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What to do if…
you have new urinary pain and see blood in your urine

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Get same-day medical advice. Blood in urine should be checked even if it only happens once, and urinary pain can mean infection, a stone, or another problem that needs assessment.

Do not do these things

  • Do not ignore visible blood in your urine, even if the pain settles.
  • Do not take leftover antibiotics or someone else’s antibiotics.
  • Do not try to “flush it out” by forcing large amounts of water quickly.
  • Do not hold your urine to save a sample if you are in pain or desperate to go.
  • Do not take extra doses of painkillers because you are panicking.
  • Do not stop prescribed medicines, including blood thinners, without medical advice.
  • Do not assume it is “just cystitis” if you are pregnant, male, a child or teenager, immunosuppressed, have kidney disease, have one kidney, take blood thinners, or feel very unwell.

What to do now

  1. Check whether this is an emergency.
    Go to A&E now, or call 999 if you cannot get there safely, if you have any of these:

    • You cannot pass urine, or only a few drops come out.
    • You have heavy bleeding, blood clots, or bleeding that is getting worse.
    • You have severe one-sided back, side, or groin pain, especially with nausea or vomiting.
    • You feel very unwell, confused, faint, drowsy, severely weak, feverish, cold, or shivery.
    • You recently had a significant injury to your back, side, or abdomen.

  2. If there are no emergency signs, still seek same-day advice.
    Contact your GP surgery for an urgent appointment today. If you cannot get help from your GP:

    • In England, use NHS 111 online or call 111.
    • In Scotland, call NHS 24 on 111.
    • In Wales, use NHS 111 Wales or call 111 where available.
    • In Northern Ireland, contact your GP out-of-hours service if your GP is closed, or use local urgent care.

  3. Be ready to give the key details.
    Write down:

    • When the pain and blood started.
    • Whether the urine is pink, red, brown, or contains clots.
    • Whether you have burning, stinging, urgency, needing to pee often, lower tummy pain, side or back pain, fever, shivers, nausea, vomiting, or trouble passing urine.
    • Whether pregnancy is possible.
    • Any recent urinary procedure, injury, vigorous exercise, or new medicine.
    • Any kidney disease, one kidney, immune suppression, or blood thinner use.

  4. Handle a urine sample sensibly.
    If you can comfortably wait, avoid emptying your bladder just before you leave, because a clinician may ask for a urine sample. If you need to pee, go; do not stay in pain just to save a sample.

  5. Take your medicine information with you.
    Bring, or photograph, your medicine list. Include blood thinners such as warfarin, apixaban, rivaroxaban, edoxaban, dabigatran, aspirin, clopidogrel, and any recent antibiotics.

  6. Use safer comfort steps while waiting for advice.
    Drink normal fluids so you do not become dehydrated, but do not force large amounts. Avoid alcohol until you have been assessed. If paracetamol is normally safe for you, you can follow the label for pain while you wait. Avoid ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory painkillers unless a clinician says they are safe for you.

  7. Escalate if anything changes.
    If pain becomes severe, you develop fever or shivers, you vomit, you cannot pass urine, clots appear, bleeding increases, or you feel faint, confused, or very unwell, use urgent or emergency care rather than waiting.

What can wait

  • You do not need to work out the cause right now.
  • You do not need to decide whether it is cystitis, a kidney stone, a kidney infection, a medicine effect, or something else.
  • You do not need to start cranberry products, supplements, or cleanses.
  • You do not need to decide about scans, referral, or longer-term tests now; focus on getting assessed and following the next instruction you are given.

Important reassurance

Seeing blood in urine is frightening, but it has several possible causes and many are treatable. The safest next step is prompt assessment, not guessing or waiting to see whether it happens again.

Scope note

These are first steps for the next few hours only. Later decisions, including antibiotics, pain relief, urine tests, blood tests, imaging, or referral, may need medical assessment and specialist help.

Important note

This is general information, not a diagnosis, medical advice, or professional advice. If you become more unwell, develop fever or shaking chills, severe pain, clots, worsening bleeding, or trouble passing urine, treat it as urgent and use urgent or emergency services.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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