Is Creatine Safe After Kidney Donation?

Question: Dr. A, I donated a kidney around 10 years ago, and I wanted to know if it's OK for me to take Creatine Monohydrate. I know it's an effective supplement, but I'm concerned about how it may affect me.

Answer:
As good of a supplement as Creatine Monohydrate is, I'd recommend against it for you. You have to be extra careful with your kidney filtration rates, and although Creatine does have a great safety profile for most people, its metabolic byproduct (Creatinine) does require extra functioning by the kidneys. With your GFR capacity (potentially) being lower, I don't think it's worth the risk.

Here are:

• High-quality fish oil
• Full spectrum multi
• Vitamin D3
• Turmeric/Curcumin
• Quality probiotic

NOTE: I'd also avoid DHEA, as it can also negatively impact renal function: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21349280

Overall, for you, let's always play our supplementation strategy the safe way.

The good news is that a proper meal plan + workout + sleep is about 100x as effective as any supplement.

-Dr. Anthony Balduzzi
Founder, The Fit Mother Project

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