Many young men and their families are filing Risperdal lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson and their medical subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals, alleging the company failed to warn patients and prescribers about the possible physical, mental, and emotional side effects experienced by these young patients should they develop Risperdal gynecomastia.

What is Risperdal?

Risperidone, more commonly referred to by its trade name Risperdal, is an atypical antipsychotic drug manufactured by J&J and Janssen. Since 2006, it has been approved as a autism and bipolar disorder treatment for use in children and adolescents. Prior to this date, the drug had only been approved to treat mental health conditions experienced by adults, though many Risperdal lawsuits allege J&J and Janssen promoted Risperdal for off-label prescription to children. Even once the drug was approved for this age demographic, the side effects of Risperdal on children, particularly prepubescent boys and young men going through puberty, were not well known or documented.

Over the last few years, these young men who took Risperdal as children or teenagers began to file Risperdal lawsuits by themselves or with the support of their families, alleging they suffered from gynecomastia, also known as male breast growth or “man boobs.”

What is Risperdal Gynecomastia?

Gynecomastia, or male breast growth, is a medical condition that occasionally occurs during puberty because of an imbalance of hormones within a young man’s body. Some boys are predisposed to gynecomastia genetically or may develop enlarged male breasts because of weight gain and hormonal imbalances.

However, many of the young men filing Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuits allege they were not at risk of developing male breast growth before they took the Janssen antipsychotic, and only suffered from this medical condition after taking the drug. This is why male breast growth that allegedly occurs after taking risperidone is referred to as Risperdal gynecomastia.

Risperdal Gynecomastia Side Effects

According to several studies, reports, and the Risperdal lawsuits filed in federal and state courts across the country, some side effects of Risperdal gynecomastia include:

• Male breast growth
• Man boobs
• Painful breasts
• Nipple pain
• Nipple discharge

While gynecomastia is not a life threatening condition, it can cause a significant amount of physical pain and discomfort to young men who suddenly begin to feel their breast tissue swell and grow, as well as their nipples becoming sore and discharging fluids. Additionally, this condition can cause serious emotional and mental pain, as male breast growth can be embarrassing and on occasion emotionally traumatizing. Young men who suffer from Risperal gynecomastia claim they experience body dysmorphia and a decrease in confidence because of the drug’s side effect.

Victims of Risperdal gynecomastia have filed over a thousand lawsuits against J&J and Janssen, hoping to receive some compensation for their physical, mental, and emotional suffer, as well as payment for medical treatments and surgeries some young men must undergo to correct the unnatural male breast growth. If the plaintiff is too young to file the lawsuit on his own, many parents file a Risperal lawsuit on behalf of their child.