So, is it just me or does it seem like, for the most part, none of our medications REALLY work for us? No matter how many times we change them?

I mean...is ANYone here "stable"? Has anyone at all found a med/combo/cocktail that has worked for any meaningful period of time? And by "worked" what do you mean? That you functioned, didn't kill yourself? That sort of thing? Or by worked, do you mean you found the right med/combo and lived/live a pretty normal life?

Or do these drugs just maybe keep us alive and barely hanging on?

I have a good combo now, but I doubt it's permanence. And not a single poster I can think of off the top of my head is "well" as in meds work, life functioning and life-livin' is normal/near normal, etc. Maybe there are some. I just can't think of them.

Can I have some positive stories? Are there any? Meds that worked (not as suggestion because as well know that's dependent on each person's body chemistry) for a significant period of time? Is anyone here stable and has been for a while? I don't mean like a few months...I mean a significant amount of time.

It just seems like post after post about how the meds are not working, are ****ing us up, or are crapping out on us or making our lives worse. I'd not go off mine or anything, I just want some idea that there is hope of finding peace and a "normal"ish life.

We get good med posts about starting new meds, but as quickly as those posts pop up we get the next saying it did this, or that, and that it was a disaster. Even with my Lamictal, which I have called a miracle, I'm still bipolar and with all the lovely things that come along with it. I can just deal with it much better because the severity is reduced. But I still can't work. Can't function like a "normal" person. This is what I'm looking for--bipolars who have found that normal (or as normal as it gets). I mean, are all these meds just guinea pig experiments and we cross our fingers and hope for the best?

I know meds are necessary for most (probably all) of us, but is there ever any real relief or are we just hoping for the meds to keep us alive, give us some good days, and string us along through life?

Just curious as to your views and experiences. I'm feeling fine now, but this question(s) has been on my mind a few weeks. I'm just finally not too depressed to get my thoughts together and post it.