Does supplemental creatine prevent herpes recurrences?

While functioning as a general practitioner at the Camp Pendleton Marine Ba se, the first author treated numerous patients with recurrent genital herpe s. Beginning in 1998, a number of these patients failed to return for perio dic acyclovir therapy. Inquiries revealed that these patients had all comme nced supplemental creatine after their last outbreak, and had experienced n o further outbreaks. A literature search uncovered a report that cyclocreat ine, a synthetic compound structurally and functionally homologous to creat ine, inhibits the replication of cytomegalovirus, varicella-zoster, and her pes simplex types 1 and 2, in low millimolar concentrations; furthermore, d ietary cyclocreatine reduces morbidity and mortality in mice infected with HSV-2. The fact that both creatine and cyclocreatine exert neuroprotective and cancer-retardant effects in rodents, encourages the speculation that cr eatine shares the anti-viral activity of cyclocreatine. Pilot studies to as sess the impact of creatine loading on recurrence of oral and genital herpe s appear warranted; the impact of creatine on shingles occurrence in high-r isk patients could also be explored. Although initially conceived as an aid to athletic performance, creatine loading may prove to have broad preventi ve and therapeutic applications. (C) 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.