Money maker symptoms and conditions

Hello. I haven't posted anything in a couple of months, but as usual, I'm always searching for more information on natural supplementation that may help your blood pressure. If you're interested, please e-mail me and I will send you the information links. Take care :-)

I have asthma that was not controlled. I coughed and wheezed constantly. I had trouble eating, because even the food passing through the esophagus was enough to cause an attack. I was in and out of the emergency room for years, and the Ambulance folks knew to arrive with epinephrine when I'd call.

I started taking Singulair sometime around 1998. I haven't had any serious problems since then with asthma, and have had ZERO side effects.

Every drug has side effects for some people. For me, Claritin causes my heart to race. I can take that or that purple circurlar inhaler thing. I had a terrible reaction to that.

For ME, Singulair works. I am not sure it should be given to children if they are having severe problems. But it certainly should NOT be removed from the market...because people like me needed it to control their asthma.

I am posting this as a new post. I am not against Singulair. I am against withholding negative side effects from the patients. I am against promoting that Singulair is safe and effective for everybody on the planet.

My entire family is health care. My father was a surgeon. I worked for a pharmaceutical company. Pharmaceutical companies are supposed to ethically invent drugs and inform everybody about the safe and effective way to use those drugs. Pharmacists are supposed to police the prescriptions and dispense the correct dosage. Then pharmacists are supposed to be aware of side effects and drugs interactions. When necessary, pharmacist are supposed to intervene to prevent a mis- communication from turning into a disaster. Doctors are supposed to review the recommendations of pharmaceutical companies (who are policed by the FDA) in order to determine if their diagnosis matches the profile of drugs known to be therapies for certain symptoms. I, personally, am madder than hell at Merck. Singulair could really be a good therapy when it is needed. It could correct some bad stuff that happens short term. Why does Merck's need to make every drug a major block buster money maker ruin the market for Singulair?

Wow what it is with all these doctors not knowing these side effects, don't they know that there butts are hanging in the wind,the law protects the drug companies ,but doctors you are not immune

One of the most important questions we should be asking as parents is:

How does Singulair - a leukotriene receptor antagonist (blocks the receptors) affect the normal function of the mast cell?

The mast cell is the FRONT LINE DEFENSE against invading micro-organisms. When Singulair was invented, there was limited knowledge regarding the mechanisms by which the mast cell performed it's function. In my opinion, the focus was very narrow - those interested zeroed in on how the leukotriene receptor performed a role in the cause of asthma attacks and how ashma attacks could be prevented. Well, that's good preventing asthma attacks. But what happens to the mast cell if that receptor is blocked on a long term basis. I am not suggesting that blocking the receptor is bad but what if the long term effect is different than what we are are lead to believe-which is this is a safe medication with no known long term effects. What if the leukotriene receptor was just blocked short term a week or two to allow the body to clean up the mess from the last attack?

I seriously question what is going on with all of these infections. Are they related to crippling the mast cell? Parents should be allowed to question. If Merck doesn't want to answer questions regarding what happens to the mast cell (including are the numbers of mast cell decreased on Singulair), then something really BIG is missing. If by any chance (unknown at the moment) that the mast cell is significantly changed and therapy by montelukast is proper on a short but not long term basis, so freakin' what if Singulair is not a huge money maker any more.

Parents deserve every answer possible when decisions regarding their child's growth and development is on the line. I hope that we get some answers.

Of course, what was there in 2002 were new questions-not necessarily answers about the mast cell. Did anybody apply this to Singulair studies?
May 2002

From Journal of Clinical Investigation

Pattern recognition receptors on mast cells
The Toll-like receptors (TLRs) fit the definition of pattern-recognition molecules, which were originally postulated to allow the innate immune system to detect the 'molecular signatures' of various infectious agents. Although the innate immune system has no memory, it shows a degree of specificity, in part because the various TLRs recognize different sets of pathogen-associated molecules. Dermal mast cells are usually associated, not with the innate immune system, but with atopic dermatitis, but Supajatura et al. have found that these cells also express TLRs. They report here that TLR4, which binds the gram-negative product lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and TLR2, which binds peptidoglycan (PGN) from gram-positive organisms like Staphylococcus aureus, induce distinct mast cell responses. Staphylococcus is known to exacerbate allergic dermatitis, but it has generally been thought to act by inducing antibacterial IgE's, which trigger mast cell degranulation by stimulating the IgE receptor. Interestingly, the authors show that the interaction between PGN and TLR2 can provoke mast cell degranulation directly, sidestepping the need for IgE receptor engagement.

My son is 10 years old and has been on 5 mg. singulair for 3 years. He has been getting frequent headaches,and is in the bathtub right now screaming with one! Also alot of depression.I just came upon this website accidently ,by searching the internet for what might be causing such headaches in a child. I was shocked at all of these symptoms! I am not going to give him any more singulair.But what is everyone doing to replace it and deal with their kids asthma problems? My son has had so may behavioral issues and being so unreasonable and always thinks were picking on him.To extremes! Very hars to deal with,constantly! TC

Folks, I have put several posts and replies on here. I am trying to be advocate as much as I can. My family went through hell with this drug and my 4 year old. He has been off it since October of 07 and I can report that he is about 90% recovered. I finally have my son back!! I am a paramedic and have seen these effects on other children first hand! Aspartame is in almost everything. Sure some kids may be having a reaction to that. Most likely not. It may be the inert ingredients. Most allergists do not test for that. However I would be willing to put money where my mouth is and say that neither one of these scenarios is the case. Merck knows what is going on and has failed to do anything. WHY you ask because Singulair is their number one money maker!!!!!!! Please read my other posts. Yes I am very passionate about this. My innocent 4 year old had his world stripped from him. He could not understand the thoughts or pains he was going through. It was overwhelming. No child should have to go through that at any age. Just ask the mother on this board who lost her son from this drug. Trust me folks it can happen to you!! No parent wants to ever face that. It is unbearable. I have seen it first hand, more than I would ever like to. The only thing that we can do as parents is protect our children. Be an advocate. Contact your Attorney General, The FDA. Heck I even wrote Bill O Reily. Maybe if enough of us do that, things will change. My hope is that other parents as ourselves have done stumble upon this website and realize the problem at hand!! Best of luck to you all. My heart is with you as I know this can be a very challenging struggle.