Avoiding a dilute?

RecoveryNurse2015 · Mar 6, 2019

I have never had to pay any attention to risk of dilute urine depending what time of day I had to provide a specimen and/or hydrating in a normal manner. Provided you're not chugging water you should be fine.

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Mar 6, 2019

I tend to agree that if you are not chugging fluids, you are probably fine. I choose to “do a pee pee dance” until I can go donate the first go of the day (I am at the lab when they unlock the door). The other reason is that I do tend to drink a lot of tea or water during the day.

i should think however that the second pee of the day should suffice. Otherwise, I have be told that a high protein snack a few hours before should help.

chadprepton, ADN · Mar 6, 2019

I haven't seen people have problems as long as you are drinking fluids normally.

Persephone Paige, ADN · Mar 7, 2019

As long as I wait two hours between wees and don't drink any more than average, I've been fine.

Wizard 1 · Mar 7, 2019

I used to be ok, unless the weather was warm and I was drinking a lot of fluids. I had one dilute result, which happened during this time. The next times I tested I made sure I ate soybeans or something high in protein.

Rdsrn · Mar 8, 2019

I had a dilute...i was trying to save my morning pee and couldnt. But i had to be there at a certain time to test bc my mom paid for it. I drank ONE bottle of water on the way there. It cane back dilute. I was shocked because i hadnt drank a ton of water. But i guess since i had emptied my bladder...all that was in there was from that water bottle. Since then i make sure to wait 2 hrs, eat or drink some protein if i cant use my first of the day. Im saying this bc i thought i would be fine too as long as i wasnt chugging water like a mad woman. It only took that one bottle for me.

Babyj88, BSN · Mar 8, 2019

I never had a dilute even when one time I drank two bottles of water before I test. I don’t usually drink water so I don’t know if that had anything to do with it. I never test in the morning always in the afternoon. Just don’t go drinking gallon of water and you should be fine.

Eris Discordia BSN, RN · Mar 13, 2019

I had a dilute. It was my second urine of the day and the only thing I had drank was two-10 oz cups of coffee with cream within 3 hours of peeing. Nothing else. It didn't even look dilute to me when I looked at it, but it apparently was. Now, if I'm called to test, I limit caffeine to one cup with zero other fluids. If I can't hold my entire first urine, I try to empty my bladder roughly halfway and hold the rest of the concentrated urine in until I test. If I have to pee the first urine out due to bladder bursting, and go later, I just have to not drink anything but sips. Some people can chug whatever and be fine...I cannot. I was dilute after 20 oz of coffee and nothing else over a total of 12 hours. And now, my program recently started a policy where you are punished with a blood and hair test if your urine comes back highly conentrated as well. So, now I really don't know what to do with myself.

TL;DR: Try peeing out half your morning urine only, or just avoid diuretics like caffeine and limit your fluids until you can test.

Omaapecm, ASN, RN · Mar 20, 2019

I had a problem with dilutes because of the amount of water I drink and I love my coffee. I use to try and go first thing in the morning but I would literately be miserable. Try only emptying half your bladder first thing in the morning, that should give you a couple hours. I do that and still enjoy a small coffe first thing in the morning and I’ve been good.

K. Everly, BSN, RN · Mar 7, 2020

Good advice here. I submit to UDS twice a week & am unable to test in the morning and provide first void, so I’ve had to formulate a game plan to avoid a dilute urine. In sobriety court, a dilute drop is considered a positive and could land someone behind bars, so I take this *very* seriously.

Here are my tips for testing days:

1) Avoid (or seriously limit) caffeine and other diuretics - this is critical. 2) Eat through out the day whenever possible. 3) Eat something with 10+ grams of protein approximately 1-2 hours before testing. 4) Hold your urine for at least 3 hours before testing. 5) Do not chug any beverage throughout the day - if you notice you are urinating more frequently than once every 2 hours on testing day, decrease your liquid consumption 6) Do not drink more than 16 hours in the 2 hour window before testing.

YMMV

Mom2boysNJ · Mar 7, 2020

I have kept this simple and it has worked for me for the last 4+ years. I wake up at 5am to leave for work by 6am. The earliest that I can test is 7am and I cannot hold my bladder that long. I empty my bladder when I get up. I drink one 30g packed protein drink (Premier Protein), I enjoy a 1/2 cup of coffee and drink 1 bottle of water. This has worked for me so far!