Boobies! (Or, Day 28)

Risperidone can affect hormone production, specifically prolactin.

This evening Nick had his shirt off and Joe and I were marveling. "Look at his belly!" "I know! It's awesome!"

Nick has always had a rather concave stomach. And protruding ribs. And bony legs. At his last well-child visit, he was below the third percentile for weight. He was severely underweight.

Luckily for us, one of the major side effects of Risperidone is increased appetite. Nick started to eat, ravenously. He gained several pounds. His belly actually bows out a little bit now instead of caving in.

All this time trying to increase his weight, and a drug comes in to work wonders in just four weeks. Yes, we marvel at the belly.

"Look at his belly! And he's got little boobies!" I exclaimed, noticing the tiniest bit of fat there for the first time.

"I know, that's what I said!" I remembered then that Joe had said something about a bit of weight in Nick's chest a few days ago.

I was tickled by it. He was gaining so much weight that he was even getting a tiny bit plump in the chest. Yes!

A couple of minutes later, though, I remembered back to the conversation I had with Nick's developmental specialists. She outlined the risks and side effects of risperidone. She had said something about it affecting his hormones. That was why she was going to test his blood every couple of months, to make sure his hormone levels were okay.

Prolactin, that's what she was looking for. I knew all about prolactin from being a mom--it's the hormone that spurs milk production.

No, no, no. There can't be a hormonal issue--he can't go off this drug.

I touched his chest. Behind his right nipple, I felt a lump. It was very familiar feeling, so much like what I felt in my breasts when I was lactating.

No, no, no. He can't go off this drug.

I did what it is that I do--I scoured medical journals for answers. I found a study conducted by University Hospitals of Cleveland about prolactin levels in children taking risperidone. It found that prolactin levels increased in both females and males, peaking at about three times normal levels at 4 to 7 weeks of treatment. Crap. Nick's hitting that zone now, he's getting to the highest prolactin levels.

But then I read more. After 4 to 7 weeks, the levels go down. By weeks 8 to 12, the levels drop to almost normal in males. Phew.

I have an appointment with his specialist on Monday and we'll get it all checked out, of course. But for now, until the levels go back down, I've got a little boy with some tiny, tiny little boobies.