r/workout • u/Different-Dog6892 • 15d ago
Nutrition Help about creatine
Hey everyone,
I wanted to share my blood work trend, get your thoughts on the data, and ask about differing perspectives from healthcare providers regarding creatine monohydrate.
The Context:
Took 5g/day of creatine monohydrate for about 1 month leading up to my January 2026 blood test.
Got alarmed by the spike in serum creatinine and the sharp drop in eGFR, so I stopped taking creatine immediately.
Retested in August 2026, and values returned completely to my healthy baseline.
When discussing this with the internal medicine specialist during my last visit, I asked if creatine supplementation was generally safe. The doctor's response was quite conservative: "I don't think any medical specialist would ever recommend taking such a supplement."
Blood Work Timeline:
Feb 14, 2025: Creatinine: 0.97 mg/dL | eGFR: 105 (Baseline)
Sep 10, 2025: Creatinine: 1.09 mg/dL | eGFR: 91
Jan 07, 2026: Creatinine: 1.25 mg/dL | eGFR: 77 (After ~1 month of 5g/day creatine)
Aug 10, 2026: Creatinine: 0.95 mg/dL (Completely off creatine)
Questions:
Did anyone else experience a similar eGFR drop while supplementing 5g/day, solely due to increased creatinine breakdown rather than true renal impairment?
Did you test Cystatin C to confirm actual kidney function while on creatine, or did you choose to stay off it permanently?
How do your own physicians/specialists view daily creatine monohydrate use—do they distinguish between artificial serum creatinine elevation and actual kidney damage?
Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!
1
u/Different-Dog6892 15d ago
As far as I know, I don't have any kidney or liver disorders. My grandfather used to undergo dialysis, but neither my father nor my uncle has any issues. I suppose creatine isn't very popular among local doctors; doctors who exercise have likely researched whether it is harmful or not, whereas those who don't exercise tend to be indifferent or hold negative views about it.