Study Reviews Link Between Risperdal Dosage and Gynecomastia
- Last Updated: August 3rd, 2023
Attorney Jessie Paluch, founder of TruLaw, has over 25 years of experience as a personal injury and mass tort attorney, and previously worked as an international tax attorney at Deloitte. Jessie collaborates with attorneys nationwide — enabling her to share reliable, up-to-date legal information with our readers.
Legally Reviewed
This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy and clarity by the team of writers and legal experts at TruLaw and is as accurate as possible. This content should not be taken as legal advice from an attorney. If you would like to learn more about our owner and experienced injury lawyer, Jessie Paluch, you can do so here.
Fact-Checked
TruLaw does everything possible to make sure the information in this article is up to date and accurate. If you need specific legal advice about your case, contact us by using the chat on the bottom of this page. This article should not be taken as advice from an attorney.
Study Reviews Link Between Risperdal Dosage and Gynecomastia
A recent study suggests that lowering the dose of the antipsychotic drug Risperdal could reduce the severity of side effects associated with the medication, such as gynecomastia.
The study, published in December 2016 in BMC Psychiatry, involved 374 schizophrenia patients who were randomly assigned to one of three groups.
In the first group, 129 were prescribed the initial optimal therapeutic dose of Risperdal (risperidone) until one-year follow-up; in the second group, 125 patients took the initial dose for four weeks; and in the third group, 120 took the initial dose for 26 weeks.
The participants in the latter two groups had their risperidone dose cut in half over eight weeks following the initial regimen.
They maintained this for the balance of the study.
According to the study results, the larger doses of risperidone were linked with more severe prolactin-related symptoms.
Patients who began taking Risperdal at a younger age were more likely to experience symptoms than older patients.
Table of Contents
What is Risperdal?
Risperdal is an anti-psychotic drug that was first approved by the FDA in 1993 to treat schizophrenia in adults.
The FDA later expanded approval of the drug to treat irritability in children and adolescents.
This was when the irritability was directly related to autism.
It has since also been approved to treat acute mania and bipolar disorders in younger patients.
Physicians have also commonly prescribed Risperdal off-label to treat other disorders among young patients.
These included attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
As more young patients began taking Risperdal, concerns began to grow about the drug’s potential side effects.
These can persist in some patients long after the drug is discontinued.
Risperdal Lawsuits
Johnson & Johnson and Janssen Pharmaceuticals are the defendants in more than 18,000 Risperdal lawsuits, many that have been filed by men and boys who allege that developed gynecomastia due to the use of the drug.
They also charge that although Risperdal was not approved for pediatric use until 2006.
About 20% of prescriptions for the medication were actually written for children because of the drug makers’ aggressive off-label marketing efforts.
In 2006, the Risperdal label was updated to warn that gynecomastia occurred in 2.3 percent of pediatric patients; before that is was listed as a rare side effect occurring in less than 1 in 1,000 patients.
Experienced Attorney & Legal SaaS CEO
With over 25 years of legal experience, Jessie is an Illinois lawyer, a CPA, and a mother of three. She spent the first decade of her career working as an international tax attorney at Deloitte.
In 2009, Jessie co-founded her own law firm with her husband – which has scaled to over 30 employees since its conception.
In 2016, Jessie founded TruLaw, which allows her to collaborate with attorneys and legal experts across the United States on a daily basis. This hypervaluable network of experts is what enables her to share reliable legal information with her readers!
Here, at TruLaw, we’re committed to helping victims get the justice they deserve.
Alongside our partner law firms, we have successfully collected over $3 Billion in verdicts and settlements on behalf of injured individuals.
Would you like our help?
At TruLaw, we fiercely combat corporations that endanger individuals’ well-being. If you’ve suffered injuries and believe these well-funded entities should be held accountable, we’re here for you.
With TruLaw, you gain access to successful and seasoned lawyers who maximize your chances of success. Our lawyers invest in you—they do not receive a dime until your lawsuit reaches a successful resolution!
Do you believe you’re entitled to compensation?
Use our Instant Case Evaluator to find out in as little as 60 seconds!
AFFF Lawsuit claims are being filed against manufacturers of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), commonly used in firefighting.
Claims allege that companies such as 3M, DuPont, and Tyco Fire Products failed to adequately warn users about the potential dangers of AFFF exposure — including increased risks of various cancers and diseases.
Suboxone Tooth Decay Lawsuit claims are being filed against Indivior, the manufacturer of Suboxone, a medication used to treat opioid addiction.
Claims allege that Indivior failed to adequately warn users about the potential dangers of severe tooth decay and dental injuries associated with Suboxone’s sublingual film version.
Social Media Harm Lawsuits are being filed against social media companies for allegedly causing mental health issues in children and teens.
Claims allege that companies like Meta, Google, ByteDance, and Snap designed addictive platforms that led to anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues without adequately warning users or parents.
Transvaginal Mesh Lawsuits are being filed against manufacturers of transvaginal mesh products used to treat pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI).
Claims allege that companies like Ethicon, C.R. Bard, and Boston Scientific failed to adequately warn about potential dangers — including erosion, pain, and infection.
Bair Hugger Warming Blanket Lawsuits involve claims against 3M — alleging their surgical warming blankets caused severe infections and complications (particularly in hip and knee replacement surgeries).
Plaintiffs claim 3M failed to warn about potential risks — despite knowing about increased risk of deep joint infections since 2011.
Baby Formula NEC Lawsuit claims are being filed against manufacturers of cow’s milk-based baby formula products.
Claims allege that companies like Abbott Laboratories (Similac) and Mead Johnson & Company (Enfamil) failed to warn about the increased risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in premature infants.
Here, at TruLaw, we’re committed to helping victims get the justice they deserve.
Alongside our partner law firms, we have successfully collected over $3 Billion in verdicts and settlements on behalf of injured individuals.
Would you like our help?
