Invega (paliperidone) is a popular antipsychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder in teenagers and adults.

For male patients, treatment with this drug comes with the risk of Invega personal injury that is embarrassing and potentially traumatizing.

Invega Side Effects

Invega has been associated with a number of concerning side effects, as reported on the product label of the drug’s website.

One such condition is known as neuroleptic malignant syndrome, or NMS. Although rare, this serious side effect can be fatal for some users of the antipsychotic medication.

Invega personal injury that shows up as NMS may include symptoms such as increased sweating, heart rate and/or blood pressure, a high fever, rigidity of muscles, confusion, shaking, pain in the muscles or feelings of weakness.

Another condition that may be the side effect of an Invega personal injury is known as tardive dyskinesia, or TD. Symptoms of this condition include uncontrollable twitching or jerking movements of any part of the body, face, or tongue.

Tardive dyskinesia can be temporary and may cease when the patient stops taking Invega, or it may be permanent and lasting in nature.

Side effects stemming from Invega treatment may also include heart rhythm abnormalities, metabolic disturbances, increased blood sugar and diabetes and weight gain.

Embarrassing Invega Side Effects for Males

The Invega website states that its list of conditions and side effects may not be an exhaustive list of all the potential side effects associated with the drug.

One very controversial side effect associated with the use of Invega is the development of gynecomastia in males. Gynecomastia is the official term for male breast development, or “man boobs.”

Males who take Invega have an increased risk of developing breast tissue in response to the medication.

Invega stimulates an increase in the hormone prolactin, a chemical responsible for the development of breasts as well as lactation. While males do have levels of prolactin naturally found in their bodies, it is at a much lower level than for females.

When males take Invega, sometimes their bodies respond by increasing their levels of prolactin to those usually seen in females. In fact, males who have taken Invega or similar drugs have reported growing breasts to the size of a D cup or larger.

As one can imagine, not only is growing breasts as a male physically disfiguring, it can cause great emotional turmoil.

Filing an Invega Personal Injury Lawsuit

Men affected by this condition have gone on to file products liability lawsuits against drug manufacturers, alleging that the manufacturer failed to warn of the possibility of developing gynecomastia.

They say if they had known about the risk, they never would have consented to taking the drug.

If you have sustained Invega personal injury after taking the antipsychotic medication, you may be entitled to take legal action against the manufacturer in order to recover damages due to your injury.

An experienced Invega attorney is available to review your case at no charge and to provide you details on the legal options that are available to you.