# side effects of creatine?



## HardBody007 (Apr 21, 2002)

I was talking to some people at my Gym and they said the creatine can ruin your kidneys and liver unless you drink 3 times as much water as you usually would is that true?


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## KataMaStEr (Apr 21, 2002)

True, if you don't drink enough water when taking cratine you increase your chances of kidney failure. I drink 1 gal of water every day just in case.


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## nikegurl (Apr 24, 2002)

any idea how many liters in a gallon?


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## dvlmn666 (Apr 24, 2002)

3.78 accoring to the web site I found.  

damn I drink alot of water. I haverage 6-7 litres a day.


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## nikegurl (Apr 24, 2002)

oh good.  i've been getting in 4 liters and knowing i should increase it.

was it hard for you to get up to 6&7?  i can't believe drinking water is proving to be a challenge!

by the way - that was incredibly lazy of me not to look myself for the liters to gallons conversion.


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## 10milesdan (Apr 27, 2002)

Then mucho aqua it will be.  Think of the positive effects it will do on your diet as water has a filling effect and you'll most likely now reach for a glass of water than candy or other sweet.


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## Dr. Pain (Apr 27, 2002)

> _*Originally posted by HardBody007 *_
> I was talking to some people at my Gym and they said the creatine can ruin your kidneys and liver unless you drink 3 times as much water as you usually would is that true?



Untrue!  Good creatine, has few documented side effects, other than beneficial!  In hot humid weather, some elite atheletes suffer calve and hamstring cramps, which is why the current trend toward hydration!

There are no supportive studies that the incidence of this is any higher in those taking creatine, than the general population!  In fact creatine causes "cell volumization", a form of hydration of the muscle cells!

Creatine is comprised of three amino acids, glycine, arginine, and methionine, excess is converted to creatinine in the liver, and excreted by the kidneys, it poses no greater problem to the body than does excessive protein. (Drink more water)

BAD creatine, on the other hand is extremely harsh on the body, it is full of chemicals left over from manufacture, dihydrotriazine, dicyannadimide, creatinine and sodium.  It causes gastro-intestinal distress, diarrhea, and may one day be linked to greater problems!

Try to buy any brand using Creapure (SKW Labs) or Phanstiel (PF, look for the trademark), don't waste, time, $$$ and health on cheap crappy creatine!


DP


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## nikegurl (Apr 27, 2002)

hey DP (or anyone else who knows) - ever heard of Creatine Clear?  It's by FSI Laboratories.  Claims to use a sodium based transport system instead of the glucose spike.  Claims less bloat and that you don't need to sugar/carbs with it for good absorbtion.  any good?  I started it a week ago and can say - no negatives at all.  Not entirely sure if I've seen any gains from it.  May be too soon to tell.  May be I shouldn't bother with it and just go for the monohydrate (but I won't take in those carbs/sugars with it)  any thoughts?


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## Tank316 (Apr 28, 2002)

nikegurl.i tried to find this stuff for you but i have had no luck. sorry, have you already bought this or are you going to. do you have problems with taking other creatines? curious is all?


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## nikegurl (Apr 29, 2002)

hi tank - i've got it.  been using it for 2 weeks.  no problems but not sure that it has done much of anything either.  i mean - i'm getting stronger but very gradually and i'm getting leaner but that has to be diet.

honestly - it's the first creatine i've tried.  i was going to get ast micronized but chickened out when i'd hear about getting bloated from it.  one place i'd read that it doesn't put water under your skin but into the muscle cells themselves and you don't bloat.  then i'd hear someone else say they ended up like puffer fish.  

also - the diet i'm following now wouldn't allow for the insulin spike for transporting the creatine.  i liked the idea of the sodium transport - no sugar/carbs/calories.

of course - i'm still not sure if it works!  lol


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## nikegurl (Apr 29, 2002)

i'm still hoping dr. pain or someone here may know more about creatine clear (if not - i'll keep you all posted)

with creatine monohydrate would you expect to have seen definite changes in 2 weeks time?  (i'm wondering if it's been long enough for me to determine if this product is useful for me or not)

thanks!


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## Dr. Pain (Apr 29, 2002)

FSI had the original patent rights on effervescent creatines, and sued everybodies pants off until they paid licencsing rights!  The never had a great product, just owned the technology.  Creatine absortion and utilization is an individualistic  thing, hence different deliveries and systems working for some and not others!

Basically, nobody has improved upon  creatine monohydrate, how you take it, is up to you!  BTW, table sugar (sucrose) is extremely close to dextrose (glucose), when you buy a Pre-load, your paying for sugar!

DP


NG, see your PM about options to sugar!


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## Xeldrine (May 27, 2002)

You should drink plenty of water anyway before & after a workout.


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## LAM (May 27, 2002)

side effects from creatine....hmm, well besides increasing your ATP production and storage and used with sufficient resistance training, proper nutriton and rest.... creatine could help aid in achieving gains in LBM.


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## Burner02 (May 27, 2002)

isn't it also true that you can drink too much water?
Something like drowning your kidneys?
I think I remember reading this somewhere.
I also try and keep myself between three liters to a gallon of water per day, more if more active.


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## conner1979 (May 28, 2002)

Is the amount of creatine you intake propotional to water you need to drink?  I usually only took one tea spoon once a day! How much water would I need?


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## Tboy (May 28, 2002)

No kidney failure.  But, I have had some pretty extreme headache's after taking it in the powder form.   Is the pill version as good?


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## 5abi (May 29, 2002)

take enuff water, u should'nt have ne probs just cycle it every 2months take 1month of imo


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## Animal (May 29, 2002)

> _*Originally posted by Tboy *_
> No kidney failure.  But, I have had some pretty extreme headache's after taking it in the powder form.   Is the pill version as good?


The pill form just works out more expensive to get the required doseage.  What brand of Creatine is it?  As often it is not the creatine that causes the problems but the impurities in it.  Make sure it has the Creapure logo, a brand such as Prolab is one of the best purest you can buy.

Animal


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## LAM (May 29, 2002)

conner1979...you should take between 5-10 grams on training days.


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## Tboy (May 30, 2002)

> _*Originally posted by Animal *_
> The pill form just works out more expensive to get the required doseage.  What brand of Creatine is it?  As often it is not the creatine that causes the problems but the impurities in it.  Make sure it has the Creapure logo, a brand such as Prolab is one of the best purest you can buy.
> 
> Animal



Just checked and it does not have the creapure logo.  Could that make the differance?  Or be the reason for the headaches?


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## Animal (May 30, 2002)

> _*Originally posted by Tboy *_
> 
> 
> Just checked and it does not have the creapure logo.  Could that make the differance?  Or be the reason for the headaches?


In my experience and the expereicnce of others I know it is the impurties of the Creatine that cause the problems not the Creatine.

What make is the Creatine you got??

Are you drinking enough water??  How much per day roughly?

Stop taking it for a day or so, do you still get the headaches??

Let me know the answers to 1 and 2 now and then 3 in a few days. 

Animal


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## TJohn (May 30, 2002)

Like Doc says, good creatine has few side effects if taken properly. Drinking tons of water, mixing it completely !! The only side effects I've ever had was upset stomach. And I think that was becuase it was  GNCrap 

TJohn


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## Tboy (May 30, 2002)

Animal,  It is "Precison Engineered"  I am pretty sure that it is a low grade.  It came from Vitamin World (not much better or worse than GNC).  I wanted to try it and see if it made any differance before I bought the better stuff.

As far as water goes I am getting as much or more than 64oz a day for most days.  

I have actually quit taking the creatine until I can pinpoint were the headaches are coming from.  If for certain they are coming from "cheap" creatine, Im not sure that I want to chance wasting money on the good stuff if it is creatine in general doing it to me.


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## Animal (May 30, 2002)

> _*Originally posted by Tboy *_
> Animal,  It is "Precison Engineered"  I am pretty sure that it is a low grade.  It came from Vitamin World (not much better or worse than GNC).  I wanted to try it and see if it made any differance before I bought the better stuff.


Looks to me as if you answered your question right here!!  It's like putty dodgy petrol in your sportscar your not gonna get top performance.



> _*Originally posted by Tboy *_As far as water goes I am getting as much or more than 64oz a day for most days.


Good as sometimes it can be an issue, I have to drink a fair few litres to get the bennefits of Creatine I mean like lots of litres 



> _*Originally posted by Tboy *_I have actually quit taking the creatine until I can pinpoint were the headaches are coming from.  If for certain they are coming from "cheap" creatine, Im not sure that I want to chance wasting money on the good stuff if it is creatine in general doing it to me.


Good Plan, see if they stop if not we will have to look at your general diet, training, lifestlye etc.

As for "wasting" your money on decent Creatine, I can think of a lot worse things to buy...lol  Let me tell you a little story..........When I was a younger Animal and didn't know better I bough VERY cheap Glutamine Pills.  They did JACK shit for me except give me KILLER wind  I mean like clear the city in 2 seconds kinda wind.  I eventually throw them away when I was at work and took some like 15 minutes ago and I burped, I sort of contained it in my mouth (you know what I mean) and I tasted this real dodgy Sulpuric taste, opened my mouth and a HUGE cloud of white smoke came out.....why?  Dodgy Glutamine.  Now I take DECENT pharmacutical grade glut and I'm fine no side effect at ALL and I find it does wonders to my training, for me I put it above Creatine but thats another story!!

BOTTOM LINE : Just like we are what we eat, you get what you pay for 

Animal


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## Aussie_Dude (Sep 17, 2004)

Hey everyone, 

The first time i took creatine, it made me contantly sick and made me vomit when i worked out. I had some really good results with it however. Could the sickness have been due to, to little water???? Has it made anyone else vomit???


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## Tha Don (Sep 18, 2004)

_side effects of creatine? _ 

none! it is a totally safe product when taken correctly

only side effects you may experience are huge muscles and increased athletic ability (when i play basketball on creatine i can really feel it, i'm stronger, more agressive and can play for ages with out getting worn out, same when i'm lifting i guess)

the only niggle i have with it is that is bloats my apperance very slightly, i look a bit puffed up in the face, but that is due to the extra water in my system nothing and it goes a few weeks after i stop taking creatine

give it a go man like DP said get some creapure its a trusted brand that won't cost you a fortune to run

peace


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## OceanDude (Sep 18, 2004)

Side effect - YES - but in an indirect and unexpected way.

For older guys (say about 35+) our ligaments and tendons are sometimes not recovering and developing as fast as the muscle fiber. I find that with Creatine I can get a pretty significant jump on strength when I fall off the wagon for a few weeks being out of the gym and can get back to peak strength pretty quickly. However, my subjective opinion is that sometimes the tendons and ligaments are not quite ready for the extra strength and you can get some nasty inflammations that can result in a net loss of strength since it can take 4-6 weeks or longer to recover and you will be favoring a sore muscle group and not hitting it hard at all (if at all). I just did this with my left forearm and the inflammation is screwing me up in just about everything upper body- presses, triceps work, biceps work and even some back/lat work. Major bummer and I wish I had come back a little slower with lighter weights instead of jumping right back into the heavies with the extra strength advantage of creatine.

OD


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## Dragonsi (Sep 20, 2004)

when I was doing cell tech and protein whey, I became extremely aggressive... but that was just me


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## LAM (Sep 20, 2004)

Dragonsi said:
			
		

> when I was doing cell tech and protein whey, I became extremely aggressive... but that was just me



Creatine or protein has no effect on the endocrine system that would increase aggression...sounds like something physiological to me...


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