I've had pretty decent success with Lamictal...I was diagnosed with Bipolar NOS and my doctor put me on it...I was pretty rapid cycling, as well and so far so good. Been on it for about 2 months. The side effects are pretty much the same as any other anticonvulsant (drowsiness, nausea, headache, etc)...though probably the most unique is the risk of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, so you have to be pretty vigilant about the dosing schedule (your doctor can explain that, but basically you build up to the required dosage slowly) and if you notice any rashes (though rashes are also common with this drug) make sure to get it checked out. Annoy the hell out of your doctor with rashes...better safe than sorry.