Creatine makes me feel like death - What to do?

mrhankey87

mrhankey87

Member
Looking back at the last couple years, every supplement I've taken that included creatine has always given me issues. At the time I didn't know what it was specifically cause I was always stacking stuff, but these days I added creatine HCL to my current stack and the same exact stomach issues went back - it made me realize it was just the creatine, the one I would have never thought of.

I've tried Promera Con-Crete (HCL), Kaged C-HCL, Hemavo2 Max, Ergonine, Tr1umph, they all contain creatine and all twist my stomach to the point I have difficulty breathing, feel ultra bloated, digestion issues to the max, etc.

I'm not talking about intestine/diarrhea problems etc, I've never had those. It's the stomach that just can't handle it. Two days ago I took 1.5gr of Kaged C-HCL prewo and 1.5gr postwo. I seriously felt like almost going to the hospital, could go to sleep only at 6am cause the discomfort was just too much.

So, should I just abandon it entirely or is there anything else I'm missing? Am I supposed to take it with something else to ease up my issues? Remember, I'm taking HCL which is supposed to be an "easier to absorb/digest" version too.

Thanks for your time guys!
 
I completely dropped creatine except for the occasional pwo that might have a small dose of it I don't really think creatine is all that beneficial in my opinion...
 
muscleupcrohn said:
This. Are you able to eat large portions of things like steak with no issues? Also, have you tried taking creatine with meals (not just pre/post workout and/or with a shake)?
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Yes I eat large portions with not many issues as long as it's not containing lactose - as an example I eat 160gr white rice + 200/250gr meat postwo, 160gr whole wheat pasta for lunch, 80gr oats + 330ml egg whites pancake for breakfast, etc. No issues with steaks at all.

Yea creatine gives me issues regardless if taken with or without food.
 
mrhankey87 said:
Yes I eat large portions with not many issues as long as it's not containing lactose - as an example I eat 160gr white rice + 200/250gr meat postwo, 160gr whole wheat pasta for lunch, 80gr oats + 330ml egg whites pancake for breakfast, etc. No issues with steaks at all.

Yea creatine gives me issues regardless if taken with or without food.
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If it's giving you issues regardless of how/when you take it, and what you take it with and/or don't take it with, then I suppose that it's probably best just not to use it. It's a solid and cheap supplement, and a staple for a lot of people, but it's not a make-or-break ingredient that you absolutely have to use, so if it's really causing you pain, then your health/wellbeing should probably come first. The ergogenic benefits of creatine won't do much good if you're not feeling well enough to get to the gym and eat enough food to grow.
 
mrhankey87 said:
Looking back at the last couple years, every supplement I've taken that included creatine has always given me issues. At the time I didn't know what it was specifically cause I was always stacking stuff, but these days I added creatine HCL to my current stack and the same exact stomach issues went back - it made me realize it was just the creatine, the one I would have never thought of.

I've tried Promera Con-Crete (HCL), Kaged C-HCL, Hemavo2 Max, Ergonine, Tr1umph, they all contain creatine and all twist my stomach to the point I have difficulty breathing, feel ultra bloated, digestion issues to the max, etc.

I'm not talking about intestine/diarrhea problems etc, I've never had those. It's the stomach that just can't handle it. Two days ago I took 1.5gr of Kaged C-HCL prewo and 1.5gr postwo. I seriously felt like almost going to the hospital, could go to sleep only at 6am cause the discomfort was just too much.

So, should I just abandon it entirely or is there anything else I'm missing? Am I supposed to take it with something else to ease up my issues? Remember, I'm taking HCL which is supposed to be an "easier to absorb/digest" version too.

Thanks for your time guys!
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Have you tried evomuse gut health. That seemed to help me out.
 
I know they say that the newer version are better, but I've noticed far more stomach issues from HCL/CEE and the likes than I ever did with monohydrate.
 
mrhankey87 said:
Looking back at the last couple years, every supplement I've taken that included creatine has always given me issues. At the time I didn't know what it was specifically cause I was always stacking stuff, but these days I added creatine HCL to my current stack and the same exact stomach issues went back - it made me realize it was just the creatine, the one I would have never thought of.

I've tried Promera Con-Crete (HCL), Kaged C-HCL, Hemavo2 Max, Ergonine, Tr1umph, they all contain creatine and all twist my stomach to the point I have difficulty breathing, feel ultra bloated, digestion issues to the max, etc.

I'm not talking about intestine/diarrhea problems etc, I've never had those. It's the stomach that just can't handle it. Two days ago I took 1.5gr of Kaged C-HCL prewo and 1.5gr postwo. I seriously felt like almost going to the hospital, could go to sleep only at 6am cause the discomfort was just too much.

So, should I just abandon it entirely or is there anything else I'm missing? Am I supposed to take it with something else to ease up my issues? Remember, I'm taking HCL which is supposed to be an "easier to absorb/digest" version too.

Thanks for your time guys!
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Sounds like acid allergies. I have it to citric acid. If I take something with citric acid in it, I am a mess. Have you tried straight creatine monohydrate?
 
EricMarchewitz said:
Sounds like acid allergies. I have it to citric acid. If I take something with citric acid in it, I am a mess. Have you tried straight creatine monohydrate?
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I will, although the two types of creatine I tried as of now have given me problems: creatine HCL and creatine anhydrous.
 
mrhankey87 said:
I will, although the two types of creatine I tried as of now have given me problems: creatine HCL and creatine anhydrous.
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Have you tried starting with lower doses and working your way up? Also are you calculating the specific amount you need based on your specific bodyweight or are you just going off whatever the manufacturer of the product recommends? Everyone's body chemistry is going to be a little different and sometimes you need to fine tune things specifically for your body.
 
hsk said:
Have you tried starting with lower doses and working your way up? Also are you calculating the specific amount you need based on your specific bodyweight or are you just going off whatever the manufacturer of the product recommends? Everyone's body chemistry is going to be a little different and sometimes you need to fine tune things specifically for your body.
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I just went with 1.5gr pre and post wo, which is nothing....still feel it way too much in the worst way possible, even 1gr makes my stomach a mess
 
Find a friend that has straight mono and NOTHING else and try a couple grams with post workout meal. If it still bothers you then close the book on creatine for a while. I always come back to something 5-10 years later and give it a shot again. Many things I could not touch are now my best friend and many things that I always took I can no longer tolerate.
 
mrhankey87 said:
I just went with 1.5gr pre and post wo, which is nothing....still feel it way too much in the worst way possible, even 1gr makes my stomach a mess
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I would suggest trying micronized Creapure aka creatine monohydrate as other have suggested. Take your bodyweight in KG and multiply by .03 Grams. If you weigh 80KG then you need 80KG x .03 Grams = 2.4 grams daily. Use this as a starting point and take daily. You can adjust up or down based on your body's response. No need to load as your body will eventually reach saturation, albeit slower than if you were to load. Also try dissolving the powder fully in some warm/hot water before taking it to help with absorption. If this method still doesn't work then most likely your body chemistry is telling you that it doesn't like this supplement.

All forms of creatine I have tried, I can't do more than 2.5 grams daily. 3 grams on training days and 1.5 grams on rest days which averages out for me to be about 2.5grams daily. If I use anymore than this amount, I experience sides including dehydration, cramps, bloating, gas, kidney pain, constipation, digestive issues etc. Certain forms of creatine give me those sides even when running 2.5g or less daily.
 
mrhankey87 said:
Looking back at the last couple years, every supplement I've taken that included creatine has always given me issues. At the time I didn't know what it was specifically cause I was always stacking stuff, but these days I added creatine HCL to my current stack and the same exact stomach issues went back - it made me realize it was just the creatine, the one I would have never thought of.

I've tried Promera Con-Crete (HCL), Kaged C-HCL, Hemavo2 Max, Ergonine, Tr1umph, they all contain creatine and all twist my stomach to the point I have difficulty breathing, feel ultra bloated, digestion issues to the max, etc.

I'm not talking about intestine/diarrhea problems etc, I've never had those. It's the stomach that just can't handle it. Two days ago I took 1.5gr of Kaged C-HCL prewo and 1.5gr postwo. I seriously felt like almost going to the hospital, could go to sleep only at 6am cause the discomfort was just too much.

So, should I just abandon it entirely or is there anything else I'm missing? Am I supposed to take it with something else to ease up my issues? Remember, I'm taking HCL which is supposed to be an "easier to absorb/digest" version too.

Thanks for your time guys!
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Those supplements you tried does contain creatine but many of those also contain other ingredients, colors,flavors etc. Your stomach issue can be due to many things.

Have you ever tried Creatine Monohydrate ( creapure) ? If not,you should
 
I use creatine monohydrate and it's not particularly friendly to my stomach. The worst was when I would do the loading phase at 20-25 grams per day. Starting it that way was always brutal on my stomach but I would stick it out for a week. Then I used just 5 grams per day every day but still had some issues. Now I use about 3-5 grams 3-4 days per week and that's what I find sits best with me.

Very few people seem to have stomach issues with creatine mono but I guess I'm in the minority.
 
210LBS said:
I use creatine monohydrate and it's not particularly friendly to my stomach. The worst was when I would do the loading phase at 20-25 grams per day. Starting it that way was always brutal on my stomach but I would stick it out for a week. Then I used just 5 grams per day every day but still had some issues. Now I use about 3-5 grams 3-4 days per week and that's what I find sits best with me.

Very few people seem to have stomach issues with creatine mono but I guess I'm in the minority.
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Tha'ts REALLY high for the loading phase. 12g is what I have always heard.
 
muscleupcrohn said:
I agree that it is very high, and that a loading phase isn't necessary, especially if it's causing an upset stomach, but there are a ton of studies that loaded with 20g/day for 4-5 days.
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It's not going to hurt anything except your stomach! lol
 
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