Everything Christina said. Especially the med merry go round. Diagnosed 8 years ago and on meds the whole time and still switching up because BP can change. I started out BP 2 and then I had rapid cycling for awhile. I was then diagnosed as BP 1 and I have had one mixed episode. So yeah your meds may change and even if you do find the right one it may need to be tweaked from time to time.

Also like Christina said give each med some time, a lot of them have to build in your system and sometimes the bad side effects at the beginning do dissipate. But after that time there is a side effect that you just can't live with call your pdoc. Seroquel has made me very stable for a long time but I've decided I just can't deal with the diabetes it has caused, so I'm currently taking a chance, instructed by my pdoc, to see how I do off of it. Christina covered everything I would have said from my experience. I hope it works out, but honestly it's a lifelong battle we have to fight.