Sounds like your kidney doctor is not well versed in creatine use to make a blanket statement like that.

Since I've used creatine and have done my research I can help out here.

Nutrition. 2004 Jul-Aug;20(7-8):609-14.

Scientific basis and practical aspects of creatine supplementation for athletes.

Volek JS, Rawson ES.

Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, USA. jeff.volek@uconn.edu

In summary, the predominance of research indicates that creatine supplementation represents a safe, effective, and legal method to enhance muscle size and strength responses to resistance training.

Ann Pharmacother. 2005 Jun;39(6):1093-6. Epub 2005 May 10.

The effect of creatine intake on renal function.

CONCLUSIONS: Creatine supplementation minimally impacts creatinine concentrations and renal function in young healthy adults. Although creatinine concentrations may increase after long periods of creatine supplementation, the increase is extremely limited and unlikely to affect estimates of creatinine clearance and subsequent dosage adjustments.

J Herb Pharmacother. 2004;4(1):1-7.

Effects of creatine supplementation on renal function

According to the existing literature, creatine supplementation appears safe when used by healthy adults at the recommended loading (20 gm/day for five days) and maintenance doses (</=3 gm/day). In people with a history of renal disease or those taking nephrotoxic medications, creatine may be associated with an increased risk of renal dysfunction.

Curr Sports Med Rep. 2002 Apr;1(2):103-6.

Effects of creatine use on the athlete's kidney.

Despite relatively few isolated reports of renal dysfunction in persons taking creatine, the studies completed to date suggest that in normal healthy individuals the kidneys are able to excrete creatine, and its end product creatinine, in a manner that does not adversely alter renal function.

Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1999 Aug;31(8):1108-10.

Long-term oral creatine supplementation does not impair renal function in healthy athletes.

CONCLUSIONS: Neither short-term, medium-term, nor long-term oral creatine supplements induce detrimental effects on the kidney of healthy individuals.

I wish these doctors, trainers, etc would use caution instead of scare tatics when educating individuals about creatine. Making statements like creatine supplements will shut down your kidneys shows ingnorance.

i think a lot of it is also over-zealous and uneducated body builders who seem to have the opinion that more of anything is better. In this case, too much creatine IS bad for you. I think everyone agrees with that

Completely agree. I think then is becomes a question of mental capabilities. We have too many taking 4 or more whey shakes a day, a ton of creatine plus other supplements and there they are doing leg presses, cable crossovers and curls and complaining about how they can't gain size and strength.

do you think you can eat too much creatine in meat and from natural stuff b/c i eat a bunch of red meat/day.

the amount of eat you would have to consume in order to saturate and then create a surplus of creatine is staggering. There are other things to be concerned of when eating a lot of meat, creatine levels isnt one of them

Very true, when you cook meat it GREATLY lowers the creatine content.. around 80% or so..

yeah dude, if you keep things in moderation its all good, of course you need to know what a supp does before you use it, and maybe ask a doctor or someone with a 'proffesional' opinion. but if your eating right, excersising properly and have been for sometime, then creatine is a great supplement to aid in your growth. but if you sit at home eating chips and doing push-ups then creatine is the wrong thing for you.

Unless if you're eating a whole cow every day i wouldn't worry too much.

so do you recommend cooking meat medium rare or well done to stop it from losing creatine?

PB.. seriously... dont worry about the creatine content in the meat LOL. It's nowhere near enough to saturate your muscles.

ok thanks for the info guys