Risperdal lawsuits over male breast growth have argued that one of the main reasons why many adolescents are dealing with gynecomastia is because Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen overpromoted the atypical antipsychotic for uses for which it was not approved. A Risperdal settlement between the company and Montana Attorney General Tim Fox could improve awareness of these problems.

His office reached a nearly $6 million Risperdal settlement over charges that Janssen overpromoted the drug for off-label uses. Fox says that part of that money will be used for mental health services and programs, according to a release from the attorney general. While it does not specifically note advising adolescents of the heightened possibility of Risperdal man boob side effects, improvements in mental health access would likely lead to patients connecting with experienced therapists and psychiatrists.

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That is a real need, whether it be in Montana or any other state. According to studies, Risperdal side effects can cause gynecomastia in up to 40 percent of male adolescent patients. While it was approved for use in that population for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in 2007, for more than a decade prior it may have been prescribed unnecessarily and without trials to determine what conditions, including Risperdal gynecomastia side effects, may occur in young men.

Had there been testing prior to the off-label marketing that led in part to the Risperdal lawsuit, teens may have learned from psychiatrists that the treatment affects the D2 dopamine receptor, which alters a hormone balance already in flux as a result of adolescence. Unfortunately, in many cases the development of breast tissue cannot be remedied with medicines or diet and exercise, and requires expensive, elective surgeries, according to Risperdal lawsuits filed by dozens of young male users.

Other risks involving the drug, also known as risperidone, include significant weight gain (it is the second worst offender in the atypical antipsychotic class), as well as sedation and reduced impulse control. The latter is also problematic for youths, especially as it can exacerbate the ability for patients with bipolar disorder who are in a manic phases.