Allergy medications symptoms and conditions

I am 51 and have been taking singulair for a few months. Recently, I have been having trouble concentrating and felt overwhelmed by stress at work and in my home life. I even started seeing a counselor to see what was going on and learn stress and relaxation techniques to help. She said from the sound of it I was mildly depressed. All sounds good, but was getting no better.

Last night, I was getting ready for bed and out of the corner of my eye I spotted a sticker on my singulair prescription that said may cause depression or suicidal thoughts.

May not be related, but the timing is pretty much the same for me - for switching allergy medications and my feelings of anxiety and depression. I will stop taking singulair and see if that does anything. Maybe the heartburn I have been having will get better too.

This drug should be taken off the market. My Dr. warned me of a cough when he gave it to me but did not tell me that you would literally drown in secretions from the drainage in your throat. I have been on it 2 weeks and my quality of life has diminished considerably. During the day its as if a little man with a squirt bottle of acid is spraying my throat. At night the same thing but lying down produces uncontrollable drainage. I have to keep a spit cup by my bed and hardly get any sleep. Have tried allergy medications to no avail. I threw it in the garbage today. I would rather monitor my BP 30 times a day than live thru this.

My question is if you have been on this drug and your Dr. took you off, what did he use in its place? Would Beta Blockers be better? Who has experienced this and is now free of it? What is the alternative drug? I called my Dr.'s office today and they have Benicar waiting for me in the AM...anyone know about that one? I am desperate!

I have taken Bactrim on a few different occasions, all with the same bad reaction.

I am very prone to getting UTIs, especially after sex. It has been like this for years. One of the first times I got a UTI, I was prescribed Bactrim. There were not really any other side effects except for a small area, about the size of 2 quarters, on the side of my stomach, right below my rib, that turned reddish and itched. I told my doctor about it and he dismissed it, saying it couldn't be bactrim as the cause, he's never heard of it, etc. When I was done with the antibiotic, the "rash" or red area faded slowly, but left a grey mark in it's place that has not gone away in 5 years now and counting. It is PERMANENT DAMAGE from this medication.

I was younger, so I never cared to write down the medication name... later on, I had another UTI and was given Bactrim again. Somewhere during treatment I felt myself itching the same area, I lifted my shirt, and there it was, inflamed again.... again I didn't list it as one of my allergy medications and was prescribed it at least a 3rd time... with the same occurring.

I know for a fact that it was bactrim causing it. It is obvious that the 3 times I took it, the same mark that was caused by bactrim to begin with.. turns red during ingestion of the medication. I do not know why it stays localized to one area and does not spread, I don't know what kind of organs it might have been affecting in that area.. I wish I had a clue because I am very curious...

But bactrim has left a permanent scar on my body, and not only outside, but god knows what it has done inside that has caused this to surface out.

My 8 yr old has been on singulair since May. I never put two and two together until reading these posts. He has been having anxiety at night..crying and looking terrified saying he can't stop the scary thoughts in his head. Tonight I felt so bad for him...because I can't make it go away. I am hoping with tonight being the last night on singulair he will not have such a hard time at night. He also says it's very hard to get to sleep at night. Poor kid. I also know he's a sensitive kid but it seems a bit overboard in the last few months....like getting upset and just not knowing how to handle his emotions so he just shuts down. Please message me if you've had similar experiences. I'm calling his dr. on Monday to figure out some other options if there is any. My son started with a cough in March and finally took him to see the dr. in May and she heard wheezing and started him on singulair and then added zyrtec. I know they control his coughing (wheezing...slight asthma) because if we miss a dose he coughs all day the next day. I'm a bit scared to go off it...but hope it stops the anxiety and moodiness. He had his first asthma attack last week too...and I wasn't prepared as we never have had to use the inhaler...so I didn't have it with us. Anyway, hoping he doesn't get too bad taking him off...and I hope he is able to control the scary thoughts by going off of it too.

I just read an article dated 9/1/08 that stated that the American Lung Association just cleared Singulair as causing depression and suicide. They had researchers study the results from the original test trials because they are supposedly more accurate than after market reports. The article is at ******. I cried when I read this report. My now 8 year old daughter has been on this medication for mild asthma since she was 4. We have thought the stomach aches and tantrums were related to moving to a new town around the time she started taking singulair. But, 3 months ago, she all of a sudden started having depression, ocd about germs, afraid she might hurt herself and then depression and suicidal thoughts. She has been off meds for 8 weeks and still has some problems with thinking she wants to hurt herself and feeling down. She is normally very happy and our family is happy and normal, but dealing with this is difficult. How long does it take to get out of their system?

I read that many of you blame Singulair for your side effects when you are also taking multiple drugs. As a public service, I put together a list of side effects from some of the other drugs mentioned on this site. These are by no means all the side effects listed for each drug. The first group is from allergy medications people have mentioned.
Zyrtec & Zyzol -
suicidal ideation, suicide, aggressive reaction, anaphylaxis, cholestasis, convulsions, glomerulonephritis, hallucinations, hemolytic anemia, hepatitis, orofacial dyskinesia, severe hypotension, stillbirth, thrombocytopenia.
abnormal thinking, agitation, amnesia, anxiety, decreased libido, depersonalization, depression, emotional liability, euphoria, impaired concentration, insomnia, nervousness, paroniria, sleep disorder.
accidental injury, asthenia, back pain, chest pain, enlarged abdomen, face edema, fever, generalized edema, hot flashes, increased weight, leg edema, malaise, nasal polyp, pain, pallor, periorbital edema, peripheral edema, rigors.

Benadryl-
Sedation, sleepiness, dizziness, disturbed coordination, fatigue, confusion, restlessness, excitation, nervousness, tremor, irritability, insomnia, euphoria, paresthesia, blurred vision, diplopia, vertigo, tinnitus, acute labyrinthitis, neuritis, convulsions. Epigastric distress, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, Urinary frequency, difficult urination, urinary retention, early menses

Allegra -
insomnia, nervousness, sleep disorders or paroniria, and hypersensitivity reactions (including anaphylaxis, urticaria, angioedema, chest tightness, dyspnea, flushing, pruritus, and rash). Back Pain, Stomach discomfort, Pan in extremity, Headache, Vomiting, Somnolence/Fatigue, diarrhea,

Claritin -
Hypotension; hypertension; palpitations; tachycardia; syncope, Headache; somnolence; fatigue, nervousness; hyperkinesia; paresthesia; dizziness; migraine; tremor; vertigo; impaired concentration; depression; agitation; anxiety;

I have severe allergies and have tried many different allergy medications, but none seemed to work. My doctor decided to give me the shot. At first I was getting the shot every 2-3 months. I started hearing bad things about the shot such that it makes your bones weak and brittle. I was hesitant about getting the shot again so I waited for almost a year before getting my last shot. I was suffering with so much with my allergies that I decided to try the shot again. When I was at the doctor's office the last time, I asked for the shot and this time he told me about the side effects and said that he could only give it to me no more than 2 times per year. He didn't make it seem like it was a very bad drug. He calmly said that it's not good to get too much of it, but in my case, I can get it 2 times per year. Due to my allergy symptoms being unbearable, I decided to get the shot. Now I have bad joint problems on my knees and my wrists. I can no longer wear high heel shoes or type as much as before. I also have insomnia, which even with sleeping medication it still does not help 100%. I have had these symptoms before with my previous shots, but did not know what have caused it. Now I know the source of my continuing pain problems. I was hoping to find a solution to my allergy problem, but now have inherited more problems from this drug.

I cannot believe that there is so much of ignorance in such an educated society. Let me first start by saying I am on no medication absolutely I do have bronchitis I don't take cough medications or allergy medications or inhalers etc etc. I read at the bottom in a post that this 28 year old cries every time she sees te Save the children advertisement. I can tell you I listen to music, I watch tv and every touching or heart rendering story or lyric makes me cry!!! I wonder if i was on Singulair I would certainly be committed to some mental asylum.
I think all you educated people should consider that you do not need to be on a drug or any medication to suffer from depression symptoms or any such other emotional trauma. Why blame one thing alone, blame the governments for putting its citizens under stress , blame your economies for bringing down your county into a recession where your earnings don't meet the cost of living, What we should be fighting for is irrelevant, so some strategy comes into light where all these years, read all the posts, 2 , 5, 7 10 years of using Singulair and NOW you want to complain. Why didn't they complain all these years ago and get the drug recalled.. Don't blame one thing alone. Maybe if people lived cleaner, healthier lifestyles you wont be taking medications.

My daughter is 20 years old and a chronic asthmatic with severe allergies. She has been on Singulair for 8 years. She has been complaining and in some instances begging her asthma doctor for a reason for her insomnia and restless sleep over the last several years. She takes other asthma and allergy medications. He told her to not take her Xopenex inhaler before bed, as that may be causing the problem, that didn't help at all (sometimes a Xopenex nebulizer treatment is needed for her at bedtime and during the night, during asthma flair-ups). Her doctor just switched her from Allegra (which she has been on since she was 10) to Zyrtec, which is helping with allergies, but not with the sleeplessness. She was taken off of Advair and put on Symbicort in September 2007, this made her asthma worse requiring Prednisone off -and -on since January. She is back on Advair and doing better, but the sleepless nights continue...

We are seriously contemplating taking her off of the Singulair. We aren't 100% certain this medication is causing her insomnia/sleeplessness. However, as she explains it..."If I could get one really good nights sleep, I would go off of the Singulair in a heartbeat". Our fear is that by going off of the Singulair that her asthma will worsen.

I thought I had a very adverse reaction to Singulair about 2 years ago. I had constant thoughts and dreams of loved ones and pets dying, anxiety and fear of things I had never had fears of like driving and heights. I had extreme stomach aches and shakes. I could not sleep at night. Eventually I stopped taking this and a couple other allergy medications. The physical symptoms started to wear off, but not a day goes by that I don't have a sense that life is finite and a little bit of anxiety kicks in. Each day gets better and better but it does leave a lasting effect. Now news comes out that Singulair may indeed be the culprit. On one hand I feel vindicated but on the other I feel a lot of anger. With all the other allergy meds out there, why not just take it off the market? If there is a law suit to get this drug off the market, count me in!

(stomach cramps, sleeplessness, depression, anxiety, bad dreams, shakes, constantly tired)

I am a 51 year old female who has been taking Advair 500/50 for a number of years now. About a year ago I got a severe sinus infection and have been battling recurring bouts ever since like clockwork. I've lost my sense of smell and my voice sounds like I am sick 24/7. The ENT I went to was absolutely clueless on asthma and allergy medications and their side effects. She told me my sinus problems were caused by my allergies. They may have caused the problem but I should be healthy enough to recover in a week or two not a year or two!!! I have NEVER have a sinus infection before taking Advair. I also now have been diagnoses with Osteopenia and a recent blood test showed elevated blood sugar and cholesterol. My GP says it is a side effect of Advair. I have also recently went thru a barage of tests because of an irregular heart beat and palpitations. I am a triathlete and marathon runner, eat a healthy balanced diet and work hard at trying to keep my weight in check. There is no doubt in my mind that Advair is the cause of these health problems.
I decided to come off Adbvair cold turkey. For about a week I felt exhausted (an understatement). I did experience a few episodes of tightness in my chest but using a puff or two of albuterol was all I needed. I take peak flow readings ever morning and actually had some of my highest readings in months, after stopping. Best part of all, I am starting to get my sense of smell back and have been without symptoms of sinusitus for the first time in over a year!!! My energy is coming back. But the big test will be when I start back training at full throttle.
When I was prescribed Advair the only thing I was told was to make sure that I rinse my mouth out after taking it. No reason and no education on the short and long term effects. This forum is AWESOME!!! This is the first site that I have encountered that gave me honest hard facts and information I can work with. THANKS TO ALL who have posted!!!

I'm a 26 year old male in Texas. I started taking Doxycycline, 100 mg once daily, about 1 1/2 weeks ago. I agree with most of what you all have said. I've noticed that i have little appetite and energy. I've also noticed a few bumps on my arm, which I figured were due to my severe allergies. My body tingles, and the bumps have gone down somewhat but are still there...perhaps from the plethora of allergy medications I take with decongestants and antihistamines. I actually have slept pretty well on the drug. I'm not sure I recall a single weird time, which is actually odd now that I think about it LOL. Maybe I need a stronger dose like you all have, LOL jk.

I receive Kenalog every year for my severe allergies. I have recieved the shot 5 years in a row and I cannot live without it. Allergy medications do not work for me. This shot is the only thing to cure my allergies. I have had no side effects from the shot (I get them in my tricep).

March 17,2004

I received a kenelog injection for severe allegeries last week. After years of different sinus/allergy medications, I was referred to an ENT for care. Within 5 min, of the office visit the dr. numbed my nose and injected each nostril with kenalog. He did not warn me of the side effects. I now have insomnia, dry mouth, frequent urination, and a "larythargic like" feeling that has not gone away. But my allergies are better that they have been in years. I wish I would have done some research before the injections. Not sure if I will try this again.