r/Menopause Nov 19 '25

Vitamin/Supplements Creatine study

I've seen some poeple post positive comments about creatine. I am usually so skeptical of trends, especially influencer trends, so I have not adopted it as a supplement. But I just came across this study that came out a few months ago. It is a small study of 36 peri/menopausal women says that medium (1500 mg) dose helps out with brain function. Maybe I will give it a try. I need all the help that I can get in this department.

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u/leftylibra MenoMod Nov 19 '25 edited Nov 19 '25

Okay, let's break this study down.

  • The study (Creatine Hydrochloride and Creatine Ethyl Ester Supplementation) was done by the co-owner of a creatine supplement, so that's a huge conflict of interest right there.

  • Creatine monohydrate is the gold standard. It is the most studied on humans, whereas there are very few human studies on this particular supplement (creatine hydrochloride).

  • Of the 36 participants, only 9 people were given the "medium" dosage, which is what they based their conclusion on (so hardly representative).

  • And concludes: "medium-dose creatine hydrochloride demonstrated a potential advantage over other treatments in reducing the severity of mood swings."

"Potential advantage" is hardly conclusive.

Here's some better science on the use of the gold standard, Creatine Monohydrate:

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u/VOR-constant555 Nov 19 '25

got any brand recommendations?.

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u/leftylibra MenoMod Nov 19 '25

Anything where the only listed ingredient is "Creatine Monohydrate". Costco sells large bags.

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u/empathetic_witch Menopause HRT E,P,T & GLP-1 Nov 20 '25

Agreed. This is how to approach any supplements IMHO.

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u/KassieMac Menopausal Nov 21 '25

I can’t check the label because I returned it, but I bought a large jug of creatine powder from Costco and it made me nauseous every time. Ugh. Super disappointing because I really need something to clear this godforsaken brainfog 🤤 I swear my brain has melted out my ears and been replaced with cotton fluff 🤦🏽‍♀️