Creatine and How to Take It

What is the most efficient way to take creatine?

This is a well debated topic in the weight lifting world. While timing is important the subject about the best way to get creatine into the body is a hot discussion. Recently there have been studies which you can find on the internet about the inclusion of high glycemic index carbohydrates to help with the ingestion of creatine. One study suggested that during the loading phase the use of these carbohydrates showed a 36% in overall effectiveness of the creatine. A carbohydrate rich meal will raise the insulin in the body which is believed to make the absorption of the creatine and protein into the muscle mass easier and quicker.

In my workouts I have hit a plateau, will this supplement help to move past?
The one exercise that has shown the most increase with the use of creatine is the bench press. A study was done in which a group used the supplement and another group, a placebo. The creatine group showed an increase in press weight. The average was an 18 pound increase. This was after using the supplement for one month and closely monitoring the bench press routines. This cannot be taken as an end all study, but it did show positive results.
If this is so great, is there a time limit on using the creatine supplement?

There seems to be a conflict of sorts in the answers that are given out these days.

So what is creatine used for? One group says unlimited use is ok and the other says to stop after a time period and then rest your body and then start over. The rest time is from one month to three months. There are studies that show no ill effects of professional athletes who use this supplement on an ongoing basis. There is no indication of either kidney or liver problems with extended creatine use. This is said with the understanding that the amounts do not exceed the recommended levels. There is a lack of studies which indicate a break from taking the supplement benefits the body. I believe this is a personal choice.