Lithium is a very good med with low side effects and many people get a long period of stability from it. I used it for 15 years, but had to change due to health reasons. The thing to remember with Lithium is, it's not a chemical compound, it's a salt. It metabolizes through your body differently and you have to take some care as to when and how much you take and keep to a pretty strict schedule. Lithium can have effects on your Renal System; i.e. kidneys, liver, etc. and therefore blooddraws are a requirement, usually every 3 - 4 months after your Dr. gets a stable blood level.

There are any number of med combinations and its hard to compare one person's success to anothers, one of the true mysteries of this Disease. Myself, I become very easily medication tolerant and I've had BiPolar Disorder for 28 years along with multiple other major medical illnesses, so I've had to switch meds around quite a bit...it's a pain in the ass, but a choice of, like you said, "killing yourself or getting serious about getting well and being stable." Its a choice that everyone has to make, not always an easy one. Managing this Disease is a daily struggle, it doesn't go away, but you can have a successful, productive, happy a good deal of the time, life when you get Stable. Each person has to decide what it's worth to them to fight for that...

Congrats to you for joining the fight!

I used lithium carbonate for many years and it saved my life. Anti-psychotics can have positive results (they are classified as Major Tranquilizers while valium is classifeied as a Minor Tranquilizer) but anti-psychotics have many undesirable side effects. After becoming stabilized on lithium I no longer needed to use anti-psychotcs as I no longer experienced mania.
I now used lithium orotate with good success but that part of the story is part of the difficulty I've had with finding decent psychiatric/medical practicioners. Good on you, to thine own self be true.

Lithium was very effective for me until I had a toxic reaction. It's one of those medications that can be really good, but you have to be careful and monitor closely for reactions which is why they draw bloods every few months as it can build up in your system. The only other medication that's been as effective for me is Latuda and I'm very happy with it, especially because there's not the same risk of toxic build-up, though I don't have the same kind of long-lasting stability I experienced with Lithium. I congratulate you for taking steps toward wellness and stability. There comes a point where we really do have to commit to get busy living or get busy dying, choosing life is harder, but so worthwhile. You have so much to give and so much to experience yet. Get busy living and keep pushing!

I am on a cocktail of Seroquel, Tegretol and Restoril .... It works pretty well although I'm on the flat side..... I'm struggling with Seroquel weight gain which sux but it works well for me
I had a toxic reaction to Lithium as well
Thanx for mentioning Latuda Book.....I think it's more weight neutral... I may talk to my pdoc about it the next time I see him... He mentioned it before to me but I didn't want to change at the time