A growing number of injured young men and their families are filing lawsuits over male breast growth caused by Risperdal.

Male breast growth caused by Risperdal is also known as gynecomastia. This condition is essentially the growth of excess breast tissue, not fat, which produces female-like breasts in young men and boys.

This can be the result of certain medications, as in the case of male breast growth caused by Risperdal.

What is Risperdal?

Risperdal, also known by its generic name, risperidone, is an antipsychotic drug manufactured and sold by pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Risperdal as a treatment for a variety of mental and mood disorders. Since that approval, Risperdal has been used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar mania, autism, and others.

Risperdal has quickly risen to become one of the most popular antipsychotic medications currently available on the market.

Risperdal works by reversing chemical imbalances in the brain. However, this same mechanism may also cause Risperdal to affect the chemicals that prompt the development of male breasts, according to complaints and even litigation.

Risperdal Side Effects

As with any medication, Risperdal comes with a number of side effects.

Most of these are relatively minor, such as dizziness, fatigue, anxiety, nausea, and skin rashes. These generally go away on their own or are easily treatable, often requiring only being taken off the medication that caused them.

However, a growing number of reports and lawsuits are noting male breast growth caused by Risperdal. This is a more serious problem, given the complexity of reversing this side effect.

Some injured patients—mostly young men—and their families claim that they were not adequately warned about the possibility of male breast growth caused by Risperdal before they began taking the medication.

Hundreds of boys and young men who have taken Risperdal for the treatment of various mood or mental disorders have since developed Risperdal male breasts.

Male Breast Growth Caused By Risperdal

A number of reports and studies have noted the possibility and likelihood of male breast growth caused by Risperdal in boys and young men taking the drug.

According to the New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority, more than 90 percent of Risperdal patients’ bodies go through an increase in prolactin levels.

Elevated prolactin levels make a patient more likely to develop hyperprolactinemia, which can cause gynecomastia, or male breast growth caused by Risperdal.

Though male breast growth caused by Risperdal is not a life-threatening condition, the social stigma young men with this condition may face can be extremely difficult. Breast growth may also be painful; in some cases, breasts grew so extensively they became “D” cups.

For some young men, Risperdal male breasts became such an issue in their daily lives, from bullying, embarrassment, and trauma, that they underwent surgery for excess tissue removal.

Hundreds of boys and young men who have suffered from Risperdal male breasts have filed gynecomastia lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson.

These injured parties claim that that the drug maker failed to adequately warn patients and the medical community about the potential side effects of the drug that could have such a drastic effect on their daily lives.

If you or someone you love was negatively impacted by Risperdal, or you are a male who has suffered from male breast growth caused by Risperdal, you may be able to file a Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuit against Johnson and Johnson for failure to adequately warn about the potential Risperdal side effects.