Invega and man boobs, a condition clinically known as gynecomastia, have been linked in several studies of boys and men who have taken the antipsychotic medication.

Invega is made by Johnson & Johnson and is approved by the FDA to treat schizophrenia.

Sometimes, doctors prescribe Invega to treat bipolar disorder, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, insomnia and depression.

Invega is a derivative of Risperdal, which means it can have the same side effects.

Because Invega works by blocking dopamine receptors, it also blocks dopamine’s action on the pituitary gland. This can result in an increase in prolactin, the hormone that controls sex drive in males and enables lactation (breast milk production) in females.

When prolactin levels reach abnormally high levels, the condition is called hyperprolactinemia. The result is man boobs.

The New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority noted that more than 90 percent of those taking Risperdal have abnormally high levels of prolactin.

In children, this high prolactin level can cause gynecomastia. The link between Invega and man boobs doesn’t stop there. Some young males even develop a milky discharge that leaks from their nipples.

Some men and boys gain weight and experience breast enlargement due to not only fatty tissue, but glandular tissue as well. The only way to reduce glandular tissue is via surgery.

In a study of 1,885 children taking Risperdal, 43 boys exhibited gynecomastia.

Since the FDA approved Risperdal and Invega for the treatment of children, many boys have seen a link between Invega and man boobs, leading to multiple lawsuits.

Invega and Man Boobs Worsened by Weight Gain

Invega and Risperdal can also cause weight gain, which can make enlarged breasts appear even more pronounced.

After 10 weeks of Risperdal treatment, patients gained an average of 4.6 pounds, according to one study.

Patients on Risperdal had “a statistically significantly greater incidence of weight gain,” says the FDA.

Invega and Man Boobs Not Limited to Children

The American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP) presented findings at their 2014 annual meeting that claimed men on Invega or Risperdal had a 69 percent higher risk of gynecomastia than nonusers.

“This is the first and largest epidemiologic study on this question using data from 1 million men in the United States,” said lead author Mahyar Etminan, PharmD, a drug safety researcher in the Therapeutic Evaluation Unit at Provincial Health Services Authority of British Columbia, in an interview with Medscape Medical News.

Dr. Etminan and fellow researchers looked at information gathered from 1 million men between the ages of 45 and 80 who made claims of side effects between 2001 and 2011. Of that sample of men, 8,285 cases of gynecomastia were confirmed. The mean age was 65.5 years.

Their analyses showed that men on a competing medication, Seroquel, had a lower risk of developing man boobs than those taking Risperdal or Invega.