I suggest doing your homework on Lithium first. You can google any medication, and get the side effects that way.
I would also suggest having a talk with your loved ones. Some bi-polars (such as myself), can't live without medication. Heck, right now my medication is off so I am going through moodiness hell. Thank goodness I am manic right now, but I'd still prefer to be mood stabilized. My husband comes from a culture where taking any kind of psychotropic drug is considered a sin, but I ignore that out of medical necessity.