July 12th
2009
12:53 AM
My eight year old son was diagnosed with mild asthma by our GP and was taking Ventolin for a persistent cough. When this didn't relieve the cough the doctor prescribed Singulair. He started the Singulair in March 2009 and within 2 months we realized that his personality had dramatically changed. It has taken us a while to figure out what was going on because eight year old boys are starting to assert themselves more and I think the side effects have been escalating over the last month. He was angry most of the time, very hateful towards his siblings, saying very dark, nasty, hurtful things. He argued every time we asked him to do something and would snap into a screaming inconsolable emotional wreck at the drop of a hat many times a day over trivial or imagined problems. He was having nightmares and bursts of hyperactivity that were overwhelming. He told us he felt frustrated all the time and hated everything. When we tried to calm him he was unreachable. Just yesterday he had his fist clenched and pulled back ready to punch me when I was trying to help him with a computer problem. He was shaking and his face was contorted with rage and he just wasn't my little boy anymore.
It has been devastating for our family and we were ready to take him to a psychologist. He is normally an incredibly considerate, perceptive, loving child, highly intelligent, helpful and fun loving with a great sense of humor.
He has also complained of leg pains and has been wetting the bed again. It was only yesterday that I began reading about other people's side effects and have taken him off Singulair as of last night. Whilst he has still been argumentative today already the aggressive intensity seems to be easing.
I am absolutely mortified that I allowed this to happen to my son and my family and I am so grateful to others for sharing their experiences.
We still need to address his asthma and will make an appointment with a specialist next week, but given his asthma is so mild he should not have ever had to suffer these side effects.
I only hope now that he has not sustained any long term effects and that his younger brother has not been scarred by the truly horrible things that my son has said to him.
June 27th
2008
8:16 PM
My son began taking singulair when he was 6. About that time we were hading into the school years. He was labeled as a "special" child from that time on. Impulsive, aggressive, angry, anti-social, etc. He had a hard time focusing at school and every day was a battle. About 5th grade, after 3 schools, he was diagnosed with ADHD. I never, ever thought that it could be this medication. He was on it for about 4 years off and on during allergy season. I transferred him to a private school for children with behavioral issues and as time went on through therapy and special schooling it seemed to get better. I look back now and see that our "good" times were when he finally went off it for good. The beginning of his Freshman year was great! He had a 3.58 GPA, making friends and finally happy. The unfortunate thing is now that puberty has really kicked in, we are back to the old behaviors but much worse. Impulsive, angry, anxious, afraid of the dark, afraid of death. Violent thoughts, impulsive and very unhappy. I can see now that my son never had ADHD. He was misdiagnosed because thier were no warnings at that time. I don't think it ever "goes away". Even after years of being off of it. Something with the puberty hormones is re-triggering this behavior. IT IS LONG TERM!!!!! Even after discontinued use. Please, please keep an eye on your children. I AM SO ANGRY FOR HIM!! Also, for me. Special school $400 month, psychologist appointments, $300 month, my poor Son in a dark place I can't get him out, PRICELESS. . .I want my Son just to be happy. Thank you all for sharing your stories, it gives me strength that I need for him.
-- By wewe | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
May 27th
2008
5:24 AM
After reading this site I'm so ridiculously upset with my allergist. I was specifically told that the 100/50 dose of advair had such a small amount of steroid that it shouldn't have any adverse effects.
In the 5 months I've been taking advair I've gained 20 pounds, and I've been unable to lose even an ounce of it despite diet and exercise. After reading this page I decided to cut down to one dose a day, and magically I dropped 3 pounds. I'm going to my doctor tomorrow and just let him try to tell me that advair doesn't cause weight gain.
Oh also, I'd been feeling very down and depressed lately, and I'd even considered going to a psychologist. I just attributed my feelings to issues in my personal and work life. Well, as soon as a I cut down on the advair I went back to feeling like myself again. I hadn't even noticed how much I had changed until I suddenly felt a million times less irritable and able to smile and really laugh again.
I'm worried about just quitting the advair (I'm paranoid about side effects) but I feel so much better without it that I don't know if I can bring myself to take my next dose.
What a choice - breathe perfectly and be miserable or constantly suffer with asthma and not even be yourself.
April 3th
2008
1:17 AM
I have 3 children on singulair they are 11,8 and 4. My 4 yr old started it when he was almost 1 when we found out he had asthma and the other two were put on it for allergies for about a year now. I have heard from my 4 yr old that his stomach hurts, he says it all the time, everyday I keep getting on to my 11 yr old telling her if she wouldnt say things like that he wouldnt hear it and repeat it. My 11 yr old has ADD and is on Ritlin.My 8 yr old is ADHD and has been on different Meds to figure out which is the best for him. He has been really depressed and so has my 11 yr old. I put both of them on anti-depressents. My 11 yr old had to be hospitalized in October of 07 for taking medications, anything she could get her hands on. I would find baby tylenol missing knowing I hadnt used it all.Then it was pain pills and muscle relaxers that I had put up from when I hurt my back. When I first found out what she was doing I locked everything up took her to see her Psychiatrist and her Psycologist and I was told by one of them not to worry It was her age that it was normal and basicaly blamed it on tv. I spent more time taking her to her doctors. I asked question with so many people on what to do I got nowhere. I finally found a hospital they took her for a week, her answer to taking the pills was if she took them then she would die and everything bad in her life would all go away. She was released before she could finish treatment because insurance wouldnt cover her stay inless it was outpatient. I couldnt find a place that would was close to do out patient so we stopped going. I finally found a doctor that treated everything her eatting disorder,nightmares,ithching,depression,moodiness,anger,stomach aches,crying and leg cramps, We have been going to these doctors and it has never helped. My 8 yr old has been mean, screaming at everyone crying all the time for no reason you ask him why he cries and all he can say is he doesnt know why. The crying is different than any other crying its not the same as when he gets into trouble or when he gets hurt, its just a very sad cry.He has OCD, seavere depression, ticks, anger, night mares and is very moody.He is never happy, he never smiles. Its really sad to see him like this and to not know why and what to do. My 4 yr old He has asthma that is why he was put on it. He used to get ear infections all the time, no sooner than he got over one, another one started. He is always saying his stomach hurts. I took him to the doctor she said nothing was wrong. He has been really mean I just always thought he see's his brother and sister acting this way so he learned it from them. He has been in Speech therapy since he was 2 and is finally doing better, I always thought because of the ear infections thats why his speech has been so bad, the school thought the same thing, he has been tested and and everything is normal so the infections have been to blame. He wont sleep in his own bed he is afraid we are going to leave him. I took them off of it and it has been about 7 days now and my 8 yr old has stopped crying, he is happy I dont have to get onto him for being mean, My 4 yr old has not complained about his stomach hurting. He has been nicer to his brother and sister. Its amazing at how there is such a big difference in them and I can only hope it will get better since it has only been a few days. I have pulled them off of there anti-depressents and they havent needed them. Its amazing at how there is such a big difference in them and I can only hope it will get better since it has only been a few days.
-- By mcanjbg08 | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
March 31th
2008
1:33 PM
what happens when you take children off this drug cold turkey? my doctor said it was ok to do that. but this am my son (he's 4) woke up (day 2 off drug) and started screaming that the lights were hurting his eyes...and ran around turning all the lights off. i sat up and watched him sleep all night. I'm flipping out. what has this drug done to him and thousands of other children? will it go away now that they are off? anyone else have withdrawal issues?
-- By ccsmom | Reply | (5) replies | Private Message me
March 30th
2008
8:49 PM
My 9 year old son has been on Singulair for about four years for asthma and allergies. It did wonders for his asthma and allergies. However, since starting the medicine, has experienced rages, anger, impulse control problems, extreme mood swings, violent and destructive behavior, repetitive behaviors, bed wetting, weight gain, bad self thoughts, ADD, paranoia, peer social interaction problems...shall I go on? He sees a psychologist once a week for counseling and a psychiatrist periodically. He was diagnosed last year with major depressive disorder and mild ADD. He was placed on an antidepressant, an antipsychotic, and an ADD med. My big-hearted sweet boy gradually faded away. When I heard the news about the FDA investigation last week, I did some investigating myself. What I found was gut-wrenching! The Singulair went in the trash. This drug has stolen four precious years of my sons life and made the entire family suffer! We have been through hell. Only four days off the medication and he is already feeling better and looking like my happy boy again! We are slowly weaning him from his psych meds. I am full of hope now for him and his future and my family's weel-being but I am FURIOUS at Merke!!!
-- By cguimond | Reply | Private Message me
October 22th
2007
12:11 PM
I had the Mirena IUD placed after the birth of my 2nd child (2003). I began to experience horrible mood swings prior to the onset of my menstrual cycle approximatly 1 year after it was placed. I have experienced an unbelievable amount of anxiety and depression over the past 2 years. During the past month I have been diagnosed with anxiety/depression disorder, started on lexapro and seeing a psycologist. My friend, who is an OB/GYN, thinks it's the results of the Mirena. I am having it removed. Thanks ladies for helping me realize what's going on. I, too, am a Registered Nurse and passed it off as the stress of the everyday grind. But, this is not me. I am a very high functioning individual.
-- By suwheel | Reply | Private Message me
June 4th
2005
2:51 PM
Hi I have been taking wellbutrin for over a year and I have had lack of concentration and memory loss so i went to my psycologist and he is upping my dosage of wellbutrin he said it will help with my lack of concentration and memory loss now I am reading this forumn and everybody is saying it is the wellbutrin that is causing these sideeffects. I have beent aking 100mg 1 a day now he wants me to take 150 mg 2 aday does anyone have the experience of going to a higher dose and it helping with their memory loss and concentration problems please email me at ****** with wellbutrin in the subject column thanks for your help.
-- By jennifermacklin | Reply | Private Message me
Singulair (5) Mirena (2) Wellbutrin (1) Advair Diskus (1) Amoxicillin (1)
September 15th
2009
8:22 AM
How interesting that I find this information out now. I had my third child at 39 in 2005 and have always suffered from bad periods. I was talked into having a mirena inserted and thats where my story begins. I was told that I would have spot bleeding for about 3 months - after 9 months of continual periods I was well and truly over it as was my partner. I went to my gp who order an ultra sound. This showed it had moved and was sitting sideways and would have to be surgically removed. The side effects were herendous for me and still are after having it taken out two years ago. Not only did I have my periods for 10 months non stop, I had continual nausea, migraines (which I had suffered previously but not to the extent I was having them), massive weight gain, fluid retention, the worst pms which was constant and so so aggressive towards everyone I came in contact with. My sex drive went out the door and my relationship started to fail. My hair also started to fall out in handfuls and still does to this day and my skin was always so dry. I was also constantly tired and had very little energy. Two years ago I went in to to have the mirena surgically removed and at that time I also had an oblation and my tubes tied. The oblation worked for about 6 months but my periods are worse than they have ever been and thats because now Im told Im pre-menopausal!!! I still have the occasional migraine, my hair still falls out in handfuls and my skin is still really dry. My sex drive is starting to come back (thank god). I thought all these crazy symptoms would go away once this horrible mirena was taken out but it seems they're here to stay. I now see a psychologist every week trying to get my aggression back under control which is working well. I wish I had known about all these symptoms prior to having the mirena - I might still be with my partner instead of being single. My advise to anyone wanting permanent contraception - get your tubes tied and stay right away from mirena.
-- By niltub66 | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me