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Thread: Creatine Monohydrate - Doctor says stop !

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
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    223

    Default Creatine Monohydrate - Doctor says stop !

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    One for Sully maybe.
    Both my GP and Endochronologist told me to stop taking the stuff.
    I thought it was one of the safe ones to take ?
    My blood test showed serum creatinine was 854 mmol/L (normal 44.2–106 mmol/L).
    I had been taking ~ 1g per day for 2+ months.
    After stopping, bloodwork returned back to “normal” levels.
    I’m 53, 230lbs, type 2 diabetic, my deadlifting is approaching 400lbs on NLP.
    I can’t really tell if the 2 months on it was making any strength difference. Just wondering if I can give it another try or should I actually avoid it ? ( they said diabetics have higher risk of developing kidney problems)
    The blood test was just routine for my diabetes, ie I wasn’t experiencing any adverse effects whilst on creatine supplement. The diabetes is also under good control (with help from metformin.)

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
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    Phoenix, AZ
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    4,610

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    Is it mmol or μmol/L?? As far as I know, elevated creatinine is expected when you are taking creatine supplements because you are turning over more creatinine. Creatine is converted to creatinine everyday so as you consume more creatine you will produce more creatinine. If you are concerned about kidney function I would get a urinary creatinine test done as well.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
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    Thanks Robert, yeah agree that’s exactly what I thought, it should go up. I’ll get a copy next time I see him to check units, they seem very reluctant handing over your own data!, how dare I should take an interest in my own health.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
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    599

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    Quote Originally Posted by Robert Santana View Post
    Is it mmol or μmol/L?? As far as I know, elevated creatinine is expected when you are taking creatine supplements because you are turning over more creatinine. Creatine is converted to creatinine everyday so as you consume more creatine you will produce more creatinine. If you are concerned about kidney function I would get a urinary creatinine test done as well.
    I agree. If your serum creatinine returns to normal levels after you stop taking creatine, then your kidneys are working fine.

    It is important to monitor kidney function if you have diabetes, so you will have to decide how to proceed, some options would be:

    1. Stop taking creatine

    2. Keep taking creatine but stop it for about a week before you have a blood test.

    3. Insist that your doctors assess your kidney function using serum/urine creatinine ratio. (If you are raising creatinine in your blood by taking creatine, you will also raise the amount in your urine, and getting the ratio will correct for this. This is a more accurate way to assess kidney function.) This will require you to do a 24-hour urine collection, which is why the blood test is used as an approximation.

    4. Keep taking the creatine and assume that your elevated serum creatinine is from this, and not from kidney failure. This is the easiest but also riskiest way to go, and I would not recommend this especially in the setting of diabetes. Diabetic nephropathy is a one-way street, and it pays to take good care of all aspects of diabetes.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
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    223

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    Thank you so much !, really appreciate this feedback.

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