Although anthracycline chemo drugs are effective, they can cause various side effects ranging from mild to severe. One such common side effect is red urine due to anthracycline chemo. Certain anthracycline chemo drugs have an ability to turn yellow or pale yellow urine to red, pink or orange color.

Anthracyclines are anti-cancer antibiotics that work by damaging the cancer cell DNA. Anthracyclines are among the most effective anti-cancer chemo medication. It is helpful to treat various types of cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma, breast cancer, and other metastatic cancers.

The different types of anthracycline drugs:

• Daunorubicin
• Doxorubicin (Adriamycin)
• Epirubicin (Ellence)
• Idarubicin
• Mitoxantrone
• Valrubicin (Valstar)

How to manage the symptom?

Anthracycline drugs can change your urine or other body fluids’ color to orange, pink, or red. The color change is visible for one to two days after administering a dose. It is a common and temporary side effect of anthracycline drugs.

You need to drink at least eight glasses of fluid each day. It keeps the urine light yellow or clear. Hence, your doctor will likely recommend drinking plenty of fluids, especially water, to help keep your excretory system functioning correctly.