Some people have noticed that they have some gastric upset and diarreah when they start their creatine cycle with a 20 to 25 gram "loading cycle".  And I've found that the commonly recommended maintenance dosage of 5 grams a day is just not enough for many people to get maximum benefits.

Here's a plan that should help you get the maximum cell volumizing and muscle building effects from creatine without much (if any) gastric distress:
 

This cycle is a fairly long one which allows you to retain the cell volumizing effect for a longer period of time. This provides more opportunity to gain the benefits associated with creatine usage (strength increase, increased rate of hypertrophy, etc.)

You may not start seeing and feeling benefits until the third week of the cycle. The third week is usually about the optimal dosage for most people.