I would like to provide everyone with some "food for thought." Do not take this as medical advice, but rather as providing you with the right to receive information.

It appears that the general audience, with some exceptions, is a generation under the age of thirty-five. I would say perhaps high school athletes or young adults. I am amazed at some of the responses and the opinions on the use of creatine, but what I do not "hear" anyone mention is the possible conflicts of its use due to medical history.

Let's evaluate this in a new light and consider ALL the risks in taking this supplement. Hopefully this can assist everyone with making an educated decision on the consumption of creatine and the risks of Renal Insufficiency- KIDNEY FAILURE.

Consider your family history as potential danger inhibitors like DIABETES, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE/HYPERTENSION, REFLUX NEPHROPATHY, & KIDNEY STONES. Does anyone in your family, especially your parents, ever been diagnosed with any of these conditions? Have YOU?

If you answered, "YES," well, you just added more risk to yourself.

Diabetes, especially Type II, and Hypertension are more common in people and can have a role in kidney failure, (Chronic Renal Insufficiency). CRI is slowly progressive and typically occurs over a number of years. Since many conditions share common symptoms, you may miss the real problem. Chronic Renal Failure does not have a cure. It will progress to end-stage renal disease. At this level, dialysis or a kidney transplant is your only "cure". People can go years without detecting renal failure. If you continue to consume Creatine unsuspectingly throughout those years, you just enhanced the dangers to your health.

Some symptoms of CRI are unexplained vomiting, nausea, constant fatigue, abrupt weight loss, discolored/white nail tips, & itchy skin while ill effects/symptoms of creatine use include kidney stones, gas and bloating, diarrhea, dizziness, nausea, muscle cramping, and unknown effects on the heart.

If you are considering taking creatine, PLEASE CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THE MEDICAL CONDITIONS PREVIOUSLY STATED, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE!

Listen, if you see someone drowning, do you throw that person a line or toss him or her an anchor? Here's the LIFELINE -- grab on.