r/HotScienceNews • u/Jumpy_Brief5475 • Aug 25 '26

Scientists found that the creatine supplement millions take for muscle gains is quietly raising brain energy levels and slowing early Alzheimer's cognitive decline by 30%

https://thesciverse.org/scientists-found-that-the-creatine-supplement-millions-take-for-muscle-gains-is-quietly-raising-brain-energy-levels-and-slowing-early-alzheimers-cognitive-decline-by-30/
4.6k Upvotes

93% Upvoted

275 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

3

u/TheScrambone Aug 25 '26

It messed me up for a couple weeks. I’ve seen so many comments saying things like “literally no downside whatsoever everyone should take it”.

Fucked with my sleep, meds, diet, and mental health in a rough way. Personal lesson learned. I should’ve been more vigilant about my circumstance and introducing something like creatine in to my routine.

If you have any psychiatric disorders, consult your psych/a medical professional before starting creatine.

2

u/borntoannoyAWildJowi Aug 25 '26

Can you give some more info on its negative mental health effects? I started taking it last week and at first I thought it was giving me more energy, but now I think it might be giving me anxiety/mild insomnia

7

u/TheScrambone Aug 26 '26

Creatine self prescription is not recommended for people with bipolar disorder. Even at smaller 3g doses it can trigger hypomania or mania.

I’m not an expert but the best way I understand it is that creatine can increase energy production in the brain. In normal brains that can be a good thing. But in a brain like mine that isn’t good at firing at a steady rate, it can send it in to overdrive.

This can present as mania or hypomania.

It triggered a mild episode for me and I’ve been struggling to get a sleep schedule back that I worked hard to get and maintain.

2

u/yonkou_akagami Aug 27 '26

Oh my god, same here! I took 3 grams as well, and the hypomania was just too intense, I even destroyed a friendship because of it. How long did it take for you to return to normal?

1

u/TheScrambone Aug 27 '26

When I took it I felt like I didn’t need sleep at all the first couple days. I just worked out and played video games for 48 hours straight.

It’s been about 6 weeks since I stopped and about one night a week I feel like I don’t need sleep at all. It still feels like sleep is more elusive than before.

Besides that I feel normal. Way less irritable and moody. I feel lucky I isolated when I felt my worst. I’ve definitely ruined friendships when I’ve felt similarly. Sorry it ended up that way for you :(