Hi @lisalucier and thanks for mentioning me. I don't have direct experience with bipolar, only through my daughter who is an adult and manages her own meds. One thing I would mention for @hoffman, though, is the value of having a conversation with your pharmacist if you have questions about your meds and the long-term side effects. Most younger pharmacists now are PharmD's (which is a doctorate in pharmacy) and therefore are very knowledgeable and even an RPh has 3 years or pharmacology whereas the typical doctor only has about 3 months. Plus, their services are typically free if you are using the pharmacy for your prescriptions. Also, you can request that your doctor refer you for a medication review with a PharmD. Although this does typically have a cost, it's a valuable service. My husband had a meds review while going through treatment for Hepatitis C (it was a standard part of their process at University of Illinois) and the PharmD was able to recommend some changes that really improved his quality of life.

Also, @hoffman, have you considered a support group for people with bipolar? That might make you feel less alone in this. It's a tough situation to live with and feeling lonely certain doesn't help.