drugs for bipolar work by balancing the chemicals in ur head. The sideffects are like most other drugs, headache, nausea, drowsyness. just when u go on these meds DONT i repeat Dont go off them suddenly. Dont pull a me cause the withdrawls are brutal. Most psychs will slowly increase ur dose till they get to the desired dose so u dont have much problems with sideeffects. for howlong i dont know