Can Creatine Cause Headaches?

We answer another newbie question regarding creatine usage today: can Creatine cause headaches? The answer is yes, it can, but the reasons and how to avoid it are provided below.

Creatine provides us with a more studier muscle growth and the extra energy required to push past our limits. Athletes and bodybuilders all over the world use Creatine nowadays, and it is one of the most popular supplements across the world. 

We will be discussing one of many questions new users have about Creatine, which is “can creatine cause headaches?” Creatine affects your whole body, and we have explained below how it is linked with your headaches. Keep reading to know more!

Can Creatine Cause Headaches

Does Creatine Affect Your Head?

Creatine helps in building our muscles and makes them look more voluminous. However, it can have negative effects on our body too, and headache is one of them. Many athletes have observed a slight or moderate headache after having Creatine, but the intensity of pain was not very alarming. Creatine causes headaches in rare cases, but it can be easily prevented. 

Creatine causes your body’s muscles to increase their water retention capacity. The muscles absorb water, and this is what makes them look more ripped.

However, this water has to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is essentially the rest of the body. The body loses a certain amount of water in this whole process, and due to this reason, you can easily get dehydrated. Dehydration due to Creatine is the main cause of muscle cramps and headaches, and it might even make you feel dizzy.

What Are the Side Effects of Creatine?

Creatine is a natural nutrient, and our body needs a certain amount of Creatine to work properly. Creatine is produced in our body in the required amount, but an additional intake can give a boost to our ability to work out.

Creatine is one of the safest supplements, but it can have side effects if you take more than the required dosage. Too much Creatine puts strain on our digestive and excretory systems. People with kidney or liver problems will have the hardest time-consuming Creatine.

Can Creatine Cause Headaches

When taken in unnecessarily large doses or from sources that contain additives and poor ingredients, Creatine can cause side effects related to the kidneys and the digestive system. Some of these side effects are:

  • Kidney Strain
  • Kidney Stones
  • Liver damage
  • Digestion Problem
  • Slight or moderate headaches

Why Does Creatine Make Me Feel Weird?

The weirdness or dizziness is caused due to dehydration. Creatine causes a lot of water drainage from our body, which is stored inside muscle tissues. If it is taken in large quantities before the workout, the amount of water loss may cause dehydration. Dehydration has a lot of ill effects on our body, including dizziness which can make you feel weird.

There are numerous reasons why we should stay hydrated, but when taking Creatine, we should be even more vigilant. With the lack of water transfer in our body, our brain might start hallucinating and becoming dizzy or weird.

Staying hydrated while being on a creatine supplement is one of the best ways to avoid dehydration. Prolonged exposure to dehydration can cause dizziness, muscle cramps, and frequent headaches.

Why Creatine is bad for you?

Creatine is certainly not bad for you, it is one of the most productive supplements, and it is also one of the safest ones. However, when taken in high dosages or from non-trustworthy sources, Creatine can have its downsides too.

The chances of a harmful effect of Creatine on your body increase if you have a previous medical history related to kidneys or lungs. If you are being treated for any kidney problem, consuming Creatine might slow down the healing process and even cause harmful effects if left unchecked.

Can Creatine Cause Headaches

You must take Creatine in an orderly fashion. But most of the time, the younger gym-goers or those who want to make a mark in bodybuilding try to take too much during the initial loading stage. 

They start taking more than the recommended dosage (20-25g per day during the loading stage) in the hopes of getting ripped faster. Although they might see a better increase in their muscle density, it can cause a lifetime problem in the internal working of their body.

How Can You Avoid Problems That Arise From Creatine?

The major problem that arises due to the intake of Creatine is dehydration, and all the other problems are a consequence of it. Maintaining a certain level of water in our body is very necessary for its proper functioning. Some of the most common problems caused due to dehydration are weakness, fatigue, dizziness, and headaches.

You can easily counter these problems by maintaining a proper amount of water in your body. During working out or training, the body precipitates and loses water, so it is necessary to take regular water breaks in between. Keep sipping water all throughout your exercise, and make sure to not let yourself go thirsty for too long.

Can Creatine Cause Headaches

You can also consume Creatine with water or any other form of liquid such as juices and milk or shakes. This will help the body to counter the water loss that Creatine causes. 

Creatine provides us with some extra energy during working out, but we should also maintain a proper diet to compensate for the loss of energy during the workout.

How Much Creatine is Safe?

Creatine must be taken in an orderly fashion at regular intervals to maintain a safe limit of Creatine in our body. Uneven consumption can cause numerous effects of unwanted results on our body, so it’s better to avoid that from happening.

For beginners, the safe amount of Creatine ranges from one to two doses a day of 5 grams each after the initial loading period. It should be measured very properly with the help of a teaspoon or the spoon provided with the pack. The amount should be constant in your daily usage.

Professional bodybuilders and athletes consume Creatine 4 times a day during the loading stages to get a more studier growth in their body. It is of utmost necessity to maintain a proper amount in each dosage to avoid any side effects.

People with medical history or those who are undergoing any treatment must console their doctor before beginning Creatine. It may also react with your medication, so it is very necessary to avoid any such scenarios.

Can Creatine Cause Headaches

A Few Final words

Creatine is safe for your usage, and under proper guidance, it will only provide us with good results. We hope we have been able to answer the questions that you might have been wondering about. 

Let us know if there are any questions regarding the content we have provided above through the comment section. We will try to come up with a solution to your questions. Please do share the article with others who are also looking to start creatine usage.