Hi all, im asking this because yesterday i went to donate blood for the first time and they asked me stuff about my medical history to make sure im ok to donate.
They asked me if i’m taking or took in the past some supplements and i said yes cause i take creatine monohydrate and protein powder. When the doctor heard this said that i absolutely shouldn’t because it damages my kidneys.
I was a bit shocked because, being someone that just doesn’t trust the internet blindfolded (even when the absolute majoriy of reputable sources are kinda unanimous on saying that creatine is safe to take), before starting with creatine i went to my doctor and asked if i were ok taking it and he said yes just dont exceed the suggested dosage.
so im asking because im no one to dispute a doctor’s claim, but i got two very differente responses from two doctors so i’d like a clearer view on which advice to follow.
thank you :)
Was it an actual doctor at the blood donation place? Usually it’s just a phlebotomist or nurse. They typically don’t need a doctor just to draw blood.
But yeah, if you’re taking way more than needed it can be damaging but at or below the normal dosage should be fine.
yeah he was a doctor, he wasnt the one who took my blood. i talked to him before the sampling to check the questionnaire i filled with medical, he measured my blood pressure and asked me a bunch of stuff.
i always stay within and frequently under the suggested dosage, so i never tought somebody could straight up tell me i was ruining my kidneys. i would have expected this opinion on creatine from someone old maybe, but he was quite young. confusing times
I know a few people who kind of went crazy with the creatine and definitely took it too far and hurt themselves with it, which is crazy because I’m not even into fitness stuff so you wouldn’t expect a filthy casual like me to see that. From what I understand figuring out the right dose is tricky because there’s a lot of different body types and metabolisms, and the label always overestimates how much you really can process. It’s a supplement meaning it’s basically unregulated so they can put whatever they want on there. I’d say it’s common enough that people overdoing it is common enough to be concerning.
Can it mess with your kidneys? Absolutely. Will it? Bruh, this is the internet, we have no way to know that, but if you’re going easy on it, then probably not. Just make sure you’re using your head and it should be fine.