Dear Chris -- 
I agree that Dr. Frye represents one of the best minds and most experienced bipolar researchers in the nation.  While he was at the NIMH he saw a very large number of patients with bipolar disorder variations.  My "data base" in terms of patients is surely smaller.  So while I'm flattered to be asked, my "sample size" probably does not really represent much of a step compared to what you've already had.  However, I do have a few thoughts. 

First, I can say without hesitation that I've had patients with sensory disturbance as part of their bipolar disorder symptom set.  Dr. Frye surely has too, as in my experience it's been fairly common for people to have sensory hypersensitivity that is very bothersome:  light, touch (e.g the seam on a pair of pants "driving me nuts"), hearing, and once even smell (although we immediately referred that patient for an EEG, but the test was not abnormal).  Haven't heard of taste problems -- before medications anyway -- yet.  

But you have visual distortions.  I haven't encountered that one.  I suspect Dr. Frye or someone before him has ordered an EEG test (electroencephalogram) for you too; and I presume it was normal since your treatment has not veered off in that direction.  This test comes to mind for anyone who has somewhat "neurologic" symptoms, you see. 

As for the pain (and perhaps the visual symptoms as well, though I'd be less certain of that), there's one obvious question (which I imagine you've also discussed with Dr. Frye):  during the hypomanic phases on TCA's, what happened?  Did the pain diminish?  or worsen?  Obviously, if as best you can recall the pain diminished or disappeared during that time, then the "depression" hypothesis for explaining it is supported; and conversely, if not, it weakens that hypothesis a great deal.  

Now for the harder part: "What do you do when EVERY single class of medications fails to make a dent ?"  Well, first it's crucial to note one detail in your story:  you had hypomania on TCA's (if I follow your syntax correctly, this may have happened more than once).  So diagnostically, this means, well, for one thing it means you've got the right doctor all right.  It also means that treatment approaches should be structured around the risk of producing manic symptoms while you otherwise do very aggressive things to treat the 99.9%-of-the-time depression symptoms.   If you've had hypomania at times other than the TCA's (e.g. that 0.1% of the time mathematically speaking), then you could be regarded as still having "cycling".  If that cycling was "rapid", at least 4 times a year -- I'd guess listening here it might be much more often, but excruciatingly brief, perhaps as little as hours when it once in a while shows up? --  then I'd shift the emphasis slightly to place even more emphasis on avoiding cycling while aggressively treating depression. 

Second, Dr. Frye may have described to you the transcranial magnetic stimulation technique.  They may have a research trial on that at UCLA soon, the way the data are piling up to support its use as an alternative to ECT; or you might have to look at research protocols elsewhere (South Carolina is one of the biggest; pretty far, though).  There are apparently a few U.S. practitioners already using it, as I hope to do soon, even before the FDA approvals now being sought (e.g. per this 2003 editorial from an Australian researcher).