A New York man is filing a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson citing that his Risperdal use as a young boy caused him to grow male breasts.

Risperdal side effects can include gynecomastia, which is the abnormal growth of breast tissue in males.

When Shaquil B. was a young boy, he began taking Risperdal for a mental health diagnosis. He took the drug manufactured by Johnson & Johnson for five years and stopped in 2007.

After Shaquil stopped taking Risperdal, his mother began to notice he was gaining weight. She also noticed that his breast were growing at an abnormal rate and was concerned.

Also concerning was the fact that the plaintiff was bullied at school for his abnormal breast growth and he noticed a milky white substance coming from his nipples. He saw an endocrinologist who diagnosed him with gynecomastia.

The endocrinologist stated, according to the Risperdal lawsuit, that it was the worst case of gynecomastia he has seen in 25 years of practicing medicine.

Shaquil said, “Once I realized that I did have breasts, like actual breast tissue, it made me feel even more messed up. Because as a male, I’m not supposed to have breast tissue.”

Shaquil underwent a surgery to remove his breasts however, the experience has hurt him emotionally. His attorney claims that Risperdal was not approved for use in children at the time Shaquil was prescribed Risperdal.

Shaquil’s mother says that she did not know that gynecomastia was a possible Risperdal side effect, “I felt like they used him as a guinea pig to be honest.”

Risperdal Side Effects

Risperdal is a a drug used to treat several physiological and neurological problems and is manufactured by Johnson & Johnson.

It was first approved as an antipsychotic to treat schizophrenia but doctors since have found other effective uses for Risperdal.  Researchers realized that Risperdal could treat bipolar disorder and some forms of autism including symptoms of aggression and irritability.

Risperdal was considered an effective way to help those with mental disorders to experience more calm without making them feel drugged. However, serious Risperdal side effects can occur.

Many men who took Risperdal develop male breasts later in life. Johnson & Johnson claim that gynecomastia is one of the “rare” Risperdal side effects, but doctors say that studies paint a different picture.

Shaquil’s attorney said, “What [Johnson & Johnson] meant, was that it was going to happen to less than 1 out of 1,000 patients. In reality, they knew it was a frequent side effect and one that could happen to as many as 1 out of 20 or 1 out of 15 patients.”

Johnson & Johnson continues to claim that Risperdal is not a risky medication. They released a statement in conjunction with Shaquil’s lawsuit.

“We believe there is no evidence that RISPERDAL® caused any harm to this patient, who stopped taking the medication eight years before receiving a diagnosis of gynecomastia. We will continue to defend ourselves in this litigation,” they state.