How can i get rid of stomach bloating caused by creatine ? My belly looks bigger and im always feeling full !?

Question

After using creatine-monohydrate for about 10 days my stomach felt bloated and looked bigger then before. I directly stopped taking it, its been 2 days now and my stomach still feels the same. I can not eat like before, i am feeling full most of the time. I have to hold my belly inwards for my abs to show and to look slim. I am wondering if this is water in my belly because i know it is not fat. How can i get rid of this upset stomach and feel slim like before ? Does it get better by time or i have to do something to get rid of it ? I hope you can answer my question.

Thank You

Answer 1

My first question is, how much are you taking? If you're in the first 10 days, you might be on a loading phase where you could be ingesting upwards of 20g per day.  So any side effects are going to happen in force.

However, if you're taking a lower dosage, I find it pretty strange you're having such an extreme reaction so quickly.  Creatine works by increasing the water in your muscles. It WILL bloat you if you're using a large enough dose for it to make a difference. However, if you take too much, it's a total waste of creatine.

I'd suggest you start on a low dose and work your way up until you see results you can quantify (more reps, better explosiveness, faster recovery).  I only take 1.25g 3 times a day (before workout, after workout, before bed) and I definitely see results with a minimum of bloating.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/likness2... is a good article about creatine, but I find their calculators suggest way too high a dosage for my weight.

Answer 2

If you had a reaction to the creatine (or any other ingredients in the formula) it could take a week or so to recover completely.  I'd stay off the supplement and wait it out for a couple of weeks.  If your symptoms don't improve or get worse I'd see your doc.  

Answer 3

If you've been taking it for 10 months it's gonna take more than 2 days to get out of your system. Give it time and drink lots of water to flush it out of your system.