How can I increase my creatinine levels, especially if I have a history of kidney disease?

You Should Not Attempt to Increase Creatinine Levels

Deliberately increasing creatinine levels is medically inappropriate and potentially harmful, especially in someone with a history of kidney disease. Creatinine is a waste product that reflects kidney function—elevated levels indicate impaired kidney filtration, not a desirable health goal 1.

Why This Question Raises Serious Concerns

Creatinine as a Disease Marker, Not a Treatment Target

• Serum creatinine is used diagnostically to detect and stage kidney disease—rising creatinine indicates worsening kidney function and is associated with increased mortality 1, 2
• The KDIGO guidelines define acute kidney injury (AKI) as a creatinine increase of ≥0.3 mg/dL within 48 hours or ≥50% from baseline within 7 days, with progression through stages strongly correlating with increased mortality 1, 3, 2, 4
• In patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease, guidelines recommend monitoring creatinine to detect deterioration, not to artificially elevate it 1

The Dangerous Context: Attempting to Mask Kidney Disease

If you are considering increasing creatinine to appear healthier on laboratory tests (for insurance, employment, or other purposes), understand that:

• This approach will backfire medically—artificially elevated creatinine will be interpreted as worsening kidney disease, triggering more aggressive monitoring and potential medication adjustments 1
• Guidelines specifically warn that creatinine can be affected by hydration status, muscle mass, diet, and certain supplements, making interpretation complex 1, 5
• Attempting to manipulate creatinine through creatine supplementation in someone with existing kidney disease carries significant risk 6, 7

If You're Considering Creatine Supplementation: Critical Warnings

Evidence Against Creatine in Kidney Disease

• Creatine supplements are contraindicated in chronic kidney disease—research in animal models shows creatine supplementation accelerated cystic kidney disease progression, increased kidney weights, worsened cyst scores, elevated serum urea, and reduced creatinine clearance 6
• While creatine supplements are generally safe in healthy individuals and may transiently raise serum creatinine without causing actual kidney damage, they should not be used in people with chronic renal disease or those using potentially nephrotoxic medications 5, 8
• In patients with advanced CKD, endogenous creatine synthesis capacity progressively decreases, potentially making dietary creatine conditionally essential, but this does not justify supplementation without nephrology guidance 7

Dietary Protein Effects on Creatinine

• High protein intake increases creatinine clearance and urea nitrogen excretion in healthy subjects, with a direct quantitative relationship (r = 0.8; P < 0.0001) 9
• However, for patients with non-dialysis-dependent CKD stage 3 or higher, dietary protein should be limited to 0.8 g/kg body weight per day (the recommended daily allowance), not increased 1
• Increasing protein intake in someone with kidney disease to raise creatinine would violate established guidelines and potentially accelerate kidney disease progression 1

The Correct Approach to Kidney Disease Management

What Guidelines Actually Recommend

• Monitor creatinine and eGFR at least annually in patients with diabetes or known kidney disease to detect progression early 1
• For patients with type 2 diabetes and CKD with eGFR ≥20 mL/min/1.73 m², use SGLT2 inhibitors with demonstrated benefit to reduce CKD progression and cardiovascular events 1
• Optimize blood pressure control and consider ACE inhibitors or ARBs for patients with albuminuria ≥30 mg/g creatinine 1
• Do not discontinue renin-angiotensin system blockade for mild creatinine increases (≤30%) in the absence of volume depletion—these increases do not represent true AKI and stopping these protective medications increases mortality risk 1

When Creatinine Increases Are Expected and Acceptable

• ACE inhibitors and ARBs may cause creatinine increases up to 30% from baseline, which is hemodynamically mediated and does not represent kidney injury—these medications should be continued as they provide long-term kidney and cardiovascular protection 1
• The ACCORD BP trial demonstrated that participants with up to 30% creatinine increases during intensive blood pressure lowering had no increase in mortality or progressive kidney disease 1

Critical Pitfall to Avoid

Never attempt to manipulate laboratory values through supplementation or dietary changes without nephrology consultation. If you have concerns about your kidney function or creatinine levels, the appropriate action is to:

• Discuss your specific concerns with your nephrologist or primary care physician
• Undergo proper evaluation for the underlying cause of any kidney function changes
• Follow evidence-based treatment recommendations to slow disease progression, not to artificially alter laboratory markers

The goal is to preserve kidney function and prevent progression, not to increase creatinine levels 1.