Glycosuria

What is glycosuria?

Glycosuria is when there’s more sugar (glucose) in your pee than there should be. It’s normal to have a small amount of sugar in your pee. But if urine (pee) test results show more than 0.25 mg/ml of glucose, that’s glycosuria.

Sometimes, glycosuria is a symptom of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). But it can also happen in people with normal or low blood sugar levels. For instance, you can get glycosuria if your kidneys don’t filter waste properly.

What are the symptoms of glycosuria?

People with glycosuria don’t always have obvious symptoms. You might have it for years without knowing it. Over time, untreated glycosuria can lead to:

• Extreme thirst or hunger.
• Dehydration.
• Peeing more than usual.

When glycosuria is a symptom of Type 2 diabetes, you might develop:

• Fatigue.
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Vision
• Discoloration where skin touches skin (like your armpits, inner elbows and folds of your neck).
• Slow healing whenever you get a cut or scrape.

What causes glycosuria?

There are three main glycosuria causes:

1. Your body doesn’t make or use insulin like it should.
2. There’s more sugar in your system than your body can process at once.
3. You have a kidney disorder.

What are the health conditions that cause glycosuria?

Specifically, glycosuria can occur in people who have:

• Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Your pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin, or your body doesn’t respond to the effects of insulin like it should.
• Gestational diabetes. Some people develop hyperglycemia during pregnancy. Like Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes can cause glycosuria.
• Fanconi syndrome. With this condition, your kidneys have trouble reabsorbing certain substances like potassium, phosphorus and glucose. Instead, these substances leave your body through your pee.
• Renal glycosuria. This inherited condition causes you to pee out glucose even though you have normal blood sugar levels. Renal glycosuria can occur if you have genetic mutations (changes) that result in kidney defects. Specifically, these mutations affect your kidney tubules (part of your kidney’s filtration system).

There’s also a temporary form of glycosuria — called alimentary glycosuria — that happens when you eat a lot of carbohydrates at once. It takes longer than usual for your blood and urine glucose levels to stabilize. Unless you have a condition that affects your blood sugar levels, symptoms should go away within several hours.

How is glycosuria diagnosed?

Healthcare providers use several methods to check for glycosuria, including:

• Urinalysis. You pee in a cup and a provider sends it to a lab. A lab technician dips a test strip into the sample to measure your urine glucose levels.
• Blood glucose test. A provider takes a blood sample and sends it to a lab for analysis. This can tell you if you have high blood sugar in addition to glycosuria.
• A1C test. A provider gets a sample of your blood from a finger prick or a blood draw. This test measures your average blood sugar levels over the past three months.

How is glycosuria treated?

Glycosuria treatment depends on the cause. Once you treat the underlying condition, the level of glucose in your pee should return to normal.

Depending on your situation, your healthcare provider may recommend one or more of these treatments:

• Eating more vegetables and whole grains.
• Increased physical activity.
• Metformin (Glucophage®, Glumetza®).
• Insulin.
• Anti-glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor antagonists like dulaglutide (Trulicity®) or semaglutide (Ozempic®).

Can glycosuria be prevented?

You can’t always prevent glycosuria — especially when it’s a result of genetic conditions. But you may be able to reduce your risk when glycosuria is a symptom of Type 2 or gestational diabetes. Once you and your healthcare provider find ways to manage any underlying conditions, the glucose levels in your pee should return to normal.

What can I expect if I have glycosuria?

The outlook is good for people who follow a treatment plan to manage symptoms. In fact, addressing the underlying condition can cure glycosuria in most cases. Ask your healthcare provider about a personalized approach.

If you have glycosuria without an underlying health condition, you may not need to do anything. But it’s still important to see a healthcare provider if you develop new symptoms.

What foods should I eat?

These foods don’t spike your blood sugar and may help reduce your risk of glycosuria:

• Leafy greens.
• Plain, unsweetened yogurt.
• Steel-cut oats.
• Whole-grain carbs like quinoa, brown rice and whole-grain breads and pastas.

What foods should I avoid?

If you have high blood sugar and glycosuria, it’s best to consume these foods and drinks in moderation:

• White carbs like bread, rice and pasta.
• Dried fruits.
• Processed foods like sweetened cereals and other packaged snacks.
• Processed meats like ham, bacon and beef jerky.
• Foods with high sugar content like cakes, cookies and candy.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

Tell your healthcare provider if you:

• Develop glycosuria symptoms like fatigue, extreme thirst or peeing more than usual.
• Have diabetes and notice a sudden change in symptoms.

When should I go to the ER?

Glycosuria symptoms aren’t always obvious. And it’s impossible to know how much sugar is in your pee without a urine test. But symptoms of high blood sugar are easier to spot. And they could indicate a more serious issue.

You should call 911 or head to your nearest emergency room if you have:

• A blood glucose level above 250 mg/dL. (You can buy a blood glucose monitor from any pharmacy.)
• Abdominal pain.
• Trouble staying awake.
• Dry skin.
• Fast heartbeat.
• Rapid breathing.

Is glycosuria normal in diabetes?

Glycosuria can be a symptom of untreated or unmanaged diabetes. But once you find a way to manage your blood sugar levels, glycosuria symptoms should go away.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

On its own, glycosuria isn’t a serious cause for concern. But when it occurs alongside high blood sugar, it usually means you have another condition that needs treatment. If tests show high levels of sugar in your pee, talk to your healthcare provider about next steps and ways to ease your symptoms. Once you treat the underlying condition, your urine glucose levels should return to normal.