Only antipsychotics have really been effective at stopping my past manias, and preventing them. Manias have really been my most severe episodes.

When I accumulate some long period of stability, I do hope my Seroquel XR dose will continue to be lowered, but I doubt it will be eliminated, despite my high dose of Tegretol XR.

I think that during the course of the last almost 13 years (when I accepted bipolar meds), I was only on just a moodstabilizer (in the beginning Lithium) for one day. Then Seroquel was added in low dose. Then soon after the dose was increased and increased, other antipsychotics were used, etc.

I have heard of people only taking Lithium or an anticonvulsant moodstabilizer, but that's not me.