Creatine & Seizures -- WTF?

Diet and Nutrition
1

I don’t really know what the hell this is, but I came across this in an article in the National Law Journal today. The article was about an employment lawsuit taken to federal court regarding a jury trial where they believed evidence that creatine caused this guys seizures. I’ve never heard of anything like this…anyone familiar with this?

Here are some excerpts from the article:

"A federal judge has refused to overturn a jury’s $159,000 verdict in an Americans with Disabilities Act suit brought by a man who said he was denied the right to return to work for 20 months after suffering two seizures brought on by taking creatine, a nutrition supplement, because his employer mistakenly believed he had a “serious epileptic condition.”…

"According to court papers, Taylor had been working for Red Star for 12 years as a truck driver and dockworker when he suffered two nocturnal seizures in March 2001.

Under the company’s collective bargaining agreement, Taylor had the choice to bid either on driving assignments or dock work, and, after his seizures, he exercised his seniority rights to bid on dock work, recognizing that he could not drive a truck until the cause of his seizures was determined.

But the suit alleged that Taylor’s boss sent him home based on an erroneous perception that he had a “serious epileptic condition” and that he was subject to “sudden, unanticipated losses of consciousness.”

In fact, the suit alleged, Taylor’s seizures were an isolated occurrence that stemmed from his taking creatine, a nutrition supplement used to enhance muscle growth.

But Taylor said his boss ignored “the mounting medical evidence” that pointed to creatine as the cause of the seizures and refused to allow him to return to work for 20 months.

A jury sided with Taylor and awarded him $39,796 in back pay; $19,000 for lost pension benefits; and $100,000 in compensatory damages."

If you’d like to read the whole article (doesn’t talk about the creatine again) it can be found here:

I’ve just never heard of any concern regarding creatine and seizures…but somehow this guy’s attorneys were able to convince a jury of the ‘mounting medical evidence’ of this. What scares me is that this is now a finding of fact in a court of law…meaning it serves as some strong evidence for those who want to ban or restrict access to all supps. If it happens in the US it’ll certainly affect us up here in Canada as well…

2

always a possibility…different people bodies react to different supplements in different ways
hell I’ve had 3 seizures myself…on 3 separate ocassions…all within a month of starting to take creatine

so now to make a long story short…I avoid the stuff

3

[quote]dennis3k wrote:
always a possibility…different people bodies react to different supplements in different ways
hell I’ve had 3 seizures myself…on 3 separate ocassions…all within a month of starting to take creatine

so now to make a long story short…I avoid the stuff[/quote]

And you never had seizures in your life before? I have read NO evidence at all of creatine causing seizures. Please post where this has been confirmed by anyone in the medical field. Beef causes seizures?

4

After doing some research, apparently the only evidence of a creatine seizure link is from FDA call in claims…the same types of claims that were being used to take ephedrine off of the market even though it was later ruled that this was insufficient. I can’t find any info on a pharmacokinetic link between creatine and the onset of a seizure. What it boils down to is, if the only true medical evidence we have is of personal testimonials, then we don’t have evidence. There are too many possible variables or other possible causes. Considering the goal of demonizing any sports supplements that actually do anything, I have no doubt that this will be spread as proven truth regardless.

5

Actually No PX I never did have any seizures before taking the stuff and there was no other differentiation in my routine besides the taking creatine thing
so thats what the neurologist narrowed it down to
first time the neurologist thought it was a freak thing cause I had been tired and was during exams and I was pushing myself too hard…cause after a whole whack of brain tests(eegs and some other ones) they found that I had no tendency to take them…so that left them and me confused
the second time (several years later) and after more tests they started to look at what was different in both cases compared to my everyday way of living(diet/routines and whatnot)…only to notice the creatine thing

so couple of years after that one…I took a third one and had just started to take the stuff again
and no I wasn’t overloading on it…just a bit a day…thought I was being careful…guess not(oops)