Patients taking Invega for psychiatric symptoms may be surprised to find themselves at risk for Invega side effects including abnormal growth of breast tissue, even in males.

Invega is an antipsychotic medication that’s also known by its generic name paliperidone.

First introduced to the U.S. market in 2006, it’s now approved as a treatment for schizophrenia in adults and teenagers who are at least 12 years old.

Invega Side Effects

One of the more controversial Invega side effects has been gynecomastia, or male breast growth.

Gynecomastia is an abnormal development of breast tissue in males, tissue that normally remains dormant.

As such, true gynecomastia is not just an accumulation of fat around the chest.

However, other Invega side effects can also include weight gain, which can aggravate the physical deformity associated with gynecomastia.

Scientists theorize that the effect Invega has on dopamine could be what causes gynecomastia.

They believe that by blocking the action of dopamine, Invega side effects could be stimulating the pituitary gland to release more of a hormone called prolactin.

In women, higher than usual levels of prolactin are associated with development of breast tissue and production of milk. The same effects can be seen in men whose prolactin levels are abnormally high.

While gynecomastia is physically unusual, it’s generally not considered problematic for physical health. The more damaging consequences of gynecomastia tend to be psychological.

This emotional fallout can be particularly problematic in younger male patients.

A 2013 study found that boys who suffered from gynecomastia exhibited significant negative psychological effects in several different measures of psychological health, as compared to boys without gynecomastia.

The boys with male breast growth generally showed poorer results in mental health, self-esteem, social functioning, and general health.

Most often, drug-related gynecomastia resolves without treatment once the drug is discontinued. Usually the patient regains a normal appearance within about two years.

But more stubborn cases may persist even after the drug causing the condition has been discontinued. The worst cases might require surgery to remove the excess tissue.

Doctors may use some combination of mastectomy, which removes the breast tissue itself, or liposuction, which removes the surrounding fat tissue.

Gynecomastia Lawsuits

Litigation over drug-induced gynecomastia has already yielded million-dollar awards for plaintiffs. In a Pennsylvania state court in Philadelphia, an estimated 1,600 gynecomastia lawsuits have been consolidated to coordinate proceedings.

The Philadelphia plaintiffs are suing over the effects of Risperdal, which like Invega is a Johnson & Johnson product that has been associated with gynecomastia.

In the first four of those cases to go to trial, three resulted in awards for the plaintiffs of $2.5 million, $1.75 million, and $500,000.

An estimated 1,600 similar cases remain pending in Philadelphia. The plaintiffs’ successes in the initial cases could give defendants Johnson & Johnson and Janssen Pharmaceuticals a reason to settle the remaining cases quickly.

Generally, the plaintiffs in these lawsuits allege the pharmaceutical companies failed to warn them about the risks of drug-induced male breast growth.

They say their gynecomastia caused not only physical deformation but profound psychological injury, particularly for patients who developed gynecomastia as young boys and were subjected to teasing and bullying by their peers.