We have all heard a lot about ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which has been prevalent for the recent years.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder which is well known as ADHD is a psychiatric impairment of the development of the brain wherein there are substantial problems with a person’s executive functions. These functions are usually but not limited to controlling ones attention and inhibitory control which causes hyperactivity, impulsiveness or attention deficits which is not suitable for the certain age of a person. ADHD has three types: the hyperactive-impulsive, the inattentive (commonly known as ADD) and the combined.
Symptoms of ADHD typically begin between the ages of 6 and 12. About half of childhood sufferers will continue to have symptoms into adulthood. Such symptoms are as follows: disorganization, daydreaming, careless mistakes, talking excessively, fidgeting, lack of focus, having difficult time of paying attention, having trouble of focusing or staying on a topic while talking, problem of following social rules, being forgetful of common and routinary activities, squirming, frequently getting up and running around, climbing or running in an inappropriate manner, having difficulty of playing quietly, having hard time reacting or waiting to talk, impatient, and etc.
Risperdal and Invega are typical antipsychotic medications commonly used as medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Risperdal (Risperidone), a drug produced by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, owned by Johnson & Johnson is especially designed to treat bipolar disorder but has been prescribed more and more often for the treatment of ADHD in children.
They are classified as prolactin-raising antipsychotics since they act as blocking agent to dopamine receptors in the brain which can substantially increase levels of prolactin, a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland. Prolactin stimulates breast milk production and breast development among women consequently. When high levels of prolactin are present in men, those excessive levels can prompt similar developments resulting to gynecomastia.
As supported also by the Food and Drug Administration, with basis on several studies piloted by institutions through a scientific based research such as the issue of Clinical Psychopharmacology Journal published in 20016, the use of certain ADHD medications such as Risperdal can result to gynecomastia, a prominent growth of breast tissue common to men. It is also indicated that long term effects of the said drug are not well recognized and documented especially with regard to delay in puberty and growth thus it should be prescribed indicating caution among children and adolescents.
Due to this effect on taking Risperdal, lawsuits have been filed to Johnson and Johnson for failing to provide sufficient warning in taking this drug and failure to research properly the side effects this drug can cause.
In one of the cases, the complainant alleged that because of using Risperdal when he was between the ages of nine to fourteen years old, he developed breasts that caused him psychological trauma. Because of this, he underwent surgery to remove the breast tissues. Having enough evidences, J & J arranged for a settlement regarding the case which only proves that the drug really caused gynecomastia.
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