Hello and welcome to PC!!

First of all, most psychiatrists who are worthy of the name are quite conservative when it comes to prescribing meds. Naturally, few people WANT to take meds if they can manage without, and your doctor may have taken this into consideration, rather than offering you medications right off the bat. (Mine was the same way, and I appreciated the courtesy.)

Now about the Lamictal---this stuff often takes several weeks to work and will make you sluggish in the early going, so it's hard to see the potential in it right now. This effect should go away as you get used to it, but may recur briefly as your dosage increases. Please be patient with it and increase the dose as your doctor advises; it's usually well-tolerated with few side effects, and tends to really help lift the depression (although it doesn't do as much to suppress hypo/mania). And of course, call him IMMEDIATELY if you develop a rash!

I know it's hard to deal with feeling dull and heavy after starting on bipolar medications. After all, many of us love our hypomanias because we enjoy being productive and happy and social. But as you've mentioned, they can also make us irritable and unable to focus, which in turn can make us anxious, which in turn makes us even more distractible. It's a vicious cycle, and sometimes the only way to interrupt it is to take meds that make us feel like crap for awhile.

Also, both hypo/mania and depression can cause irritability and the inability to concentrate. Of course you can't control that; neither can I, which is why I'm taking several different meds for my BP, so if you're only on one medication, you're doing well. Most of us need two or more.

In the meantime, I'm glad you've decided to hang out here with us. Whatever you experience as a result of your illness, someone here has been through it and is willing to help. We're not doctors or therapists, so we can't offer you medical advice---but we can give you support and teach you "the ropes" about dealing with this condition.

Hope this helps a little, and once again, welcome!