Lipstick obsession and red urine [case study]

“A 28-year-old woman presented to the nephrology clinic with a 5-day history of passage of red-colored urine (Figure 1a) without dysuria flank pain, rigors, or chills. She denied any history of recent exposure to medications, beet intake, or coloring agents in food. On examination, the only noticeable feature was her bright-red lipstick (Figure 1b). Her blood count, serum creatinine, liver function, and urine tests were normal. Her urine culture was sterile. On further questioning, she revealed that she would apply her lipstick 20 to 25 times a day and was finding it hard to overcome this obsession.”

Fortunately, the patient fully recovered – after refraining from the (over)use of red lipstick. See: Lipstick obsession and red urine in Kidney International (the official journal of the international society of nephrology), July 2018, Volume 94, Issue 1, Page 223.

Also see: (two follow-up articles, in Kidney International, Vol. 94, Issue 4) Regarding ”Lipstick obsession and red urine” and The author replies

Research research by Martin Gardiner