From what I gather, one of the effects of bipolar or meds or both is to cause you to "live inside your own head." (I think I saw that term used elsewhere in the forum.) I know that I do that a lot any more.

When I was manic, I was very extroverted. My problem was that I was just an asshole. I was arrogant and no one could tell me anything. I thought all of my opinions were right all of the time. When I came back to baseline, I was embarrassed by the way I had behaved, so I never owned up to it. I became extremely introverted.

I'm not suggesting that you are an asshole when you're manic. What I'm saying is that when you are (hypo)manic, you are very extroverted. When you are baseline, you are still an extrovert, but less so than when manic. Then, when you are depressed, you become an introvert.

I'm sorry about the meds. The side effects always suck. It's a matter of working with your doctor to get the right combination. It's not surprising that going off of them for a week didn't make any difference. It can take as much as a month for them to work their way out of your system.

Hope this helps.