Hi. I also have rapid-cycling (you wouldn't believe just how rapid sometimes!) bipolar II with awful depressions and almost enjoyable hypomanias. I was initially prescribed lamictal like everybody else. Unfortunately, I had a reaction to it and had to come off. Now I'm on another anticonvulsant called tegretol (well, technically I'm on generic carbamazepine because I'm a broke college student). Supposedly tegretol is a great mood stabilizer for those of us who occasionally have crazy fast cycling. I noticed that it did even out the daily mood swings related to my cyclothymic temperament...so that I felt nothing but the severe bipolar II depression I've been going through! Lovely. I'm also on Wellbutrin (again, for me really bupropion) which is an antidepressant, since, as I mentioned, tegretol did not really do much to help my depression.

The 1st pdoc who evaluated me gave me a choice between lithium and lamictal. Lithium does have its advantages; it's a mineral, so it's "natural"; it's great (better than all other bipolar meds) at preventing suicide; it's cheap price-wise; and it has the longest history of use of all bipolar meds, so we know a lot about it.

Definitely talk to your pdoc about it. A lot of bipolar individuals take lithium in addition to other drugs. That might be a good option for you; your other meds could help with the rapid cycling and depression, while lithium reduces your risk of suicide and prevents your mood from swinging too far in the opposite direction (just because you haven't been too far up now does not mean that you never will go there, and being on antidepressants definitely increases your risk for mania.)