hi. if you read older literature, some doctors would use high(er) doses of klonopin in bipolar. I think at that point the atypicals weren't around, so the idea was to spare the bipolar people the antipsychotics, since some literature indicates a higher rate of TD in bipolar people w/ the older drugs, compared to people with schizophrenia.

but...kpins can be rough. there's rebound anxiety. for me, there was serious drug-induced depression that took months and months of kpin free living to resolve. some people stay on it indefinitely, no problems. there are a lot of us who do have problems with long term bzd treatment, though.

i hope depakote works for you. i found it effective, but...rough. plus, i was put on too much while i was in a hospital, and then the outpatient doctor had to change the dosage quickly, because my levels got too high. not fun...

weight gain and hair loss can be an issue with depakote. supplements can help with the hair problem. i dont know what to do about weight gain, honestly.

bzd drugs can cause disinhibition and make one moody-er, which is lame, but true. some people also get rage reactions and anger, which is...frightening. of course, some people swear by their kpins, so dont take this as me trying to scare you.