Marsha will probably shoot me for this. Her answer is absolutely right - the trial results are not in and it would be totally irresponsible for any medical professional to recommend creatine. However, I'm not a medical professional nor has anyone ever accused me of being responsible so I thought I'd pass along a few tidbits.
Some who are using creatine feel that there HAVE been noticible improvements in the quality of life. Improvements have been reported in the area of physical strength and memory.
If you want to pursue it I'd recommend spending some time in chat rooms discussing the subject with those who are using it. There are many people using it and many more considering it's use. Most will offer information in a chat room that they wouldn't feel comfortable espousing on a bulletin board.
The link [
www.absolute-creatine.com] provides additional info about creatine.
Also, Jerry has several articles on Creatine at [
table.jps.net]
One point emphasized by many is that the dosage typically used by athletes is far above what is appropriate for those with HD. We don't use creatine in our family but I've heard recommendations that run around 4 to 5 grams per day which I think is a third of the dosage used by many endurance athletes that are on a creatine "maintenance" program.
There are many reports that creatine doesn't deliver the benefits to athletes that are promised.
Like all supplements there is a risk of side effects so be sure to talk to a doctor before taking it.