I got hold of an idea recently ; could creatine be a good supplement for stroke survivors?
Creatine is a chemical found naturally in the body . It’s also in red meat and seafood. It is often used to improve exercise performance and muscle mass. Creatine is involved in making energy for muscles
Well my Radiologist friend, answered with a resounding “yes”, primarily by pointing me to a study made in the US https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9362889/
This is a study on Creatine / Stroke patients ; it sounds like a must !!
I have okay BP 131 / 80 but potentially it can go high ; so I’m starting with a small 2 gr dose. Creatine draws water into the muscles (anyone with cramps / spasms?) but since this is not water in the circulatory system, I’m hoping BP will not be an issue.
Young kids know about it ; pumps their muscles & makes them look good
sorry I posted in a rush
Opinions welcome, ciao Roland
I think this is something that can build muscle strength. It looks like it is used commonly by those doing high intensity workouts…but i know nothing about supplements or muscles etc. It sounds interesting but i’d advise anyone to check with a medical professional before taking supplements to ensure they don’t interact with other meds or impact other conditions people may have.
I’m not suggesting anyone take creatine without proper research, but I do know it is considered very safe, and is a very well researched and thoroughly tested supplement. The paper I link to does conclude “The addition of creatine to PRT significantly improved walking performance. PRT and creatine supplementation resulted in no adverse effects.”… and we’re talking about stroke survivors here, not your average joe bloggs.
I should add a disclaimer, of course. but I post this topic (as all my posts) as information only, on a altruistic basis. If someone finds this information useful, I am happy for them. The suggestion that creatine is good for “you” comes from my own research, though it is backed by a top ranking pro (radiologist) and this scientific paper. To survive a stroke means to think outside the box. That means that the knowledge I have used to get me where I am today starts where conventional medicine ends. I will say no more,
I hope it does what you expect for you and i’m not against any supplements that help. I only mention the checking with medical professionals as I have a condition that taking Vit D (which most take without thinking about it) impacts on my condition and causes other issues.
I’m constantly impressed with the effort & research you put into your recovery. If anyone deserves 100% success you do.
I just finished a short term course of magnesium (just 3wks). Being well aware of the risk of taking it being on Clopidogrel it was still worth it for the benefit of the result.
I’ve a what I call a lead skull cap on my head, ever since my stroke, which seemed to tighten and “heat up” under stress or when things were too complicated to follow. Sometimes can be quite alarming but scans didn’t even show up anything.
From about the 3rd day that “headache” lifted and I’ve been free of that skull cap since It remains to be seen if it comes back now that I’m off them.
The main reason I’m telling you it that you gave the idea to give it a try a few months ago…I just can’t remember the reason why now Anyway, I’ve got a telephone medication review with my gp next week to discuss the result By then I should know whether it comes back or not. But I’ve you to thank for this brief reprieve
You’ve grabbed my attention on creatine now so I’ll watch and wait for your potential results
if we take anything different, there’s always a chance it might not agree with us (or it might). That’s even without clashes. I took Shilajit for 2 weeks ; no doubt it has amazing properties, but it also has a warming effect, and I think, because of the detox trend it encourages, gave me a slightly bad tummy. I know small doses are recommended to start, and I should have taken smaller doses, but I’m putting it on hold for the moment. When I’m more stable I’ll resume, for sure, since the recommendation for Shilajit comes from an inspired functional neurologist.
As for Creatine, while I’ve been thinking of taking it for a good month, I haven’t yet. I will probably start it today or tomorrow with reduced dosage. I’m always a bit apprehensive starting something new ; I actually meant to start yesterday, but didn’t, pretending (?) I was too busy. It will be hard to give a verdict on it, at least for a while.
As for the ASEA supplement, all I can say is a lot has happened since taking it. I take it twice daily. My latest breakthrough (which I haven’t posted about) comes from realizing my leg is fighting contracture; hence my foot struggles. I don’t mean classic contracture from spasticity, and immobile limbs, but the shortening of tendons and ligaments that happens from just breaking your arm, for example. Not putting it through its paces will cause “it” to shorten. Hence I sleep with my leg straight; uncomfortable at night, but better ROM (range of motion) during the day. A year ago I had to apply the same routine to my arm. I’m hoping creatine supplement will improve muscle tone & performance; the study paper I posted suggests so.
I’m glad you found a solution that worked for you. That’s the important thing; we must all go with whatever works best for us.
I have no problems with supplements and medicines, except that I try to stay away from both as much as possible and get vitamins/minerals and benefits from my plate. I do run low on Potassium for some odd reason or another, so I have that prescribed often for a couple of months at a time. I do take Magnesium Glycinate. For a year I was on Oyster shell Calcium + Vitamin D, and a multi vitamin+Iron.
After my hospitalization last week, my Metaprolol was halved, and Flourosamide and Aspirin added. I am certain two of my other medications indicate I cannot take aspirin with them. I asked about it at GP…he didn’t know. I will ask at pharmacy when I finally get there, and I will ask my cardiologist next month, but I don’t know what can be taken with what safely. I have to trust the pros on this one, if I can get answers, and if they align with each other, which they often don’t. Just be cautious, but I know the three of you well enough to know you already are.
Oh I’m all for getting my vitamins and minerals the naturally way 100%. But we can still lack or be low in something for any number of reasons and daily food intake isn’t enough to sustain healthy levels, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t take supplements. Which is why its always best to seek gp/chemist approval if on prescribed medications. Then its a case of whether the potential benefits outweigh the risks.
The thing is I felt it in my head within hours of taking the first dose, and it kept on reducing over the first 3 days. So, in my case for getting rid of that led cap headache, the risk was worth it for the 2wks I took magnesium
I agree about the supplements, just being cautious about possible interactions with meds, or with your organs. It is too complicated for me now, with all the meds and the very complex variety of health issues. Even the doc’s get it wrong, and hopefully the pharmacist figures it out (they have so far that I know of). I take potassium, which I wouldn’t recommend anyone take without medical approval. Here it is only dispensed through prescription, but for me, I can’t eat enough potatoes or bananas or anything else to get it. Without it, I have extreme irregular heartbeat. However, they have to check my blood consistently to ensure I don’t get too much. Too much Vitamin K is deadly…like iron. too little is deadly…like iron. I don’t want to guess, and I prefer to keep the use of my liver and kidneys as well.
I was just being sure to mention caution, while we are discussing supplements, for those who may not know some of us as well, to know our own cautions.
Its better to draw your nutrients naturally from source whenever possible as its gentler on your body basically. The risk with taking supplements is that you cut out part of the body’s natural processing procedure for extracting those nutrients. So when the nutrient supplement hits the stomach to start the breaking down process, it’s breaking down an already highly concentrated version of the nutrient the body is also going to extract from food/drink. And at a different rate to what it normally does, and passing it through a part of the process it may not normally see, certainly not at that level of concentration.
And then you also have all the foods that have already been fortified with nutrients, which all like to consume from time to time.
Medical science has learnt a lot since “vitamins” first came on the market way back when. And one of those lessons is that it is not merely that “your body will just pee out the vitamins you it doesn’t need”. They’ve come to realise the damage that can be done in the process of getting to that point.
So you could potentially be overdosing yourself on nutrients without even realising it, just on drinks like orange juice/real lemonade and snacking on fruits throughout the day over hot sunny summers…and on top of a vitamin C supplement. That alone could lead to stomach ulcers, kidney problems, type2 diabetes etc.
That’s why it’s always recommended you consult with your gp before taking any supplements. And that’s also why the health authority promote healthy eating and avoid processed foods as much as possible.
I have to take calcium and you can’t take that without vitamin D to increase the efficiency of calcium absorption. Fortunately it’s a combined pill; but that is something else you have to watch for when buying nutrient supplements, many are sold combined with 1 or more other nutrients which you may already be taking separately.
Supplement nutrients become a bit of mine field the more medical science discover about them.
Not at all, but I did spend a good month researching Creatine before I started it.
I was looking forward to some comments about it, but so far nada.
Anyway, this has been an outstanding month of progress for me.
Oh i remember taking some potassium tablets in hospital…they thankfully gave me plenty of water to disaolve rhem in but they still tasted yuck. I only had to take a few thankfully & have never needed them since.
I don’t reap much benefit from the thread…
but, how are your muscles doing with Creatine?
Any comments? I take very little, about half of what you take
I had potassium in hospital once after a blood transfusion. It was pumped in via cannula’s in both wrists and it burned so much I was half tempted to pull them out myself, never again!
It remains to be seen if it comes back now that I’m off them.
Anyway, I’ve got a telephone medication review with my gp next week to discuss the result 
By then I should know whether it comes back or not. But I’ve you to thank for this brief reprieve 
