Risperdal side effects have become a concern to the patient population and medical community after numerous complaints of complications have emerged.

This popular antipsychotic has been allegedly causing young boys to develop man boobs, along with type-2 diabetes due to significant weight gain.

Originally approved by the FDA in the early 1990s, Risperdal was meant to be a treatment choice for adult patients with extreme mental disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

However it was been prescribed to children since soon after its release as an off label treatment choice. Risperdal was eventually approved to treat children in 2007 for certain types of autism.

While doctors can prescribe medications for off label purposes, it is illegal for manufacturing companies to advertise them for such purposes.

Johnson & Johnson’s subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals allegedly ran an illegal marketing campaign, describing Risperdal as an ideal treatment choice for children.

The issue of Risperdal side effects became public concern when patients who had been taking Risperdal since they were children began reporting long term side effects.

Overview of Risperdal Side Effects

Risperdal is a second generation antipsychotic which works by decreasing dopamine levels in the brain. By balancing dopamine and serotonin levels, patients can expect efficient mental processing and overall improvement in mood balance.

Risperdal’s treatment mechanism directly interacts with the body’s pituitary gland, which allegedly results in extreme hormonal imbalance and other Risperdal side effects.

Risperdal is a natural prolactin stimulator which is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland and is responsible for breast development in adolescent girls.

Young boys do produce prolactin in small amounts, but Risperdal’s interference can significantly increase the amount. This can result in breast tissue to swell in young boys, with some man boobs growing as large as D-cup and exhibiting nipple discharge.

Oftentimes young boys have to undergo surgery to remove the excess tissue, as well as psychological counseling for the trauma of having man boobs.

In addition, pituitary tumors have also been reported in correlation to Risperdal side effects, due to the drug reportedly increasing the size of the pituitary gland.

Other complications associated with Risperdal side effects include type-2 diabetes and certain types of movement disorders. Diabetes can allegedly develop due to the significant weight gain, along with the rising levels of blood sugar.

Movement disorders allegedly linked to Risperdal side effects include tremors and movement difficulties in the shoulders and limbs. Even though these are long term complications, Johnson & Johnson allegedly failed to warn patients and medical community against these Risperdal side effects.

Potential claimants may be able to file legal action against the company, and should contact a specialized lawyer to determine eligibility.