Neuropsychiatric symptoms symptoms and conditions

My 11 year old son started singular in March of 2009 for exercise induced asthma. Within weeks he started having symptoms of heartburn - which he had never had before. I brought him back into the dr. mid June- they said wasn't related to singulair and actually increased his does from 5 mg to 10 mg. Since increasing his does, he started experiencing, daily headaches, stomach pain, leg cramps, night sweats w/ shaking & overall FEAR. Last night he was in tears - he kept saying there is something seriously wrong with me - I can't stand feeling this way he was afraid he was going to die and didn't want to go to sleep.

Last night I did my own research and found this board. THANK GOD!
He didn't take his singulair last night & he never will again.

I called his dr. this morning to tell them I think he is having negative side effects from singulair. They actually told he it was "HIGHLY UNLIKELY" his symptoms were related to singulair and NOT TO STOP USING IT. They instead said I should start giving him pepcid. I told them he had stopped it - for good and that we need a plan B for is exercise induced asthma. Looks like my plan B is finding a new Dr. that isn't in bed with Merck.

Has anyone had any experience with a NATURAL approch to controlling exercise induced asthma?

Our 11 yr. old daughter was prescribed with Singulair. She started taking it today with much hesitation from her parents. She was on this medication years ago for her mild asthma, but her mood swings/depression were terrible. We have a new ENT now and he promises that the mood swings/depressions are NONSENSE and that these rumors were put to rest years ago. We will be watching her side effects closely, but my question is if Singulair helps so much, what other medication can someone take that does not have these side effects? What is the alternative? She is also going to see a pediatric pulmonologist in August.

As i read some of the news reports on the new FDA comments,i see we are referred to as a handful of reports,the very words handful conjure up a picture of 10 not the thousands that there actually are.Also i noted missing from the news reports was ,that this drug is largely given to children,as young as 6 months,not for 10 days or 2 weeks but everyday,for as long as they need it.i know myself trying to convince my doctor,that my sons depression,insomnia and anxiety,came from this drug was impossible,so i fired him.I am wishing the best to everyone that has suffered,and ask all to please report your adverse effects to the FDA

From the FDA's "Updated Information on Leukotriene Inhibitors: Montelukast (marketed as Singulair), Zafirlukast (marketed as Accolate), and Zileuton (marketed as Zyflo and Zyflo CR)"

6/12/2009

Neuropsychiatric events have been reported in some patients taking montelukast (Singulair), zafirlukast (Accolate), and zileuton (Zyflo and Zyflo CR). FDA has requested that manufacturers include a precaution in the drug prescribing information (drug labeling).

Montelukast is used to treat asthma, and the symptoms of allergic rhinitis (sneezing, stuffy nose, runny nose, itching of the nose), and to prevent exercise-induced asthma. Zafirlukast and zileuton are used to treat asthma.

The reported neuropsychiatric events include postmarket cases of agitation, aggression, anxiousness, dream abnormalities and hallucinations, depression, insomnia, irritability, restlessness, suicidal thinking and behavior (including suicide), and tremor.

This information reflects FDA’s current analysis of available data concerning this drug.

Advice to patients and healthcare professionals:

Patients and healthcare professionals should be aware of the potential for neuropsychiatric events with these medications.

Patients should talk with their healthcare providers if these events occur.

Healthcare professionals should consider discontinuing these medications if patients develop neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Background

In April 2009, FDA completed its review of neuropsychiatric events, (mood and behavioral changes) possibly related to drugs that act through the leukotriene pathway (montelukast, zafirlukast, zileuton). As part of its review, FDA reviewed post-marketing reports and also requested that manufacturers submit all available clinical trial data for these products.

The post-market reports of patients on these medications included cases of neuropsychiatric events. Some reports included clinical details consistent with a drug-induced effect. In the clinical trial data submitted by manufacturers, neuropsychiatric events were not commonly observed. However, the available data were limited because the trials were not designed to look for neuropsychiatric events. Sleep disorders (primarily insomnia) were reported more frequently with all three products compared to placebo.

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It seems most people on here are blaming their "side effects" on the medicine. Could you quite possibly have health issues anyway? what about those people that don't take Singulair and have the exact same symptoms? Is it because they are THINKING about it?
It's one thing to be informed about medication. It's another to go overboard.

I am 34 years old. I am a pharmacy tech. I have asthma and allergies. I have taken singulair pretty much every day since it came out on the market. I've had asthma since i was about 10 years old. I took theophylline as a kid. Steriods on and off especially during times when my allergies are bad. I still use Advair during the fall and spring. Every drug has a side effect. However breathing is pretty good damn thing. Do I have days when I feel low? Yeah. Do I sometimes have nightmares? Yup. Are "natural" products the answer. Not always. The fish oil that some of the posters are touting can also cause GI problems. Some of the natural products contain herbs and other plant derivatives that can be harmful for a child that suffers from allergies. Not proactively treating asthma can be deadly. Some of the parents are suggesting steriods as the answer - those can cause weight gain, growth suppression and can lead to a worsening of asthma.

Singulair has never made me feel like I've wanted to kill myself. I was more depressed and angry as kid when my asthma did not allow me to partipate in normal childhood things. I was sad and hated life when I couldn't keep up with friends at recces because I was having trouble breathing. You have to outweigh the costs with the benefits. I am more irritable when I have asthma flareup then I am on a normal day. For me, I choose to breathe. And singulair has been helping me for almost a decade.

I'm not saying the medication isn't causing these symptoms but maybe there is an underlying cause to your child's depression.

Any drug has a side effect. But without medical research and the medications that come with them - people would still be dying of simple diseases and we wouldn't have vaccinations. As a society, as a whole, we are a culture that looks to someone else to fix things and then blames the people who try to fix it. We need to stop being the "hot McDonald's coffee'" society.