Hi folks I recently (10 days ago) got diagnosed with bipolar. I think I'm bipolar 2 but my doctor didn't say much. Two days before I went to the doctor's, I tried to end my life. So I'm in a depressive episode, probably with mixed episodes.

I started with:

* **Bupropion** 150mg/day
* **Depakine**(Sodium Valproate) 500mg/day

After a week another doctor asked me to take **2 Bupropion** a day, despite the fact that I was getting side effects like a racing heart, and difficulty with breathing. The doctor's solution to increased heart was **Xanax**.

Then the side effects are kind of getting out of control. I started getting more frequent heart irregularities, dizziness, eyes unfocused, ear drumming, and even hallucinations. Today after I took the morning pill I had red rashes.

**I feel like the side effects are f\*\*king me up more than bipolar does**. I managed to graduate and find a job without knowing what I was going through. But now the meds are affecting everything. I was planning to apply for a master's while being on a full-time job that requires a lot of brain energy. Now the best I can do is to keep my job (I'm definitely underperforming). I just want to function like normal people again!!

So I guess the question goes down to, **under what kind of circumstances should you quit a certain med and switch to another one, and when should you stick to the meds and wait it out until the magic happens?** Do the side effects fade away as time goes by? Does the final result worth the months of suffering from side effects?