well...

The first few days on Depakote/Zyprexa are no joke.
Pros:
feeling less anxious
more in control of my own thoughts
back pain is almost totally gone
general feeling of being rested and at peace

Cons:
dizziness! every time I stand up the lightheadedness strikes me
some daytime sedation (nothing near as bad as when taking Abilify during the day!)

So, a lot more pros than cons. I already feel a lot better than I did before I saw Dr Yasar on Thursday.

Also, after reading up on "soft bipolar", which apparently I have, I've added an Omega-3 supplement (fish oil 2000mg daily) which I just started taking yesterday. No fish burps so far! I've been reading about how Depakote can really do a number on your folic acid levels, so I'm thinking of asking for a prescription folate supplement, because prescription folate is WAY CHEAPER than getting it over the counter.

As far as going onto an MAOI or another antidepressant, Dr Yasar says no antidepressants for me for a while. Just mood stabilizers and atypical antipsychotics until I'm a little more stable, then we can try adding an antidepressant back in and hopefully not induce the hypomania.

Zyprexa is only for a week, just because it tends to get hypomania under control very quickly. After this week on Zyprexa, it's back to Abilify.