Great post. I have a good friend with bp who has been completely stable for 30 years on lithium alone. She works, has a family, and is a quality person that I admire. This has given me hope that such stability is possible.

Blackpup brings a good point in that many of the success stories probably go unpublicized.

As for me, I've been on many meds. I'm currently on Depakote and lithium and this has kept me fairly stable for about 3 years. Not very long I know. But it looks as though I have found the right combo of meds for me. If it doesn't work out, I'll look for another med.

To answer your original question I think that the meds do work but as you are aware it is a matter of finding the right one for you. In my experience this process seems to have gone by trial and error. And I did go through some trials as they made some errors.

I hope your current med continues to work out for you and that you are able to enjoy stability in your life.