Schizophrenia medication Risperdal risks include gynecomastia in men, also known as “man boobs.”

Johnson & Johnson’s Risperdal is the brand name of generic risperidone, an antipsychotic medicine used to treat schizophrenia.

The FDA approved Risperdal in 1993 to treat schizophrenia. Over the years, the drug has been used to control a wider range of mental health issues, leading to a larger population exposed to Risperdal risks. The drug now is also used to treat bipolar disorder and autism.

Risperdal is in a class of drugs called dopamine antagonists. Risperdal binds to the dopamine receptors in the front of the brain where they are responsible for integrating emotions, perceptions and self-control.

Dopamine overactivity is largely blamed for inducing schizophrenia and other symptoms of psychosis that include breaks from reality.

Schizophrenia is a chronic, disabling mental disorder that affects more than two million Americans. Schizophrenic people experience hallucinations, delusions, disordered thinking, movement disorders and social withdrawal.

Other problems can include difficulty with perception, impaired judgment, inattentiveness, impulsiveness or impairment of speech.

Risperdal Risks Include Man Boobs, Weight Gain

While Risperdal works by blocking dopamine receptors, it also causes higher elevated levels of prolactin, a hormone made by the pituitary gland. Pregnant women have high levels of prolactin, which helps them produce breast milk.

When prolactin levels reach abnormally high levels in men, the condition is called hyperprolactinemia, which is seen more often in Risperdal patients than in patients taking other antipsychotic drugs.

Hyperprolactinemia results in man boobs, medically known as gynecomastia. When Risperdal causes gynecomastia in men and boys, these breasts might even produce milk. This is caused by the prolactin levels becoming so abnormally high.

The New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority reported that more than 90 percent of patients on Risperdal experience elevated prolactin levels.

Risperdal risks include weight gain, but losing weight will not necessarily decrease the size of the man boobs. When Risperdal causes gynecomastia, the increase in breast size includes not only fatty tissue, but glandular tissue as well.

With such a high concentration of dense tissue that is not entirely fat, only surgery can reduce breast size.

Boys’ Risperdal risks include having one breast appear larger than the other. The drug’s effects can be so pronounced that some males exhibit breast size equivalent to a woman’s “D” bra cup size.

Pituitary Tumors Among Risperdal Risks

When the medical journal Pharmacotherapy reviewed the FDA’s adverse effects reports, researchers determined that Risperdal allegedly caused 70 percent of all pituitary tumors.

Most pituitary tumors are benign, but these anomalies can cause internal bleeding, headaches, vision issues and convulsions.

Increased prolactin levels that cause man boobs can also cause the pituitary gland to grow larger, disrupting hormone production. The pituitary gland is then susceptible to tumor development.

If you or someone you know has taken Risperdal and suffered from any side effects, you could be eligible for compensation through legal representation.