Young male Risperdal and Invega patients should be aware of early gynecomastia symptoms, as well as  prevalent embarrassing social situations and the potential need for surgery.

Early gynecomastia symptoms can include nipple pain or tenderness in chest. Young male patients should also be wary of significant weight gain. This could indicate serious changes in hormone balance, which could also induce permanent changes to blood sugar levels and potentially lead to type-2 diabetes.

Gynecomastia is characterized by unusual and unwanted male breast growth, possibly resulting from significant hormone imbalance. While Risperdal and Invega do not cause all cases of gynecomastia, young male patients on either prescription should be wary of gynecomastia symptoms.

These two drugs naturally increase the production of prolactin, which is the hormone responsible for breast development in young girls. Prolactin is produced in small amounts in young boys, but significant increases could induce gynecomastia.

Young male patients are considered most at risk for this condition, due to the constant hormonal fluctuations of puberty and other developmental milestones. Patients using these two drugs should look for gynecomastia symptoms that include:

• Breast Tenderness
• Nipple Pain
• Nipple Discharge
• Nipple Swelling or Enlargement
• Breast Growth on One or Both Sides

Often, patients who develop gynecomastia live with serious social stigma and have to contend with severe physiological trauma. In addition, revision surgery is often the only treatment option to remove the excess breast tissue.

Numerous patients have opted to file legal action against Johnson & Johnson for allegedly failing to warn them against Risperdal and Invega side effects.

Overview of Risperdal and Invega Complications

Risperdal was originally approved by the FDA in 1993 to be an adult treatment medication for patients with extreme mental disorders like schizophrenia. This drug was often prescribed for off label purposes to treat children with other conditions.

Johnson & Johnson allegedly began marketing Risperdal for pediatric use soon after its release, even though the drug did not gain official approval to do so until 2006. Around the same time, Invega was released for the same treatment purpose and works in the same way as its predecessor.

Invega is a metabolite of Risperdal, which means it is the core ingredient remaining after the body processes Risperdal. Both of these medications work by leveling the dopamine levels in the brain, which is the chemical responsible for pleasure and reward sensations.

By inducing these reactions, these antipsychotics are supposed to produce ideal mood balance with minimal side effects. However, injury reports of gynecomastia have indicated otherwise, as numerous patients have had to undergo revision surgery after experiencing gynecomastia symptoms.

Johnson & Johnson ended up paying a multi-billion dollar settlement over several different allegations, among which were that it marketed Risperdal for pediatric purposes before getting official approval. While it is not illegal for doctors to prescribe medications for off label purposes, it is illegal for companies to market drugs for such reasons.

There are almost 1,300 Risperdal lawsuits pending against Johnson & Johnson, alleging the company either knew or should have known about potential gynecomastia development.