The widely prescribed, mood-stabilizing medication Risperdal (risperidone) has once again been linked to the emotionally distressing side effect gynecomastia — this time by a government agency.

The New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority reported that 90 percent of patients taking Risperdal showed increased levels of prolactin in boys, which is the hormone that stimulates breast growth in women.

High levels of prolactin can cause male breast growth, nipple discharge, as well as breast and nipple pain.

While weight gain is another side effect of Risperdal, gynecomastia is not excess fat but actual breast tissue growth. This means that even if patients stop taking the medication, the “man boobs” could remain.

Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed by men who allege they developed Risperdal breast tissue growth as a side effect of the medication.

The average case is about a “C” cup but there have been claims that Risperdal caused breasts growth as large as a 46DD cup size. Some plaintiffs allege that the man boobs do not go away and they were forced to undergo surgery in order to remove them.

Risperdal Side Effects

Risperdal was FDA-approved to treat conditions including bipolar disorder, autism, mania and schizophrenia. However, it is occasionally prescribed off-label to treat ADHD, ADD, depression, anxiety, and sleeping disorders.

Gynecomastia is one of the more serious side effects of Risperdal and although it is not necessarily physically damaging,  it can be emotionally traumatic for a young man to develop breasts during puberty years.

Another serious side effect of Risperdal includes pituitary tumors. In a study published by Pharmacotherapy, researchers concluded that Risperdal alone accounted for 70 percent of all cases of pituitary tumors reported to the FDA.

Other Risperdal complications include:

• Movement disorders
• Diabetes
• Heart problems
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Nausea
• Abdominal pain
• Drooling
• Priapism (prolonged penile erection)
• Sedation
• Tremor
• Vomiting

Risperdal Gynecomastia Lawsuits

Risperdal manufacturer Johnson & Johnson along with its subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals face a number of allegations including failure to warn about the risk of side effects including gynecomastia.

In general, Risperdal lawsuits claim the companies knew of the risk of developing gynecomastia as a side effect but intentionally omitted it from the drug’s warning label in order to boost sales.

A recent Risperdal lawsuit awarded a young man $2.5 million after a Philadelphia jury found the manufacturers did not adequately warn of the risk of developing male breast growth, as the drug label warned that the risk of gynecomastia was “low.”

Risperdal manufacturers have also recently fallen under federal scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice for civil and criminal charges of improperly promoting the medication by providing doctors kickbacks every time they prescribed Risperdal. Johnson & Johnson paid $2.2 billion to settle the charges.