Dear Myrna,

Your psychiatrist in consultation with you is the best person to determine the dose and dosage of your psych meds. You should not change your dose on your own without first consulting your doctor.  More pills is not necessarily better, neither is less pills the only best option.  Determining the right effective dose can taking a round of trials to discover what works best for you, but it is your psychiatrist who has the judgment and experience to guide you through this and write the prescription.

"Safe" is a relative word.  Each drug has side effects.  You can research Risperdal by clicking on the green "Find" menu at the top left of the menu bar, and then clicking on Drug Information.

You have to weigh the benefits ot taking the medication every day, as prescribed, versus the threat of going untreated and having a psychotic episode.  Partial compliance in taking the meds is often a culprit in why the drug doesn't work as effectively as it could.

The general consensus among mental health advocates is that it is best to take the meds every day, as prescribed.  Only you can decide whether you want to do this, though.  That is your choice to make.

All the best,

Chri