I found a very helpful website describing Bipolar Disorder Meds

[fed-up]

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/bipolar_disorder_medications.htm

Medications For Bipolar Disorder:
How to Find the Right Drug and Take it Safely

There are a variety of mood stabilizing medications that can reduce the symptoms of bipolar disorder. When used responsibly and in conjuction with therapy, these drugs may help prevent future manic and depressive episodes.

The role of medication in bipolar disorder treatment
Bipolar disorder medication can be used during both the acute and maintenance phase of the illness. During manic or depressive episodes, mood stabilizers, antidepressants, and antipsychotics can bring severe symptoms under control. During the maintenance phase, mood stabilizers can be used to prevent your condition from deteriorating. Taken long-term, mood stabilizing drugs help prevent relapse into full-blown manic and depressive episodes.

But while bipolar disorder medications can reduce the symptoms of the disorder, they do not provide a cure. For long-term preventive treatment, bipolar disorder drugs are most effective when combined with therapy and other self-help coping techniques. Drug treatment may help reduce the severity of your mood swings, but therapy and education give you the tools to cope with life's difficulties, monitor your progress, and deal with problems bipolar disorder causes in your personal and professional life.

Finding the right bipolar disorder drug
Finding an effective medication regimen for bipolar disorder can be a difficult and drawn-out process. Everyone responds to medication differently, so you may have to try several prescriptions before you find the one that works for you. Once you've zeroed in on the right drug or drug cocktail, it may still take time to determine your optimal dosage. In the case of mood stabilizing medications such as lithium, the difference between a beneficial dose and a toxic one is small.

Because of the many adjustments that must be made based on your response to the bipolar disorder medication, you will need to work closely with your healthcare provider when starting treatment. Careful monitoring for adverse effects and frequent office visits are important. Once you find a bipolar disorder drug and dose that works for you, you can extend the length of time between check-ins with your doctor. However, because the course of bipolar disorder is unpredictable, self-monitoring is essential throughout your treatment.

..snip

Here is the comparison of the two drugs I am researching. Seroquel was prescribed by the pdoc last week (because she "has had good experiences with it") but the samples she gave me were out of date so I didn't take them and started researching BP meds. I have only experienced mild manias, not extreme so I don't think Seroquel should be the choice for me given the potential side effects. My only "delusion" was my depressed thinking that I would never get out of this nondisclosed to me, former meth house.

I am waiting til my Sunday appointment to make my case. Instead of showing her the pdf files put out by the drug companies "for health professionals" which are about 50 pages each, I will just use what I found at this website, lest I get accused of being obsessive again by the psychologist. I was disgusted to learn that Seroquel has never been tested long term for BP and that the FDA had to add additional warnings to their label last year.....The pdf file also states that Tardive Dyskinesia can also be a side effect from Seroquel. (Damn right I am researching the shit out of something I may have to take for a lifetime!)

Antipsychotics for bipolar disorder
If you lose touch with reality during a manic or depressive episode, an antipsychotic drug may be prescribed. While older antipsychotics such as haloperidol (Haldol) and chlorpromazine (Thorazine) are approved for the treatment of bipolar disorder, long-term use can cause tardive dyskinesia, a permanent movement disorder characterized by involuntary tics. Other side effects of traditional antipsychotics include tremors, severe muscle stiffness, and restlessness. Because of these adverse motor effects, newer medications called atypical antipsychotics are preferred.

Atypical antipsychotics are often used to control bipolar disorder when psychotic symptoms, such as delusions and hallucinations, are present. Typically, they are combined with a mood stabilizer such as lithium or valproic acid. In addition to their effectiveness in treating psychotic mania, the atypical antipsychotics have also been found to help with regular manic episodes. Because of this, this class of drugs is now considered to be a mood stabilizer as well as an antipsychotic. Atypical antipsychotics have also shown promise in the treatment of bipolar depression.

Special Precautions
The FDA requires all atypical antipsychotics to carry a warning about the risks of diabetes and hyperglycemia. These medications raise your risk of developing adult-onset diabetes. They also exacerbate preexisting Type 1 and 2 diabetes conditions.

and here is what I found on Lamictal

Mood stabilizers for bipolar disorder
Mood stabilizers are medications that relieve both the symptoms of mania and depression. They are the cornerstone of bipolar disorder treatment, and are generally recommended for both the acute and preventive phase of the illness. Taken long-term, mood stabilizers can help prevent mood cycling and reduce the severity of episodes.

Lithium and valproic acid are the most widely prescribed mood stabilizers. Lithium is the treatment of choice for euphoric mania, while valproic acid is preferred for mixed episodes and rapid cycling.

...

Other anticonvulsant drugs – If lithium or valproic acid don’t work, there are a number of other anticonvulsants that can be used as mood stabilizers. The leading alternative for mania is carbamazepine. Lamotrigine has also been shown to be effective, particularly for depression and maintenance treatment..

Lamotrigine-Lamictal

Dizziness, loss of balance, headaches, and vision problems.

Lamotrigine can cause a serious rash. This risk can be reduced by increasing your dose very slowly and gradually.

[Droopy]

1. I don't know of a psychiatric med that doesn't have potentially bad side effects

That doesn't mean your are going to get them, but you might. In my case I take Geodon, which is an atypical anti-psychotic; lithium, a mood stabilizer; and Wellbutrin, an anti-depressant. My life is intolerable without those meds, so there really isn't much of a choice for me. I've been taking them for 4.5 years and so far the only side effect I've had is increased sex drive probably due to the Wellbutrin. I'm not complaining about that one.

To reduce the potential of having a bad side effect, you should take the medication at the lowest dosage where it is effective. It will take a little tinkering, which also may mean that you will experience more mood swings, but once your psychiatrist gets it worked out, you should feel like a normal person again. Nothing more and nothing less.

Whatever you choose to do, I think you are going about it the right way. Learn all you can and make that psychiatrist earn his/her money.