I am sorry you are feeling so bad. Without a mood stabilizer AD's are certainly a no-no for us Bipolars as they trigger mania but with mood stabilizers such as Lithium and Lamictal the AD may not have such an extreme effect. This has been my experience. The Pristiq I am on helped lift me out of a depression but I did go a bit hypomanic so my pdoc recommended I decrease the dose if I got worse. I am now in a mild mixed state so I am considering lowering the dose. Still I am not deeply depressed, just dark and hypomanic. I am holding off as I am afraid of the depression returning in full force. It is a delicate balancing act. The AD's do lift moods but can lift it too high. As I am a rapid cycler I also have trouble keeping up with the mood changes and knowing what to do med wise when they happen. Hope this helps a little. Take care