


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## nhluhr (Sep 9, 2010)

I once urinated hard with my thang pulled up and over a very tight un-yielding pair of mountain bike shorts. My tip dripped blood in the toilet later that night. It took a few days before urinating was comfortable again.


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## heathb (Nov 1, 2008)

I'm a meditech and when I have a urine specimen from a male in the age group of 30-55 that has blood in it most every time it's related to kidney stones.

They're right. You should be drinking copious amounts of water to flush it out. 

When passing stones I've read of guys that grab a 24 pack of beer, sit facing the wall on the toilet and get hammered drunk to kill the pain and pass the stone.


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## Harley-Dale (Sep 2, 2011)

My tale is similar with symptoms, but radically different in diagnosis.

CT scan found nothing, ruling out kidney/stone issue. An ultrasound was done since I had discomfort in lower groin. It was thought to be bladder abnormality. Doctor looked at CT and Ultrasound results and wanted me to come back immediately after the 1st ultrasound to do another one but lower--he saw something strange. (Bladder was fine, however)

The 2nd ultrasound uncovered a blod clot in gonadal vein. I was put immediately on Cumadin and had to shoot up some other stuff for 5 days before the Cumadin kicked in. They were concerned the clot would break and go to my lungs, which is (nearly) instant death.

This was in early August this year. My urologist told me they only see this in much older women...but I am a 51 year old MAN! He is stumped as to the cause. Could be an old injury from a kick in the groin, which I dont recall. He also thought a very slight chance of trauma from a bicycle seat. 

I have been off bicycles since 96 or so. So, it wasnt anything recent from a bike seat. And, doubt its from my Harley. Just unexplainable, I suppose.

On a positive note, I decided to get back into bicycling, so bought a cross bike a few weeks back. I figure the daily exercise of riding, in addition to the 3-4 miles I walk daily, cant hurt. I raced road and MTB for years, and feel the urge to get back into it.

I go back for another ultrasound in October to see if the clot is going away, or must be surgically removed. I dont worry about it-- whatever happens, happens. But its fun to be back on a bicycle again. Just walking for fitness is pretty boring, comparatively speaking.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

True story. When I was in college back in the 70s, I cooked a big pot of beets with greens and that's all I had for dinner. Poor student and all. The next day I had bright red pee and was all worried that I was bleeding internally, until I remembered the beets. Problem cleared up the next day, so I didn't bother seeing a doc.


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## Wood Devil (Apr 30, 2011)

Blood in urine ...

Probably just as bad as blood in semen.

Being in the saddle for long periods, bouncing over rough roads, scooching forward, sliding back ... you have to figure it isn't all that great for the plumbing. We're bound in bruise that area from time to time.

Doesn't hurt to get things checked out. Unless you're like me and simply don't give a damn.


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## superjesus (Jul 26, 2010)

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that if you're not pissing blood, you're not doing it right.

HTFU and all that. 


Glad to read the OP's doing better all this time later. :thumbsup:


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