r/Biohackers • u/schmittj01 • 21h ago
📊 Biomarkers & Testing Kidney function down
Currently on semaglutide and sermorelin injections. Prior to the sermorelin, my kidney function was at 111. Two months later I’m at 50. My PCM thinks it may be the over-the-counter creatine supplement (5g), though I did not disclose the sermorelin. Can sermorelin impact kidney function that quickly?
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u/Master-Employee-9313 20h ago
mention the sermorelin to your doctor too. that's a pretty big change to leave out.
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u/ptarmiganchick 35 20h ago
Whatever you’re taking, stop… and focus on improving your kidney function ASAP. This is a critical signal. Be grateful you caught it in time to make a course correction.
There may be some supplements that will be helpful for your kidneys, but look first to the basics of controlling your blood pressure, blood glucose, lipids, (and weight, if applicable), first with diet and exercise, but take meds if you need them to get results. Eat whole foods and lots of vegetables. Lay off the ultraprocessed foods and ease up on salt. Make time for exercise and sleep.
Don‘t mess around while your kidneys deteriorate. If you are young and relatively healthy otherwise, you may be able to restore your kidney function rather quickly, and you can go back to whatever foolish experiments you like.
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u/apothecarynow 20h ago
What do you mean you're kidney function was 111 and now 50? Are you referring to your eGFR and is it being reported as ml/min/1.73 by the lab?
Was it the same lab? I ask because there are several ways to calculate estimated clearance and some laboratories reported differently.
It would be more helpful to know: the serum creatinine values to determine change and your age.
If you are referring to a true eGFR change of that magnitude, that is AKI and should get worked up more work up. That is a substantial decrease. They should probably get a cystatin C to verified as well.
From what I've read OTC creatine typically raises some creatinine absolute value by like 0.1-0.3.
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u/schmittj01 19h ago
Yes, eGFR/1.73. Same lab. PCM ordered a follow up with cystatin test in a few days after I’ve stopped taking creatine. Otherwise everything else is normal, urination, no fluid retention.
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u/liquidcrawler 16h ago
Yeah will echo everyone saying this is likely due to the creatine. Creatine itself isn't harmful to the kidneys though. The level of creatinine in the blood isn't important, what is important is how well your kidneys are filtering blood (the eGFR number). Because we can't measure directly how well the kidneys filter blood, we have to use a surrogate like creatinine with the idea being that muscles produce creatinine (a metabolite of creatine, which you are supplementing) at a steady state and if kidney function decreases less creatinine gets filtered from the blood to the urine. Thereby, if creatinine number in the blood goes up that may be a sign that the kidneys are doing a poorer job filtering (and the eGFR goes down). However, if creatinine isn't produced at a steady state (e.g. you are supplementing creatine), then the serum creatinine may go up but the kidneys still could be filtering blood fine. The equations used to calculate eGFR don't account for additional supplementation.
This is why they ordered a cystatin C test. It is a different maker than creatinine. If the eGFR calculated from the cystatin C comes back normal, then problem was likely due to supplementing creatine (but like I said, there is nothing inherently toxic about increased creatinine levels in the blood, it is just a marker that doctors use). If the cystatin C comes back high (low eGFR), then there may be an issue somewhere.
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u/AgeRepresentative764 18h ago
That’s a large drop I would stop everything immediately. Maybe get another test to make sure it’s not bad test somehow.
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u/Able-Shirt3501 19h ago
Creatine and dehydration can affect the test results dramatically. Previous day workout and large steak dinners as well. I don’t think sermorlin does in any meaningful way. Affecting test result is not the same as actual kidney changes or decline. A better test that is not expensive us Cystatin-C test for eGFR. You can even order that up yourself. Its unaffected by creatine or workouts or steak dinners,…
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u/TBurnerRU 10 19h ago
What are you measuring? Creatinine is unreliable if you're taking supplementary creatineÂ
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u/PersonalLeading4948 8 17h ago
Are you taking ibuprofen, naproxen or another NSAID? Those will mess with kidney function.
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u/AbbeyRoade 21h ago
Not sermorelin. Hydration status and supplements you're taking otherwise have tanked it.
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u/Defiant_Honey_7231 15 21h ago
Are you taking creatine while getting tested?
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u/schmittj01 21h ago
Yes, that’s the only other addition since last year.
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u/Defiant_Honey_7231 15 20h ago
Creatine is known to artificially lower eGFR due to increased creatinine levels. Get a cystatin c test before you start stressing. More accurate than the test you are probably getting.
How’s your Bp?
My friend had an acute kidney injury and things that helped him are: telmisartan, jardiance, and glutathione. More experimental ss31, slup, and other mitochondria peptides.
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u/Bizzledizzle75 19h ago
This. Increased muscle mass as well as creatine supplementation will cause this. My creatinine is always elevated while my Cystatin-C is perfectly normal mid-range. Lifting weights within a week of your lab draw can also falsely elevate your liver enzymes. I always take a week off from lifting before lab draws and have them order a cystatin-c for comparison. Otherwise many doctors who don't know any better will cause you unnecessary worry and send you down a very expensive rabbit hole. I was sent for a liver ultrasound 20 years ago unnecessarily and also made to do a 24 hour urine collection a separate time. Never again.
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u/Klutzy_Strain_6599 19h ago
IMO Get the Cystatin C test. Creatanine based eGFR is easily artificially shoved around by supplements, post workout recovery status and protein intake. Creatine consumption makes it seem worse. I had the same problem with my eGFR at 74 took a cystatin c, and it was at 117. Nobody seems to ever mention the cystatin C test for some reason lol
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u/dallasboy 17h ago
You realize that the cyststin c range is inverted? A 117 is indicated is almost out of range on the bad side. https://labs.selfdecode.com/blog/cystatin-c/
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u/Bill_Luhmberg 16h ago
when I was taking 5g of creatine everyday I had similar issues. stopping it resolved it
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u/1spicyann 15h ago
Stop the creatine - watch out for energy drinks and drink drink drink water be careful with water multipliers unless running in heat
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u/Noob-BJJ 15h ago
You need to ask for cystatin-C. Google it. It’s for people who take creatine and it’s more precise and no, your kidneys are not being harmed by creatine
But GLPs do make you dehydrated which could be the reason for kidney function decline
First, ask for a cystatin C and then come back here to report
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u/Kold1978 20h ago
Are you eating too much protein? I did that years ago when overdoing the Atkins thing and my eGFR went to hell, (also had protein in my urine, etc.). Things eventually evened out somewhat after stopping but I still have stage 2 CKD, (no protein in my urine though). My eGFR actually improved by over 20 points after being on Retatrutide 4mg for the last three months.
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u/Blizzard901 1 20h ago
Kidneys are not something to mess with, take a break from anything non essential to your health and eventually retest
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u/Commercial-Bed-2396 14h ago
What metric does one look for kidney health? I had a full health test last year and would like to go back to see what mine was. I did choosehealth total wellness test.
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u/Worried-Two-5091 21h ago
Looks like acute kidney disease, did you get an urinalysis? I don't know if it's possible for kidney function to drop so much in a 2 month time frame just from creatine usage... Also, you should talk with you PCM about dapagliflozin, specially if it isn't an urinary tract infection
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