Hey jattitude:
I've been on the Lamictal train since last summer, and I can definately tell you that this drug is a "life" saver!! I was about as bad as it gets before that. My former pdoc put me on Depakote and upped it to 2000mgs. a day. I didn't get any better, and I wasn't feeling any too good. Lots of episodes, and BAD ones at that. I finally got on the website for bi-polar and found Lamictal. I went to my internist and he changed the meds. for me. My old pdoc refused to do that, so I got a new one. He left his practice in July to work for the state. Just as well. I didn't want to go back to him, anyway.
Give this one a chance. It doesn't come instantly for anyone, but I swear that after just two/ three days on the increased dose, I was feeling quite NORMAL. Whatever that is? No episodes whatsoever.........not like before. I've had a couple, but I handled them without any intervention.

I no longer feel like banging my head against a brick wall...
and the roller coaster has finally come to an end.