A quick story:

My ex-wife (along with everyone in her mother's family) suffers with bipolar disorder. She has worked at a major medical facility for many years. For the first fifteen years or so, she was not diagnosed as bipolar. She did pretty well at work, but kind of ran up against a wall even after getting more education and qualifications.

After a particularly bad episode she was finally diagnosed. For a while she wouldn't take her meds regularly, she said that they made her sluggish and she couldn't think as fast or get as much done as before.

After another bad episode she began to take her meds regularly. Within the year she was given two promotions and given the responsibility to start a whole new department at the hospital.

There are a couple of lessons to be learned here. First, if you think you are bipolar, go to a psychiatrist and get examined and diagnosed. Second, take your meds as prescribd. Do not change them without talking to your pdoc first.

It is true that your thinking will seem slower. This is because in manic/hypomanic states your thoughts are racing, and the medication slows them down. You get used to this pretty quickly. Any gains in your productivity that you perceive, even if real, are more than negated by the other symptoms of bipolar disorder. A more stable mood in between the two extremes will increase your effectiveness at work and life in general. Also, just because you haven't had a full manic episode yet, you must realize that you could have one at any time. You really don't want to go through that.

I pray for the best for you. As a victim of bipolar disorder and having lived with a bunch of them for nearly twenty years (we got a divorce, go figure) I firmly believe that the best course of treatment for 99.9% of us is: a good relationship with a pdoc, including a personally-tailored drug regimen; regular therapy; regular sleep, and regular excercise.

Best Of Luck!