A growing number of boys and young men are being affected by Risperdal side effects, and Risperdal gynecomastia litigation has increased in response.

Risperdal Background

Risperdal (also known by its generic name, risperidone) is an atypical antipsychotic drug developed and sold by pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson. Risperdal was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat a variety of mental and mood disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar mania, and autism.

Sometimes, Risperdal is used off-label to treat other disorders. Possible off-label uses of Risperdal include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), sleep disorders, anxiety disorders, and depression.

Risperdal and atypical antipsychotic medications like it work to combat these disorders by adjusting the activity of the brain’s natural chemicals. Risperdal works in part by suppressing the activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine.

By doing so, Risperdal can also increase the amount of prolactin produced in the brain, which is sensitive to the level of dopamine activity. Prolactin is a hormone associated with breast growth and milk production.

In some cases, levels of prolactin after Risperdal treatment can get very high. An excessive level of prolactin is called hyperprolactinemia. According to an article from the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, hyperprolactinemia occurs in more than 90 percent of Risperdal users.

This condition can be harmless. However, in some cases, hyperprolactinemia can, especially in the case of male children and adolescents, lead to gynecomastia. Some Risperdal users affected by this side effect have chosen to pursue Risperdal gynecomastia litigation in response.

What is Gynecomastia?

Like any medication, Risperdal comes with side effects. Risperdal side effects include involuntary motion, dizziness, fatigue, anxiety, nausea, and skin rashes. These side effects are nothing out of the ordinary for these kinds of medications.

However, Risperdal is also linked with the side effect gynecomastia. Risperdal gynecomastia is essentially the development of abnormally large breasts in boys and young men after taking the antipsychotic.

This condition is not connected with excessive fat in the chest. Instead, it’s a growth of actual, excessive breast tissue. Males who suffer from gynecomastia gain enough excess glandular tissue in their chest that they grow female-like breasts. In some cases, male breast growth from gynecomastia may be so excessive that patients grow D-cup sized breasts.

Gynecomastia can be traumatic for an adolescent boy to go through. For some young men, Risperdal gynecomastia side effects became such an issue in their daily lives that they choose to undergo surgery in order to remove the excess tissue.

Risperdal Gynecomastia Litigation

Hundreds of boys and young men who have suffered from Risperdal gynecomastia side effects have filed Risperdal gynecomastia litigation against Johnson & Johnson. These injured parties claim that that the drug maker failed to adequately warn patients about the potential side effects of the drug.

If you or someone you know was negatively impacted by Risperdal, or is a male who has developed excessive breast tissue due to taking Risperdal, you may be able to file Risperdal gynecomastia litigation against Johnson and Johnson for failure to adequately warn about Risperdal gynecomastia as a potential side effect of the drug.