I started using Creatine for the first time three weeks ago. I didn't load per se but did take 10 mg the first week and then have been taking 5 mg daily. It's been working great for me as I had been at a 3 month plateau with my weight and have gained 8 pounds since starting (without puffiness or a change in waist size). My question: I will be taking a blood test at the end of the month and don't want the Creatine to show up in my blood....when should I stop taking the Creatine so that it doesn't show up on my blood test? Days, weeks?

Also, will I lose my new pounds as soon as I stop taking it?

Found this thread....thought it might help you.


[I recently went through a month-long hassle with a life
insurance company over blood test results which showed
elevated creatinine levels. This is a known side-effect
of creatine supplementation as described in the Training
-Nutrition FAQ:

"Creatine creates a byproduct called creatinine, which may
show up on medical tests. Creatinine is usually a sign of
kidney problems, but it is harmless as a side effect of
creatine supplements. In other words, this is a false positive
result."

While we (those who train and use supplements in pursuit of
muscular and performance gains) may be confident that this
is a false positive result, we are a small minority of the
population, and the insurance company and my personal
physicial were not confident that this was a false
positive. I ended up consulting with my personal physician
and taking another blood test in order to clear this up.
My advice from the experience is:

* Always make certain that you are drinking plenty of
water. This is especially important to help the
kidneys deal with the abundance of nutrients that
bodybuilders seek to keep in their blood.

* Consider dropping supplements such as creatine
monohydrate about a week before taking a blood test
for insurance or a physical. This is what I did
for my second blood test (along with increased water
intake), and the second test was "normal". Dropping
supplements briefly before a blood test may save
some hassle, is easier than trying to educate those
conducting the blood test about supplements, and should
not have a large impact on training progress.]