Officially lithium is the only recognized med for BP but that needs regular blood tests and can become toxic quickly. Lamictal another mood stabilizer also has blood testing. There is not a one size fits all medicine for BP. Most folks require a combo cocktail of mood stabilizers and antipsychotics with or without other meds to balance it all out. There's a reason doctors and pharmacists study for years. Most MDs do not study psych meds so chances of your local PCP diagnosing you in one go and hitting the nail on the head with the first prescription are very unlikely, you'd have a better shot at winning the powerball lottery. IP will net you a diagnosis and supervised medical treatment that would include ruling out physical causes of your problems.