C4 pre-workout mix makes me feel sick lately

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Nostalginaut
Nostalginaut Posts: 29 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
This isn't something that happens every time that I use it, but today, yesterday, and a small handful of times in the past few weeks, using this product (Cellucor C4 Original Pre Workout Powder Energy Drink w/ Creatine, Nitric Oxide & Beta Alanine, Fruit Punch, 60 Servings https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U464HYK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_y.yuCb7VKGTC9) has made me feel sick to my stomach.

I used it several years ago without any issues, and have used other pre-workout mixes as well, no problems. They help me to wake up quickly and be ready to tackle a morning bike ride and lifting.

A few weeks ago, I actually threw up about ten minutes after using C4, which I recall left a bad taste in my mouth (erm, that's before vomiting). That taste (hard to describe, like a bitterness on the back of my tongue) has persisted since then, and several times since I've felt the same stomach discomfort of feeling like I'll vomit (or poop? Or both?).

What might be causing this? The mix isn't more than a month or so old, and it hasn't made me feel like this before. I'm not drinking it on an empty stomach (I usually have something like a banana or bike gel beforehand), either.

Replies

  • jdog022
    jdog022 Posts: 693 Member
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    Could be the fillers. Try a higher quality pre
  • Deviette
    Deviette Posts: 978 Member
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    It might just be that the formula has changed from when you used it several years ago and there's something in there that disagrees with you.

    If something is making you feel ill maybe it's time to move onto something else.

    Something else to think about as it doesn't happen every time, it could be that it's not it that is actually causing the problem, but something else that you're eating that is either reacting with it, or is actually making you feel nauseous. Look at what you ate the previous day, what you ate before hand. See if there's any patterns. (For example: if you only feel ill with it after eating a banana, but it's fine when you have a gel)
  • Nostalginaut
    Nostalginaut Posts: 29 Member
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    jdog022 wrote: »
    Could be the fillers. Try a higher quality pre

    Any recommendations?
  • jasonpoihegatama
    jasonpoihegatama Posts: 496 Member
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    it's not for you. try a cup of black coffee
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited January 2019
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    Discontinue it. Nothing is worth putting time and effort into finding out why and how to make that product work for you. You could have built up a reaction to it over time.

    Maybe find a product with just creatine (if the little bit of creatine in it is part of the reason you are using it) and use caffeine/coffee as your pre.

  • jdog022
    jdog022 Posts: 693 Member
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    TinManJoe wrote: »
    jdog022 wrote: »
    Could be the fillers. Try a higher quality pre

    Any recommendations?

    I am huge fan of the Ghost products. Especially the legend which is their pre. But for a while I even just made my own because I was getting bad headaches. I didn’t when I made my own so it wasn’t the caffeine. I bought bulk supp ingredients from amazon and just mixed caffeine, citriline mallate (I’m spelling that wrong), Beta Aline and creatine.
  • h7463
    h7463 Posts: 626 Member
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    I'm using the same. I used C4 Extreme before that for several years. I had some problems with it, but only because I had too much caffeine in addition to the pre-workout on the same day.
    My recommendation: Evaluate, why you decided to use it in the first place, then check against the ingredients. Maybe there is a different product available to suit your needs. In my case, I'm out of luck, I want everything they have in it, except caffeine... They don't have a version of that yet, I think. Until then: Cheers to Strawberry Margarita!
    I have been through a ton of samples of other brands, and some of them upset my stomach, too. C4 is a good product, IMO. Sample around!
    Also, if there is a GNC store locally, maybe try shopping there, instead of ordering from amazon, as you can take products that don't agree with you back to the store. They've been having some good prices lately.

    Happy Lifting!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    If you need a preworkout, I would look at Legion or PEScience. Outside of those, i haven't seen many properly dosed. And some, like C4 don't even have L-Citruline in it, which is the best recovery/pump products.

    Overall, C4 is only good for caffeine. It doesn't really have anything else beneficial.
  • h7463
    h7463 Posts: 626 Member
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    psuLemon wrote: »
    If you need a preworkout, I would look at Legion or PEScience. Outside of those, i haven't seen many properly dosed. And some, like C4 don't even have L-Citruline in it, which is the best recovery/pump products.

    Overall, C4 is only good for caffeine. It doesn't really have anything else beneficial.

    You'll have to check into C4 Extreme Engery and C4 Ultimate for those extra goodies..
  • Keto_Vampire
    Keto_Vampire Posts: 1,670 Member
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    Based on the label, to me, the stand out emetic/nausea/vomiting causing ingredient would have to be the mucuna pruriens (similar to L-dopa/precursor); problem being it's in a proprietary blend (unknown dose/exact amount but <425mg/serving).

    Would agree with others on just making your own with bulk key effective ingredients (creatine, beta alanine, caffeine, citrulline malate) or stepping back sticking with a plain old source of caffeine (work your way up if needed & based on your goals with the other ingredients). PEScience makes a decent (correctly dosed) pre-workout (can't say I've tried the others mentioned; would have to check the labels)

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