Your doctor may test your blood for creatinine, which is a waste byproduct of creatine.
If you should visit a urologist because of concerns about erectile dysfunction, he or she will probably do a test for something called creatinine. Creatinine, which is a byproduct of creatine usage, is a waste product in the blood that is filtered by the kidneys and passes out of the body in urine. Creatine, whether generated naturally by the liver, or consumed in foods (meat and fish are good sources) or supplements, is necessary for bodily function, but creatinine doesn’t perform a critical function and must be eliminated from the body so levels don’t build up dangerously.
People who are more muscular will produce more creatinine. However, high creatinine levels can also be caused by kidneys that aren’t functioning well and can’t filter creatinine out of the blood sufficiently. Therefore, urologists often check for creatinine levels because it can give clues about how well kidneys function. Kidney function is intricately tied in with how well the heart functions and how well the body processes glucose (which is why diabetics are prone to kidney disease). And as you may already know, diabetes and heart disease are associated with erectile dysfunction.
Whether or not your doctor checks your creatinine levels, it’s important to mention if you take creatine supplements, and if so how much and how often.