Gynecomastia, also known more colloquially as “man boobs,” is a real medical condition that can affect young men during adolescence due to several factors, including hormonal imbalances due to genetics or prescription drug use.

This unnatural male breast growth can be permanent, and aside from causing obvious physical side effects, it can also result in deep psychological scars for these young men.

Parents who suspect their sons might have developed gynecomastia should have all the facts so that they can determine if the condition is due to natural causes or the fault of a medication like the anti-psychotic drug Risperdal.

What is Gynecomastia?

According to the Mayo Clinic, gynecomastia is a condition in which a man’s breast tissue swells and becomes enlarged, usually caused by an imbalance in a boy’s estrogen and testosterone hormones. In some young men it only affects one breast, while in other it affects both and sometimes unevenly.

Gynecomastia can affect men at all stages of life: from new born baby boys, to teenagers going through puberty, and even old men.

What all these periods have in common is that the body is going through a normal change in hormone levels, which can set off a temporary gynecomastia condition that usually resolves itself once a young man’s hormones are once again balanced.

However, in some cases, the changes can be permanent, and the gynecomastia will not go away without medical intervention, such as drugs or even surgery.

For example, many male Risperdal users have claimed they developed enlarged male breasts only after using this atypical, anti-psychotic drug to treat schizophrenia, bipolar mania, and autistic disorder.

Some gynecomastia symptoms a mother should be aware of if she suspects her son may have developed gynecomastia include:

• Swollen breast gland tissue and breast growth
• Tenderness in the breast tissue
• Pain
• Nipple discharge from one or both of a young man’s breasts

Gynecomastia is not a serious physical problem, but mother’s with adolescent sons dealing with gynecomastia may notice their child is experiencing pain and discomfort in their breast tissue.

They may also notice their sons are suffering from embarrassment and self-confidence issues because of their physical condition. If the gynecomastia does not resolve itself and persists, it can be the source of intense mental anguish for some young men.

What Causes Gynecomastia?

As previously stated, fluctuations in hormone levels are the main cause of gynecomastia in newborns, adolescent boys, and older men. Testosterone and estrogen are responsible for the development of male or female sex characteristics, and both men and women produce both hormones, though men tend to product more testosterone and less estrogen, while the opposite tends to be true for women.

When a young man’s body produces too much estrogen, it can lead to the development of gynecomastia. In newborn baby boys, it is estimated that over half are born with enlarged breast tissue because of the presence of their mother’s estrogen. However, this mild and natural occurrence of gynecomastia usually goes away after a couple weeks after the baby’s birth.

For young men going through puberty, mothers may notice that their sons suddenly develop “man boobs” because of the imbalance in estrogen and testosterone causing the breast tissue to swell. In most cases of adolescent gynecomastia, the condition will resolve itself anywhere from 6 months to 2 years without any medical treatments.

Finally, men between the ages of 50 and 80 have at least a one-in-four chance of developing gynecomastia because of the male body’s natural decrease in testosterone as one ages.

Some other health conditions that may cause a man to develop gynecomastia include:

• Hypogonadism
• Aging
• Tumors
• Hyperthyroidism
• Kidney failure
• Liver failure
• Malnutrition

However, according to the Mayo Clinic and recent news reports, many young men’s gynecomastia conditions can be attributed to their use of prescription drugs, most notably the use of Janssen Pharmaceutical’s drug Risperdal.

Risperdal Gynecomastia Lawsuits

According to various medical studies and Risperdal lawsuits filed by the mothers of several young men, Risperdal can allegedly cause unnatural growth of male breasts in young men taking the antipsychotic medication to treat mental disorders.

Risperdal has been known to overstimulate the pituitary glands in boys and young men, causing an imbalance in the testosterone and estrogen hormones, and ultimately lead to the development of Risperdal gynecomastia.

Over the past few years,  Janssen Pharmaceutical and its parent company Johnson & Johnson have been hit with several Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuits as part of a Risperdal gynecomastia litigation movement.

If you are a mother of a son between the ages or 10 and 18 who has developed gynecomastia and who was also taking Risperdal, you should consult a Risperdal lawyer to see if you and your son are eligible to participate in a Risperdal lawsuit or join a Risperdal gynecomastia class action lawsuit.