Hi! Here's my take on creatine- avoid it. I'm a figure competitor and tried it hoping to add some muscle. I visited my husband's worksite nurse who did some baseline bloodwork. I took less creatine than was suggested and took a form that did not require you to "load" and taper off. I drank water faithfully-a minimum of 1 gallon/day to avoid the risk of dehydration. After 1 month, I went back to the nurse for bloodwork. The result was that my kidney and liver function tests were now elevated to the point of being out of recommended range and my muscularity was not changed. My kidneys and liver function were functioning within range after a couple of weeks of being creatine free.
I had high hopes for the stuff, but realized what a danger it can be. I took the ethyl ester form in tablets, not powder or the monohydrate version. Hope this helps!
Deena