I also vote for Lamictal. I'm Bipolar 1, although I know it's used for Bipolar 2 as well. I've been on it for a few years now without any side effects. I notice a lot of the Psych drugs cause weight gain....I actually lost weight! Aside from side effects though, the effectiveness is quite good for mood stabilization (although I'm also on Seroquel to help with that and Klonopin prn). My doctor did not want to put me on Lithium or Depakote, because of the potential for more side effects and the blood work needed. I did read that Lamictal tends to work better for preventing full-blown episodes, rather than immediate treatment for acute onset of severe episodes.

However, it is known for preventing them from becoming severe. My symptoms sometimes "leak" through the meds. However, I never had to adjust my 200 mg of Lamictal. It's usually the other meds they tweak to prevent mania from becoming an issue. Oh, and Lamictal is helpful with the depression/irritability part of Bipolar as well....much better than SSRI's that would cause me into a paranoid spin! Of course, only a doctor could only decide what's best, but I've had no problems with Lamictal so far (thankfully). The only thing annoying is it takes forever to taper you up on the therapeutic dose, but once you are up there, it's all good.