I had my Bloods done about 1 month ago and I noticed my eGFR was slightly lower than normal which seemed strange considering I don't run anything toxic anymore - then I remembered that I had been on Creatine HCL for 4 solid months and stopped it only about 4 days before the Blood was drawn. Just out of curiosity as I've been Googling quite a few things for the past 3 hours including how different Vitamins affect muscle recovery (& looking up the average size of a Milkshakes penis) I decided to see how long Creatine stays in the body after stopping it - I was astonished to see it stays in you for a further 4 to 6 weeks!!!!

I know a lot of members know this, but to the new guys when you supplement with Creatine Monohydrate or HCL, when the body uses it for ATP production its by product becomes Creatinine which is then excreted by the kidneys. Now this matters because in your Bloodwork there is an equation that includes the Creatinine level currently in your blood to see how well your Kidneys are filtering toxins out of your blood - the higher the Creatinine level the WORSE your filtration level is so as such it can give a false positive on how well your kidneys are working.

So as you can imagine, if you are using creatine or have recently stopped using it and then get bloods done it will show a decrease in kidney function when really this is not the case. Just something to bare in mind thats all - it can take 4 to 6 weeks to get a true reading when using eGFR calculations as a measure of kidney health

From Google:

After you stop taking creatine, it stays in your muscles for about 4 to 6 weeks before levels return to normal, with the most significant drop in the first week as water weight is lost, but performance benefits fade gradually, not instantly. The body continuously converts about 1-2% of stored creatine into creatinine daily, which is then excreted, meaning muscle saturation slowly declines over time.

Bloodstream vs. Muscles

Bloodstream: Creatine peaks in the blood within hours but is cleared quickly, with a half-life of around 3 hours; most is gone from the blood within 24 hours.

Muscles: The key is muscle saturation; once filled (after a few weeks of use), it takes weeks to empty as the body uses and excretes it.

Factors Influencing Duration

Muscle Mass: More muscle means more storage capacity, potentially keeping levels elevated longer.

Dosage & Duration: Higher doses (loading phase) saturate muscles faster but also take longer to fully deplete.

Kidney Function: Healthier kidneys might process creatine slightly faster.

What to Expect When Stopping

First Week: Noticeable water weight loss (1-7 lbs) as muscles release retained fluid.

Gradual Decline: Performance benefits (strength, power) decrease slowly over weeks as muscle stores deplete, not overnight.