welcome to pc!
for the most part about 10 years altho there are triggers that can give me a mild episode now and then. i use what i learned in therapy (primarily) to cope when i feel agitated. if i have more than 2 days of feeling low, i call my pdoc because i nose dive quickly. usually we just tweak my meds a little. then return to the usual dose.
as for meds that have worked for me i believe each individual responds well to a different assortment of meds. i'm listing the meds that work for me,18 years, but perhaps would not work for you.
i take neurontin, lexapro, and sinequan for the bipolar. my bipolar is rapid cycling. hope this helps and a caution: everyone responds differently to meds but the good news is that there are a lot of good drugs out there for bipolar. it's basically trial and error based on the symptoms you experience. eventually you will find a good mix that works.