well,

Pleased to meet you first of all!

I'm sorry you've had such a rough go of it... sad to say i've heard other stories which disgrace the medical profession in similar manner to what you describe... in your whereabouts if i'm guessing them correctly...

I wish you better luck this time! I DO believe no matter how rotten an overall situation is, that there are better and worse individuals.

I hope you find an intelligent, caring, and attentive individual this time.

ADs and no mood stabilizer to a bipolar??? why, that's just... that's not even by any sort of "book," you know??? gosh!

I like Beth's idea of Lamictal (generic name: lamotrigine) the only problem is that it does not really cover mania at all. it:

• potentiates antidepresants, by mild to moderate antidepressant effect
• increases elapsed time between mood episodes (reduces cycling speed)

So if you are already taking an AD and are not having serious problems with it, adding a mood stabilizer like

• divalproex sodium (US branded as Depakote),
• oxcarbazepine (US branded as Trileptal)
• carbamazepine (US branded as Tegretol) - this is an older drug from which oxcarbazepine was derived, however this one has many med and food interactions

and of course there is the old standard, lithium carbonate if you can stand-it lol.

But the most important thing is having a doctor who listens and hears!

Mari makes a good point about just perhaps bringing in your own notes for past 4 weeks-ish i like her idea. when docs have too much information in an appointment, they tend to just glaze over and the baby goes out with the bathwater.

Good Luck, and again, good to meet you!

~ waves ~