Invega, also known as paliperidone, is a psychiatric medication sold by Johnson & Johnson.

It’s approved by the FDA as a treatment for schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Doctors have discretion to prescribe Invega to treat other conditions, too.

Invega is one of a newer generation of antipsychotic medications known as atypical antipsychotics. Invega itself is one of the most recent of these, having been first approved by the FDA in 2007.

These newer drugs were developed in hopes that they would have fewer side effects than the older antipsychotics. But as many patients have since reported, atypical psychotics like Invega present their own risks of side effects.

Invega adverse effects in boys can include weight gain. Atypical antipsychotics present a particular risk of weight gain, which itself can increase a patient’s risk for other conditions like diabetes and heart problems.

Movement-related side effects have also been reported in patients taking Invega – though as with other atypical antipsychotics, movement problems are less common on Invega than on older antipsychotics.

Watching Out for Invega Adverse Effects in Boys

Among other reported Invega adverse effects in boys is the development of breast tissue in males, known clinically as gynecomastia. It’s believed this condition results from the same chemical effect by which Invega helps manage psychiatric symptoms.

Like many other psychiatric medications, Invega is believed to work on several different neurotransmitters within the central nervous system like dopamine, serotonin, noradrenaline and acetylcholine.

Chief among these targets is dopamine. Invega works in part on the theory that reducing the activity of dopamine can help get mental states and associated behavior under control.

But reducing the effect of dopamine also stimulates the pituitary gland to respond by producing more of a hormone called prolactin. In women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, a surge of prolactin is what stimulates breast development and production of milk.

But prolactin is also present in male bodies as well. When prolactin levels are artificially increased in men or boys, they tend to have the same effects in males as they do in women.

Young men with high levels of prolactin may be at risk for developing abnormal breast tissue. More pronounced cases may also result in galactorrhea, the production of a milky nipple discharge.

Research suggests these elevated levels of prolactin could contribute to Invega adverse effects in boys. A report published by the New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority says that treatment with other antipsychotics can cause a rise in prolactin levels in up to 90 percent of patients.

The Fallout from Gynecomastia

In most cases of gynecomastia, removing whatever caused it is all that’s needed. So for Invega adverse effects in boys, that might require switching to a different antipsychotic medication.

Sometimes gynecomastia doesn’t go away that easily, however. Boys with refractory gynecomatia may need to resort to male breast reduction surgery.

Even in those more stubborn cases, it’s the psychological effects of gynecomastia that make it a true problem – particularly for boys.

This condition can happen to males of any age, and it doesn’t spare those in adolescence who may be a more likely target for emotional abuse from their peers at the same time that they are more vulnerable to such abuse.