MCI/Alz. - Anyone tried Creatine?

Posted by plus @plus, Jul 27 3:09pm

Has anyone here tried taking Creatine for MCI/Alzheimer's? I'll be asking our neurologist about it at our appointment in two days, and am also interested in any anecdotal reports you could share.

My wife's MCI/Alz diagnosis a few months ago of course has me looking for anything helpful beyond Lithium Orotate (LiO). Yesterday I came across this meta study in NIH regarding Creatine (widely used by body builders) having shown potential for MCI/Alz symptoms:
"Effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function of healthy individuals: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials"
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6093191/
Obviously not targeted for MCI/Alz. Also if any benefits, my sense is it's not a treatment, but might marginally help with symptoms while we wait and hope for another confirmed treatment option.

She agreed with her neurologist that the two currently approved drugs administered with infusions aren't worth the side effects. So I'm taking the same OTC meds as her, given my own milder symptoms.

When first diagnosed we began having strong coffee, black tea, and a square each of 72% dark chocolate every morning for caffeine & alkaloids. We enjoyed the strong and immediate effects on her alertness, memory and cognition. Over time those benefits began to wane until I discovered the promising LiO results reported in the 2025 Harvard study. Currently we're taking 6mg LiO before breakfast and at bedtime (12mg/day). We saw moderate improvement within a few days, but that too has begun to wane though we have strong hope that it will help long term. So meanwhile - add Creatine?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Early Dementia & Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) Support Group.

Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | Jul 27 3:44pm

Hi, @plus - here is a study on creatine in this context that may be useful, if you've not already seen it. It was published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions in 2025. Please note it is a pilot study only:

- Creatine monohydrate pilot in Alzheimer's: Feasibility, brain creatine, and cognition https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/trc2.70101

plus | @plus | Jul 29 2:00am

In reply to @lisalucier "Hi, @plus - here is a study on creatine in this context that may be useful,..." + (show)

@lisalucier
Thank you SO much, Lisa! It's an easy read, and even though only 19 creatine (CrM) participants, looks quite exciting:
"... Our data suggest that CrM supplementation is feasible in AD and provides preliminary evidence for future efficacy and mechanism studies. ..."

garyswife | @garyswife | Jul 30 11:14am

In reply to @lisalucier "Hi, @plus - here is a study on creatine in this context that may be useful,..." + (show)

@lisalucier
Hi, are there any clinical trials in the new york area? I see that there is one in Canada

Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | Jul 30 1:40pm

In reply to @garyswife "@lisalucier Hi, are there any clinical trials in the new york area? I see that there..." + (show)

@garyswife - I'd suggest looking at this national government site https://clinicaltrials.gov/. You can filter by location in this database.

garyswife | @garyswife | Jul 30 2:48pm

Thanks.

george12345 | @george12345 | 2 days ago

Has anyone experienced effects from the use of Creatine and what was the dosage used?

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