A growing number of adolescent boys together with their families are filing lawsuits over Risperdal and male breast growth.

Risperdal Background

Risperdal (also known by its generic name, risperidone) is a popular medication manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson used to treat a variety of mental or mood disorders. Risperdal is approved to treat schizophrenia, bipolar mania and autism.

Risperdal is commonly used off-label to treat other disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), sleep disorders, anxiety disorders and depression.

Risperdal is part of a class of medications known as atypical antipsychotics, which work to treat mood and mental disorders by restoring the balance of certain substances in the brain.

One of the substances affected by Risperdal and similar drugs is prolactin, a hormone that, in males, controls the sex drive and, in females, affects the development of breasts.

However, Risperdal can in some cases increase the body’s level of prolactin too much, which results in hyperprolactinemia. In children and adolescent boys, hyperprolactinemia can lead to a condition known as gynecomastia, which is essentially the development of female-like breasts in boys and young men.

Risperdal and male breast growth is actually a fairly common occurrence. In fact, a growing number of studies are reporting a significant connection between the antipsychotic medication Risperdal and male breast growth, causing concern for patients, families, and doctors.

Risperdal and Male Breast Growth

The link connecting Risperdal and male breast growth is substantial. Hundreds if not thousands of boys and young men across the country have developed breasts after taking Risperdal.

Risperdal gynecomastia is not related to excess fat. Instead, the condition causes boys to grow enough excess glandular tissue in the chest area that they essentially develop female breasts.

Some cases of gynecomastia are hardly noticeable and go away without treatment or simply by stopping intake of the drug. In some cases, however, gynecomastia breasts can grow to “D” cups, and cannot be treated easily.

Risperdal gynecomastia can become such an issue in patients’ daily lives that they undergo surgery to remove the excess tissue. Unsurprisingly, gynecomastia—which typically develops in adolescents around puberty—can be quite mentally and emotionally traumatic as well.

Not all antipsychotics are linked so closely with gynecomastia as Risperdal is. In fact, hyperprolactinemia occurs more commonly in patients taking Risperdal than any other antipsychotic.

Filing a Lawsuit over Risperdal and Male Breast Growth

While any medication will come with certain mild side effects, some patients claim in Risperdal litigation that patients and even the medical community were not sufficiently warned about the link between Risperdal and male breast growth side effects.

If you or someone you love was negatively impacted by Risperdal and male breast growth, you may be able to pursue Risperdal litigation against Johnson and Johnson for failure to adequately warn about the connection between Risperdal and male breast growth, or gynecomastia.