[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

Gabapentin is an interesting medication because it has no documented side-effects, so it's viewed as a win-win. It was initially made and successfully used for anxiety disorders but for bipolar, research has shown it's essentially the same as taking a sip of water, in other words, useless. It is FDA Approved for anxiety disorders but NOT for bipolar disorders. Despite this, I've heard more doctors are pushing gabapentin for bipolar patients probably for the reason it has no side-effects, good history with anxiety disorders and so it may be given to help with manic or hypomanic episodes. If it's doing nothing for you, then there's no point in taking it.

I'm assuming you're inquiring about very potent anti-depressants or mood-stabilizers so here are some of them: amoxapine (SSNRI) and metergoline.

For less potent anti-depressant or mood-stabilizers: amesergide, Vanatrip, busiprone (FDA approved for GAD only but quite often used as an anti-depressant), citalopram, Prozac, Cymbalta, mianserin, Seproxetine, quipazine and atomoxetine (SSNRI).

I'm not sure if your psychiatrist has mentioned this to you but certain anti-convulsant medications also are effective mood-stabilizers, such as Lamictal (FDA approved for treating bipolar type I), Trileptal and valproic acid. Take note of the last one because it can affect your liver and you probably need regular blood tests. An anti-convulsant I didn't mention is carbamazepine because it can cause more harm than good, plus Trileptal is its metabolite that has far fewer side-effects without losing much potency.

For very potent anti-psychotics that are known to or may assist in treating bipolar disorder: chlorprothixene (older anti-psychotic made in 1959), iloperidone (FDA Approved for schizophrenia only in 2009), methiothepin, fluphenazine (older anti-psychotic with nasty long-term side-effects), ziprasidone, bifeprunox, amisulpride**** and sertindole*. There are many many other anti-psychotics not often used for bipolar so I've tried to narrow down the list.

For less potent anti-psychotics that can treat bipolar disorder: Clozapine, Fluspirilene (more for hypomania), risperidone**, trifluperazine, Abilify, roxindole***, cabergoline (meant for prolactin but has been shown in research to assist with rapid-cycling bipolar), perphanazine (older relatively weak anti-psychotic compared to all others mentioned) and trifluoperazine (older weak anti-psychotic).

* = one of the very few anti-psychotics in which no matter the dosage, causes minimal to no sedation side-effects.
** = certain types or brands of risperidone can be extremely potent or relatively weak.
*** = rapid potent anti-depressant, which is unusual because it does not address mania nor hypomania whereas all the other anti-psychotics address mania, hypomania and/or depression.
**** = usually treats mania but at lower doses, functions as anti-depressant.