Accidental creatine crash?

Therapeutic Efforts Supplements & Lifestyle
#1

Everyone,

It’s been pretty well documented that Creatine can be responsible for crashes although some here seem to get along well with it. To cut to the chase, I drank a smoothie that I learned had Creatine in it. I would estimate I ingested around 0.5g. I would say 1g absolute maximum, but I think it’s less. This was yesterday around lunch.

I felt “normal” the rest of the day but last night I woke up at 5AM 100% wired and sweating. My mental sides have hit a little harder today as well than normal. I typically get 5-7 hours of broken sleep, but wake up relatively rested and somewhat sluggish to get out of bed. This was 4 hours, then 1 hour additional after which I was wired. I immediately started thinking of the Creatine and started freaking out of course no more sleep was to be had.

This seems like such a low dose and I didn’t think much of it at the time other than not to drink anymore of it. To those that have tried Creatine and crashed? Was the crash immediate like this after first dose? How much has been known to cause crashes? I know it can lead to permanent worsening, but has anyone recovered to baseline following a Creatine crash?

#2

A normal serving of meat (200g or 0.5 pound) contains about 0.5-1g of creatine.

I can’t prove that the drink wasn’t the cause, but I find it highly unlikely.

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#3

Thanks. That’s good info. I wouldn’t have thought so either. I’m still fluctuating, but just haven’t had something this bad in a few months so thought I was past this.

Maybe just a fluctuation and I’ll go back to baseline tonight after a good nights sleep or maybe in the coming days/weeks.

I may try to update this thread though as a warning to others. BEWARE! It may be that supplemental Creatine can crash you instantly at small doses even if you are fine with high intake in your diet. I eat a normal diet without restriction other than low refined sugar, no alcohol, no caffeine.

If anyone else has direct or indirect experience with this, please chime in with your info. I would greatly appreciate it.

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#4

100% crashed from small amount of Creatine, please beware. I was doing so well and my carelessness has cost me dearly. Long-term I don’t know what yet but currently it has cost me almost everything I gained back from PFS after my initial crash.

Only 1 hour of sleep now and wired. Anxiety, anhedonia, general mental function, all worsened. Sexual function and libido dropped as well. I hope this is temporary and I can pull out of this.

#5

I’m so sorry to read this has happened to you. I have been following your member story and it looks like you had made some good progress. If you were able to make that progress before, hopefully you will be able to make it back again. Just try and push through these next few days and hopefully things will begin to fall back into place.

#6

Thank you for your support. It means a lot to me. I was really on recovery road, so it is possible. I see now just how monumentally well I was doing. If I can get back to where I was, I will live a happy life.

#8

I too got a little fucked up when I took 5g one day

Where in the past, after fin mind you, I was fine

But since my last serious crash I haven’t been exactly the same and now I actually can’t have certain things
Creatine I’m guessing is one of them because it was messing with how I felt immediately

#9

What symptoms did the Creatine cause for you? I’m actually feeling much better today, more anxiety than usual but still ok. My emotions are back pretty significantly and my anhedonia is feeling much better, almost where I was before the Creatine, just a notch lower.

However, I am having cold/hot sensations, mostly in my legs (hot flashes?) and I do feel like I’m still not going to sleep tonight. I’m just afraid of what might still be to come. The fact that I feel better so quickly actually kinda scares me along with the temp sensations.

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#10

How are you doing now?

#11

Doing very well. I am almost 100% recovered thankfully. Just a few minor things still missing, but I’m nitpicking at this point. I have my life back.

#12

Happy to hear. Are creatine sides still around?

#13

No, it made me much worse for a while but it actually seemed to set me on an approximately 12 month path to recovery. Every time I crash, I improve on the rebound and recover in waves. I have to feel MUCH worse, before I feel better. Also, I’ve been experiencing all my symptoms in reverse order (wild I know), and I’ve just a had a new set of symptoms pop up this week. As far as I can remember, I think these were my earliest symptoms, so I think I might be close to the end here.

I want to make it clear, I 100% do NOT recommend anyone try creatine. I got insanely lucky and I was so close to ruining my life all over again. It can make you so, so much worse. 0.5g sent me reeling for like a year. Insane.

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#14

Ya know strangest thing
When I crashed for the first time in a long time really fuckin bad in some ways I got better

But then I pushed my body and got worse when I should be recovered

Maybe our systems just need rebalancing because something weird is blocking proper functioning in the brain or hormones

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