RISPERDAL® COMPLICATIONS
If you or someone you love is suffering from the complications or side effects of Risperdal®, now is the time to call Hughes & Coleman. Our team of personal injury attorneys are working hard to help those who have been affected by Risperdal®.
This antipsychotic medication has been linked to the development of breast tissue in young males. According to lawsuits filed by patients, Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturer of Risperdal®, failed to provide adequate warnings about this prescription medication.
Boys who take Risperdal® may develop breast tissue and experience breast growth. The reason behind this is due to increased levels of prolactin within the body.
Boys who take Risperdal® may have an increase in the hormone prolactin and in return may notice that breast tissue begins to develop. This condition is referred to as gynecomastia. In addition, boys may have nipple discharge or may experience pain.
The development of breasts on young males may be embarrassing and lead to psychological stress, especially if bullying occurs in school. Because of this, doctors will often recommend that boys who have developed breast tissue undergo surgery to remove it.
If breast tissue growth is considered severe, boys may need to undergo a procedure known as a mastectomy to remove breast tissue and extra skin.
Risperdal® is considered to be one of the oldest and most well-known antipsychotics available on the market. This medication first gained FDA approval for the treatment of schizophrenia in 1993. Since then, it has continued to receive FDA approval to treat other psychiatric disorders
Studies linking Risperdal® to gynecomastia first began in 1999. Since that time, additional studies have been conducted that link the two together.
A clinical study revealed that Risperdal® can increase prolactin levels. In fact, the study also showed that patients who took Risperdal® were more likely to have higher prolactin levels than those patients who took a similar drug known as olanzapine. Studies have shown that increased prolactin levels in children and adolescents can result in gynecomastia and galatorrhea, which is the production of milk.
Additional studies have shown that young boys are as much as five times more likely to develop gynecomastia after taking Risperdal® than before they took it. Older men who take the medication are 69 percent more likely to develop breast tissue after taking the drug.
In addition to gynecomastia, other serious side effects may develop from the use of Risperdal® including:
- Puberty delays
- Growth delays
- Osteopenia
- Infertility
- Diabetes
- Pituitary tumors
- Pancreatitis
- Weight gain
- Sexual dysfunction
- Suicide
Gynecomastia may not be as easy to deal with as one may think. Many patients who are diagnosed with it will continue to have recurring problems with the development of breast tissue.
Even after surgical measures have been taken, breast tissue may regenerate and begin to form once again.
Now is the time to contact Hughes & Coleman to discuss possible compensation for your pain and suffering.
Patients who have filed lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson allege that the manufacturer did not provide enough of a warning about Risperdal® to consumers and medical professionals.
Studies show that Risperdal® could increase the levels of prolactin in boys and this could result in gynecomastia. The FDA requires that all pharmaceutical manufacturers relay this type of warning information associated with their products to consumers and medical professionals.
If the patients who allege that they did not receive enough of a warning had received a proper warning, they may have decided not to take Risperdal® and may have chosen another form of treatment to avoid the possibility of gynecomastia.
In 2005, the FDA began requiring Risperdal® to introduce a black box warning label, but this warning that appears on Risperdal® still does not address gynecomastia as a side effect. In fact, the black box only warns that elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis are at an increased risk of death when treated with an antipsychotic medication.
HUGHES & COLEMAN CAN HELP YOU FILE A CLAIM TODAY
Thousands of claims have already been filed against the drug Risperdal® and its manufacturer Johnson & Johnson. If you or someone you love has been affected by gynecomastia, you may be entitled to compensation.
The team at Hughes & Coleman is ready to work with you and form a case to let your voice be heard. If you would like to receive a FREE case evaluation, contact the personal injury lawyers at Hughes & Coleman today!
Cases likely to be referred.
Do not stop taking a prescribed medication without first consulting your doctor. Discontinuing a prescribed medication without your doctor’s advice can result in injury or death.