I’m sure your pdoc has weighed up the pros and cons of these meds and decided there’s more benefit for you if you take them.

I put on a lot of weight with it so I was only on it for a month or two but it did stop the mania, along with an AP.

I know bipolar people who are only on AP but I’m always given a mood stabiliser too by my pdoc. It’s what he recommends. I’m currently on lithium. I think I prefer lamotragine though.