It’s possible that both men and boys can be at risk for developing gynecomastia pain after taking the psychiatric medication Risperdal.

Male Breast Pain and Risperdal

Risperdal
, also known as risperidone, has been used for over twenty years to treat the symptoms of various psychiatric conditions.

It’s now approved by the FDA as a treatment for schizophrenia, the manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder, and the irritability associated with autistic disorder. It has not always been FDA-approved for use in younger patients, however.

Gynecomastia (sometimes simply referred to as gyno) is the abnormal development of breast tissue in men or boys. Both males and females have breast tissue, but in men that tissue normally remains undeveloped. But sometimes an imbalance of male and female hormones caused breast tissue in a male body to develop.

Male breast growth sometimes happens naturally during adolescence. Gynecomastia can also result from treatment with medications like Risperdal.

Part of Risperdal’s mechanism of action blocks the action of dopamine in a way that causes the pituitary gland to release prolactin. Prolactin stimulates lactation and the development of breast tissue – most typically in pregnant and nursing women. An abnormally large release of prolactin in a male body can lead to gynecomastia.

An inordinate amount of swelling can cause breast tissue to be tender to the touch. Patients with more severe gynecomastia may experience male breast pain.

Male breast pain is one of the less common symptoms of gynecomastia. When male breast pain happens, it’s most frequently found in conjunction with other conditions like mastitis, a cyst, or an injury.

But the swelling associated with gynecomastia itself can cause the breast tissue to become chronically painful. The Mayo Clinic recommends seeing a doctor when gynecomastia progresses enough to cause male breast pain.

The pain associated with gynecomastia can be emotional as well as physical, particularly when it affects young boys. One study of adolescent boys found that compared to boys with normal development, those who had gynecomastia scored lower on tests for self-esteem, social functioning, and mental health.

Treatment of Risperdal gynecomastia and associated breast pain may only require the patient to stop taking Risperdal. Medication may be an adequate gyno treatment in some cases.

But other cases can be more stubborn than that, however. The overdeveloped tissue and gynecomastia pain may linger even when the cause is removed and despite attempts at gyno treatment. Some of these more severe cases can require surgery to remove the excess tissue. And while surgery can reliably remove the excess tissue, it can also result in more male breast pain until recovery is complete.

Legal Claims Over Gynecomastia

Men and boys who suffered gynecomastia pain after being treated with Risperdal may be eligible for compensation from the drug’s manufacturers Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson. Hundreds of former Risperdal patients and their families have initiated Risperdal lawsuits seeking compensation for the physical and emotional pain associated with gynecomastia.