In a Risperdal lawsuit filed against Janssen Pharmaceuticals, the doctor who treated the plaintiff testified that he would not have prescribed Risperdal had he known about its potential to cause gynecomastia and other side effects.

The doctor testified that he prescribed Risperdal for the plaintiff, believing it was associated with the fewest side effects of drugs in its category.

Though the doctor said he was aware that neuroleptic medications such as Risperdal can increase prolactin levels and cause gynecomastia, he testified that he believed the link was statistically rare, affecting less than 1 in 1,000 patients who take the drug.

A Risperdal label from 2007, however, notes that 2.3 percent of Risperdal patients develop gynecomastia – a statistic much higher than the doctor originally thought.

The doctor prescribed Risperdal as an antipsychotic to combat the plaintiff’s Tourette syndrome symptoms between 2006 and 2009. The plaintiff alleges that the use of Risperdal led to his development of gynecomastia.

What is Risperdal Gynecomastia?

Gynecomastia is essentially the development of enlarged breasts in boys and men. While gynecomastia is not a dangerous condition, this kind of breast development can be awkward and deeply affect a person’s self-esteem and confidence.

The plaintiff, Tim S., is one of many patients filing Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuits. Two other Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuits have gone to trial, each claiming that Janssen Pharmaceuticals failed to adequately warn doctors about the risks of developing gynecomastia when taking Risperdal.

While the first case resulted in a win for the plaintiff, the second was won by the defendants.

Risperdal (risperidone) is an atypical antipsychotic medication has been linked to several side effects, including the development of abnormally large breasts in boys and young men. Risperdal gynecomastia, and the males who suffer from it, gain enough excess glandular tissue to create breasts similar to female breasts.

Growths of glandular tissue develop as small lumps underneath the nipple, and can gradually become tender and grow larger over time.

Risperdal is classified as a prolactin-raising antipsychotic. Prolactin is a hormone that controls a male’s sex drive, and in females, it stimulates breast development and sustains lactation, or breastfeeding.

Prolactin is controlled by the body’s production of dopamine. Risperdal is used to block dopamine in order to treat various diseases, and this blockage in turn increases the levels of prolactin and can cause hyperprolactinemia. Hyperprolactinemia can, in children and adolescents, cause gynecomastia.

Risperdal Gynecomastia Lawsuits

For hundreds of boys and young men who took Risperdal, the breasts they have developed as a Risperdal side effect became such an issue in their lives that they were forced to go through surgery in order to have the excess glandular tissue removed.

If you or someone you know was negatively impacted by Risperdal,  you may be able to file a lawsuit against Johnson and Johnson for failure to adequately warn about Risperdal gynecomastia as a potential side effect of the drug.