Puberty symptoms and conditions

hi i came across this site through sheer desperation to find out if all the terrible symptoms my 13 yr old daughter was experiencing was through any of her asthma/allergy meds She has been on singulair since she was 5yrsold . But gradually over the past year her symptoms are that bad that she has weeks off school with dreadful headaches, stomach pains, mood swings which have been going on for last few years but put most of these down to puberty kicking in (but how i think i was so wrong). she has an allergy to peanuts which has been confirmed through tests but i was finding that lots of different foods were causing allergic reations which i could not understand(put it down to e numbers etc) she has been off this last week through yet again more headaches,chest infection, nausea but now the most terrible symptom is that of very painful ankles. knees, which are that sore she has been in tears.Since reading these post i am going to take her off the singulair but will do it at a gradual rate 1/2 tablet then 1/4 etc as she has been on this for a very long time and sudden withdrawal seems to be very risky. oh i also forget her rhinitis is also a major problem which causes her to be terribly bullied at school due to how noisy her breathing is and her snuffling being so often and seems to be getting worse. I am very grateful that i have come across this website.

I think everyone reacts differently to every pill. I also think it takes your body a while to adjust to the new hormones. I did have some irritating side affects:

-I was a raging bitch for a couple days.
-I started to black out when I would drink.
-Boobs were tender
-ACNE

I got over everything after the first pack, except the acne. I gave up after the 2nd pack because I had such awful acne. I tried very hard to give my body a chance to adjust to it..but I couldn't handle the acne anymore. I would literally cry because of it. Im 23 years old, never had acne in my life, and I looked like a 14 year old boy starting puberty. I mean I would get the occasional pimple the week before my period before, but these WERE monster pimples and I would wake up with one EVERY morning. Ive been off the pill for a week now and Ive noticed a HUGE difference. Although I'm no longer raising a farm of whiteheads, I still have ugly scars from the past 2 months :(

Well I am like all of you I am a proud parent of almost 4 year old twins. I have had every problem in the book to even have children. Endometriosis, BAD PERIODS or NO PERIODS, NO OVULATING NOTHING. LEVELS OF ESTROGEN & PROGESTERONE IN MY BODY WAS UNREAL! THEY STATED MY BODY WAS PRODUCING TESTOSTERONE ABOUT THE LEVELS OF A MATURE BOY IN PUBERTY.... GROSS

WHAT HURTS MORE THEN ANYTHING IS WE HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR ALMOST 14 YEARS & OUR LOVE IS STILL STRONG BUT I HAVE NO DRIVE TO BE CLOSE TO HIM, I KNOW THIS BOTHERS HIM DEEPLY! MY KIDS ALSO ARE SUFFERING FROM THIS AS WELL. WE TRIED FOR SO LONG TO HAVE CHILDREN & THEN WAS POINTED INTO A GREAT DIRECTION FOR A AWESOME DOCTOR & HE MADE IT HAPPEN - AND WITH TWINS.

I HAD MY MIRENA PLACED ABOUT 3 MONTHS AFTER THE BIRTH OF MY TWINS, LOVED IT FOR ABOUT THE FIRST 3 MONTHS THEN I HAVE HAD SYMPTOMS I DO NOT LIKE. HAIR LOSS WEIGHT GAIN ALMOST 50 POUNDS IN A 2 YEAR SPAM MY PC DOCTOR STAYS ON ME ALL THE TIME ABOUT THE WEIGHT I HARDLY EVER EAT & CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY I AM NOT LOSING WEIGHT. BEEN ON THE ALL WATER DIET ONLY AND NADA THEN ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WHITE DIET NOTHING THERE EITHER. I HAVE THE SEVERE CRAMPS AFTER ME & MY HUSBAND HAVE INTIMATE ENCOUNTERS IF THERE IS ANY. HE IS LEFT OUT & I AM ALWAYS TIRED & NOT IN THE MOOD I HAVE NO DRIVE! I HAVE WENT THRU THE DEPRESSION MOODS & NOW I FEEL LIKE I AM CONSTANTLY ON A EDGE WAITING TO FALL FOR TEARS OR BREAKING SOMETHING. I FEEL LIKE I BREAK AT A BLINK OF AN EYE YELLING AT MY KIDS OR MY HUSBAND, I USED TO BE THE MOST PATIENT SELF KICK BACK PERSON YOU COULD EVER MEET & NOW I FEEL LIKE I AM A MONSTER IN MY OWN BODY!

MY APPOINTMENT IS NOT TILL JULY BUT AM COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS TILL THEN…..

I WANT TO BE MYSELF AGAIN!

I have been taking topamax for five months now. My friends and family have been so worried about me that they have accused me of doing hard drugs. I thought that some of the side effects I was experiencing were from stress in my life. I am a 26 year old girl who has battled migraines since puberty. Now I have about half my hair left, acne like you have never seen before, ( I have never ever had acne in my life!), depression, high levels of anxiety, and my vocabulary has shortened to that of a 6th graders. I have always been a thin girl, usually around 125 and I am 5'8. At this point, you can count every bone in my body, see every vein. it's pretty discussing. I am going to wean of 25 milligrams a week, and deal with my migraines in a different way, so that I can become the person I once was.

Hi all...I've been taking 25mg. of Topamax at night for 5 days now. Unlike most of you I have not experienced the tingling in the extremities or the weird taste in the mouth or even much tiredness at all other than what has happened as a result of my weird side effect. I was prescribed Topamax by my neurologist for my migraines. I've had them since I was 12 years old. I'm 49 years old. The got worse during peri-menopause which is kinda normal given the hormonal fluctuations, but was told by my neurologist that they would very likely subside significantly when I became menopausal. Well folks, I've been menopausal for 5 years and for the past 2 years my migraines have been the most horrific of my life. I have approx. 15 to 18 migraine days a month, some of the headaches lasting 3 bloody days. So it comes to this...Topamax. In the past I have suffered some pretty rare side effects from some very benign medications so I guess I shouldn't really be surprised that this is happening to me now. The first night I took it I slept like a baby. The second night I was slightly 'hyper' but managed to get to sleep. But for the past 3 nights it's been hell. When I lie down in bed, my body feels as though there are electric currents shooting through it and coming out my right leg. I have to move my right leg or go completely bonkers. Fortunately my daughter is away at university and so I can sleep in her room. So I lie there...on my left side...with my right leg hanging over the side of the bed swinging and swinging and swinging as hard as I can just so that I don't scream. It's awful. Last night was the worst. I saw dawn this morning. I just got off the phone with my pharmacist and he told me that I had described a classic case of RLS - Restless Leg Syndrome. And guess what? Topamax is used to trest RLS!! For bleep's sake! So nice people I am suffering a completely opposite side effect to the one that seems to be the most common one...tiredness. Has anyone else heard of this? Experienced this? It seems to all focus down to my right hip and leg. I have to move it vigourously or go nuts. I am so tired today but that's because I got like 3 hours sleep. I fell asleep from sheer exhaustion after my husband left for work at 7:30am.
A side note...I also take 75mg of Effexor for panic disorder and my neurologist told me that this is a very good mix of meds for migraine prevention. My top dosage for the Topamax will be 75mg taken at night.
I'd really appreciate any feedback on my side effect. Thanks in advance.

D.

Why does Singulair cause these symptoms? I am going to give my explanation which is only a HYPOTHESIS. This should not be categorized as any thing but an educated guess. This is not backed by scientific research because nobody will do any research that would appear to anger
Merck even if people are suffering in the thousands.

1. The original research that preceded the development of Singulair (montelukast) seemed to focus on the theory that asthma was caused by an unusual immune response to certain pathological stimulus. There are many references to the observation that a high percentage of asthma sufferers are people whose asthma is caused by fungus. Many people suffer from asthma and are told that they are allergic to dust mites. Dust mites can live only because the fungus aspergillus pre-digests the
food source that dust mites can then absorb. Other sources of fungus occur in the home due to dampness or problems with wood rot.

2. The body's immune system fights certain categories of pathogens such as bacteria and fungus by creating nitric oxide which kills them at the site where they try to enter the body. The mast cell is the immune cell that is responsible for the production of nitric oxide. Mast cells are found in the skin, airways, intestines etc. The mast cell is capable of many different types of biochemical functions that are designed to signal other cells or other chemical responses. When the mast cell knows that pathogens
are present and nitric oxide is NOT produced, then it signals other immune cells to be sent to the site of the infection. Thus in the case of asthma, it is known that excessive numbers of eosinophils appear in the airways and these cells create inflammation.

3. Singulair was developed for asthma and later allowed to be prescribed for other reasons. I believe that montelukast probably creates a source of nitric oxide that prevents the mast cell from signalling for other immune cells to arrive at the source of infection. I arrived at that conclusion from studying the chemical structure of montelukast, the chemical structure of the gene cysLT1 receptor, and the chemical structure of the cell wall of fungus which would be what the mast cell uses to determine "what to do in order to kill the fungus."

The researchers who invented montelukast first had to clone the gene-cysLT1 receptor meaning that they had to be able to identify the gene and replicate it. Then by trial and error they had a find a "chemical"
that would bind (connect chemically) to the cysLT1 receptor. The theory would be that montelukast would take the place of the fungus or other pathogen and thus prevent the gene from reacting to produce the
responses that the sick patient with asthma produced. Merck says in the literature that montelukast binds with the cysLT1 receptor in order to prevent the mast cell from signalling the eosinophils to arrive in excessive
numbers that cause inflammation. I believe that montelukast is also causing the production of an amount of nitric oxide that is actually killing the pathogens that are present. For one thing, I would think that it
would be dangerous to incapacitate the immune system in that way without providing a way to kill the pathogens. I don't believe that the asthma response is just allergies to something like dust. Pollen from trees and flowers is loaded with fungus spores.

4. IF, IF, IF, montelukast does actually produce nitric oxide, then it does so by binding with the gene. Any place in the body where a molecule of montelukast encounters the cysLT1 receptor (a gene) then the corresponding molecules of nitric oxide are produced before the liver enzymes break the montelukast molecules up. Nitric oxide is TOXIC and
INFLAMMATORY. So let's look at the symptoms in regard to the location of the cysLT1 receptors. The location of these symptoms would not be places in the body where the mast cells normally encounter fungus or bacteria. The cysLT1 also has other functions in that it communicates with the cysLT2 receptors. Obviously, nitric oxide
should not be produced in these locations because of the signalling effect of nitric oxide on other physiological functions.

a. intestinal pain - the cysLT1 receptors are located in the small intestines
b. leg pain actually caused by vasculitis - cysLT1 receptors are found inside blood vessels- consistent with the fact that montelukast causes
Churg-Strauss
c. some people who didn't have asthma develop asthma - the cysLT1 receptors are in the airways
d. nightmares, depression, neurological damage - when montelukast penetrates the blood brain barrier probably due to unusual conditions of blood pH or electrolyte imbalance then nitric oxide in the brain causes neuron damage and excitoxicity

5. Why do some patients not experience side effects? Probably because genetically they are completely compatible with the model that researchers created when they cloned the cysLT1 receptor gene. I didn't not find any information about whether researchers knew that there are many different variations of this gene.

6. IF, my theory is even close to being correct, then why doesn't Merck do anything about researching these side effects. Maybe because nobody in the company knows how this drug works but the researchers who created it. All of the Merck literature is very vague about any biochemical information.

Again, this is just speculation and hypothesis. I have made an attempt to put this in simplistic language and therefore sacrifice scientific accuracy. But, I think that you will get the point.

SINGULAIR IS VERY DANGEROUS TO PATIENTS WHO EXPERIENCE NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS. DOCTORS SHOULD JUST REALIZE THAT
THOSE PATIENTS ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE MODEL FOR THE DRUG.

I have been taking levothyroxine for 25 years, my hypothyroidism was discovered when I was 2 weeks old. As soon as I hit puberty, I get fat (I was about 5 feet tall and 180 lbs). I have since had 2 kids, I am 5 foot 2 inches tall and about 197 lbs. I can't stand being fat and I can't do anything about it.

I had mine inserted the first week of July. Yes, it was freaking uncomfortable getting it done and I had cramping the rest of the day, but my OB warned me of that and I made the decision to go ahead. I'm not in a position to complain about it now.
I bled/spot for 2-3 weeks after insertion. Only heavy enough to require a tampon for the first week, but I had it inserted when I was supposed to be starting my period anyway. Again my OB suggested this and warned me about the possibility of bleeding for up to 6 months. Again my decision to go forward!
Since then I have had cramping once a month like I'm going to start my period and never do. Within the last few weeks I've started getting the acne and an oily scalp. It's all over my back and not poppable. I'm hoping it will eventually subside when my body gets used to the new hormone level I'm giving it. If you think about it, it's the same thing in puberty (ie change in hormones) that kicks off the acne so it doesn't surprise me that this is a side effect. If it doesn't subside I'll make a decision then whether or not to have it out.
I have not had any of the other side effects. In fact I had terrible headaches and neck pain before I got this and those have gotten much better.

I was on the pill for 15 years before getting mirena and I had much worse side effects with that (extreme moodiness, loss of sexual desire, bad cramps, long periods, etc). I tried multiple brands of pills and never found one I was 100% happy with. But I dealt with it because I made the decision to go on B/C.
I'll take the acne over those any day! (not to mention I got pregnant on the pill!!!)

I understand that these side effects suck, but you act like it's the company's fault. They specifically list the common side effects and the majority of the ones you're complaining about are listed in plain site Taken directly from their website:
Menstrual changes
Lower abdominal pain (cramps)
Acne or other skin problems
Back pain
Breast tenderness
Headache
Mood changes
Nausea
Ovarian cysts have been diagnosed in about 12% of Mirena® users. In most cases, the enlarged follicles disappeared spontaneously during two to three months of observation.

Did you think that's just for show? Did you ever stop to consider (before getting the product) you might actually get those side effects and what you would do if you did? It is your body... YOU are the only one responsible for what goes inside it. No one held you down and forced you to do this. Mirena didn't hide anything from you or trick you into it. Take some responsibility for your actions! Quit blaming others. This is a great example of what is wrong with our society today!

Take responsibility! Do your research! Make your own decisions and deal with the consequences of them without blaming others!

If you look at the mirena website it gives you the FDA number to call to report side effects. If you're having major ones call the FDA and report it so that more than just people that stumble upon this forum know about it!

My daughter had been on singulair from the time she was 8 yrs old until she was 14. This will sound as if I am a horrible mother but I just thought that she was a raging bitch. Without my knowledge, she stopped taking her Singulair for a few months and she became a different person. She was so sweet and loving. One night she came in my room having an asthma attack and I asked her if she was taking her meds, she admitted that she had stopped taking her singulair and I got on to her and immediately got her prescription refilled. Within a few days of taking the singulair she turned into a raging, screaming emotional wreck, a TOTALLY different person. I feel so bad that for 6 years of her life I put her on medicine that caused her to have screaming, uncontrollable tantrums, and severe mood swings that caused her to be miserable. It does seem to be the only thing that effectively controls her asthma symptoms but the emotional havoc that is causes her and the people around her is not worth the benefits. We have an appt. with her doctor to see what other options we have.

My eight year old daughter was recently diagnosed with precocious puberty. This is devastating to my family...She was on singulair fo asthma for almost 4 years...Noone in the med profession will comment on how this happened but the internet is filled with other parents dealing with the ame dilemma. I am so furious right now.

I have only been taking singulair for about a month. I have noticed that I have become more irritable, grouchy, hateful and just numb, not really wanting to be around anyone, not caring about anyone else's feelings much. I also noticed I have become extremely lethargic, to the point of falling asleep at work as well as heart palpitations and stomach pains. I just started new birth control pills so at first assumed they were causing these side effects, that is until I looked up the side effects of this drug! I have over half of the side effects so I stopped it immediately and can already tell a difference in my mood. I have to sons age 11 and 14, both who have asthma and allergies. The took this medication for a few years with no side effects but have not taken it for about a year now. My youngest son however, has been diagnosed with ADHA and ODD and possibly BiPolar disorder. As I read the other posts, I realize the description of how their children act while on this drug is exactly how my son acts. I wonder if there can be irreversible permanent damage from taking this medicine? He has been on a number of ADHD drugs, none have helped except to make him stop eating and lose weight and he is small for his age, so I have taken him off everything. Has anyone else out there experienced what could be permanent damage from this drug in their children? Even after being off the drug for a year or so? If it could make me miserable within a month, what can it do when one takes it for years? Its sometimes hard to tell the effects of medicine on small children. My son prob starting taking it around 4 yrs old and took it til he was about 8 or 9. Just wondering if anyone else out there has had this happen to them or their children.

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.

There are many new posts on here from women describing their experiences, and then I've noticed a few on here also who appear almost angry that women are "blaming" Mirena for all of these issues. So it has become apparent that those few select women have not read through many of the earlier posts, or have taken the time to educate themselves enough on Mirena.

So I thought I'd hop back on and reiterate some earlier posts: There is substantial proof and documentation of all of these side effects, and many more, as written in the product monograph which was released in Canada by the Bayer Corporation themselves. This site will delete links, and it's almost 50 pages, so I won't copy and paste. If anyone is interested in the link to this information, let me know, I'll send it in a private e-mail.

Additionally, there have been several other studies done in the UK...those are short enough that I'll copy and paste those below.

Suffering Women: YOU ARE NOT CRAZY! This product can cause catastrophic issues for us. I say that it "can" not that it always "does".

Yes, there are women who have had good results with Mirena. And many of the women on here are not pissed just because there are side effects...it's that we were not warned that these COULD BE side effects, and when we go to our doctor's, many of them are discounting our symptoms as being "all in our head" when there absolutely is a reason behind all this.

To those of you who want to be nasty on here...go find someone else to whine to...we don't want to hear it. We are here to support each other through a very real time for us. You are outnumbered. You may call us "middle-aged"...and I guess to those of you barely out of puberty, being 30 might be considered just that; however the correct terms would simply be more mature, and much more wise, than you. (And I wouldn't have a need for birth control if my reproductive system was so "undesirable" and "non-functioning" now would I?) ;)

Here's those studies...sorry this is so long:
"Kingman et al.'s success in controlling menorrhagia in women with inherited bleeding disorders (BJOG 111:1425–1428) echoes numerous reports in women without complicating haematological conditions. However, they ignore the metabolic effects. The LNG-IUS is associated with high systemic absorption of the progestogen, and serum levels of levonorgestrel (LNG) have been recorded around 511 pmol/L.1 This is the equivalent of two LNG-containing minipill tablets daily continuously. LNG suppresses Apolipoprotein AI (Apo AI) formation by inhibiting the ABCA1 transporter protein.2 The synthesis of Apo AI is a fundamental step in the initiation of reverse cholesterol transport, which is enhanced by oestradiol and statins and when deficient, the ensuing atherosclerosis in animal models can be reversed by the administration of Apo AI.3
The epidemiological observation of the relationship of breast cancer with the use of progestogen only contraceptives goes to the 1980s,4 but these were mentally rejected by many physicians because it did not conform with the doctrine of ‘oestrogen induced’ mammary carcinogenesis. The validity of the latter hypothesis was challenged in a randomised clinical trial of oestrogen only treatment5 and a wealth of biological data show that progesterone and progestogens in general and LNG in particular being established mammary epithelial mitogens.
The LNG-IUS also suppresses oestrogen production, inducing a clinical situation not unlike a premature menopause in at least 50% of treated women. Oestrogen deprivation for the number of years such treatment is being administered will have a profound effect on bone mass and vascular reactivity. Similar concerns have recently been widely circulated regarding the use of depot MPA contraceptive preparations.
Given that it is unlikely that a randomised controlled trial of the size of the Women's Health Initiative one will ever be mounted to test the long term effects of the LNG-IUS, caution is required, particularly in treating older women, for whom treatment may bring forward the menopause.
The idea that LNG-IUS works entirely as a local progestogen should be revised, and patients and doctors should be warned about the metabolic and carcinogenic risks, whatever the marketing pressures.
May WahabaaObstetrics and Gynaecology, George Eliot Hospital, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, UK & Farook Al-AzzawibbObstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicestershire, UK"

-and-

"Mirena: the other side of the story
AAA Ewiesaa Consultant Gynaecologist, The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, Suffolk, UKa Consultant Gynaecologist, The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, Suffolk, UK
Sir,
I read with interest the article by Halmesmaki et al.1 that only 48.7% of women randomised to the levonorgestrel (LNG)-releasing intrauterine system Mirena, kept it in situ until their 5 years follow-up visit, while the rest either had it prematurely removed (8.5%) or underwent a hysterectomy (42.7%). It supports the growing evidence that women’s satisfaction with Mirena (Schering Health, Newbury, UK) is limited. I do not find this surprising. A colleague and myself previously reported (as an abstract) a survey including 160 Mirena users in Suffolk in which we found that 46% of women had had the system removed within 3 years of insertion (median duration = 260.5 days; range = 4–1460 days). The most common reasons for early removal were unscheduled bleeding, abdominal pain and progestogenic adverse effects; including bloatedness, headache, weight gain, depression, breast tenderness, excessive hairiness, greasiness of skin and lack of sexual interest.2 Our data related to a selected population who had the Mirena inserted under general anaesthetic after hysteroscopic examination of uterine cavity to exclude lesions, such as submucous fibroids. I would expect the continuation rate to be lower in women having the system inserted without prior exclusion of intrauterine pathology. The satisfaction rate in our cohort of women, as assessed by visual analogue scale of 0–10 cm, was only 49% (unpublished data).
Halmesmaki et al.1 reasonably attributed the detrimental effect of Mirena on the sexual function to the higher incidence of lower abdominal pain in users when compared with those who underwent hysterectomy. Furthermore, the decreased satisfaction of sexual partners could be due to the inhibiting effect of the irregular bleeding, which is the most common adverse effect of using Mirena.2,3 The observed decrease in women’s sex drive could also be due to the systemic effect of the progestogen absorbed into the circulation, indirectly affecting the sexual partner. The argument used by the authors that serum concentration of LNG is extremely low and that its influence on ovarian function is limited has been disputed recently by many investigators. Xiao et al.4 found that Mirena was associated with substantial systemic absorption of LNG and recorded serum levels of around 500 pmol/l. This is equivalent to two LNG-containing ‘minipills’ taken daily on a continuous basis. Moreover, a retrospective observational study documented that 21% of Mirena users experienced progestogenic adverse effects.3 Wahab and Al-Azzawi5 reported that Mirena suppresses oestrogen production, inducing a clinical situation similar to a premature menopause in at least 50% of treated women. The prolonged oestrogen deprivation will have a profound negative effect on women’s sex drive, which may explain the sexual partners’ decreased satisfaction.
In fact, despite the popularity of Mirena as a contraceptive method and in treating menorrhagia, the continuation rate and women satisfaction level have not been adequately assessed in the UK population. A large well-designed study is required to evaluate these important factors so that women can be adequately counselled. The idea that Mirena works entirely as a local source of progestogen should be revised, and the recent concerns about Mirena should be made clear to women regardless of the marketing pressures.5
AAA Ewiesaa Consultant Gynaecologist, The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, Suffolk, UK"

My 5 years old son has been on Singulair for 9 months. His allergy symptoms have completely gone away. He’s no longer has his night time cough, bloody nose, and frequent croup due to allergies.
My life has been a living HELL from the moment I started this medicine. Before he was on this medicine he was always a pleasant, smart, well-behaved child. Right after he started singulair he began having temper tantrums, becoming increasingly argumentative, not listening. He gets mood swings like you would not believe cry and/or yell at us over the silliest things, kicking, screaming, nightmares, and became very physically aggressive. We were unable to take him places because we never knew how he would behave in public .He was extremely unhappy little 5 year old boy. He also complained of upset stomach and fatigue. Even his school complained about his behavior and they said that he might have PDD. After consulting with doctors we got the assurance that he does not have PDD, but we end up changing his school anyway.
Being a first time mom I never thought it was the medication, I thought it was just a normal behavior. I thought as a parent I must be doing something wrong! I couldn't believe that other parents have gone through the same nightmare.
Two weeks ago the doctor handed me a report about singulair and its suicidal side effect and ask me to stop using this medicine for a while. Since then I started to notice a dramatic change in our son's behavior. He woke up singing, laughing. He wants to help with chores. He is doing great with his school lessons, and very patient with everyone. He is now a more stable and friendly 5 years old.
Wow, I have a completely different child, and thank God I took him off singulair.
As parents, please let’s do something to stop poisoning our children.

In September of 2007 my then 13 year old daughter was put on Singular for mild asthma. At the time she was a straight A student, vice president of our school and a popular girl who's guidance counselor described as "the glue of her grade" because she was so well liked. In November she told me that she was struggling with advanced Latin and Science. She asked to drop down to on grade Latin so we did. In December her science teacher notified us that she had a C average. She told me that she thought she had ADD/ADHD and she couldn't keep up. At the same time she was having a lot of problems with friends at school and we just attributed it to being 14. 3 weeks ago we discovered that she is significantly behind in English and it was then that she told me that she is been having horrific night mares. She said that they usually involve someone killing her or her killing herself. She said that they were so graphic that she couldn't repeat it out loud. She also said that she would feel waves of anxiety that would come over her at school and she would act "witchy" to the kids in her class for no real reason. She said that sometimes when she is trying to do her homework she will read the same passage for 2 hours and still have no idea what it's about. She also said that the suicidal thoughts from her sleep happened during they day and that she had thoughts of her harming herself. Fortunately her pulminologist told us that this may be caused by singular and we immediately took her off of it which was 2 weeks ago. She has only had 1 "bad dream" not even a nightmare since. She had one anxiety attack 3 days after she was off it and she describes her moods as the "cloud lifting....slowly". Now, we have to pick up the pieces. Her grades have suffered, her friendships have suffered and most of all her self esteem is very low. I'm grateful that we found out the cause but I feel as if my daughter lost a year of her life and I worry that because Merck won't admit there are side effects we can't find out how long it remains in their system. Is anyone else concerned about the long term affect and has anyone pursued a class action suit to try to get this drug tested properly?

I am a mother of four children (21, 19, 15 and 15) who have varying degrees of asthma and allergy. All of them have some degree of ADHD as well. The oldest took Singulair from grades 7 to 12. It was great for his allergy, but he had a depression which was attributed to his ADHD.

The second is still taking Singulair. She is highly asthmatic and it has been beneficial for her. The severity of her asthma went down to the controllable range, and her migraines (suffered since second grade) significantly decreased (documented side effect).

The last two, identical twins, began taking Singulair four years ago when they developed asthma as they entered puberty. They became oppositional, defiant, prone to rages, and curiously not hustling hard enough at their sports. Prior to this, they were solid, dependable students, with moments of inspiration - and aggressive athletes, leaders at their sports. We always thought the problems were related to puberty and the ADHD. More and more ADHD meds were applied. No more weekends off the meds - because our house would be destroyed.

As 2008 began, my own allergies flared. When the doc offered Singulair, I looked forward to feeling better. Within 48 hours, I could breathe at night, and the tightness in my chest went away. Even my allergic dermatitis improved.

Then a weird thing happened. I got lazy. I heard myself saying things like, "I don't care if I'm fat." I stopped doing my evening chores. I stopped pursuing my hobbies. I almost stopped making dinner. I was wondering why I didn't care, but I didn't care enough to pursue that, either.

Then it got worse. I couldn't handle the least criticism. I was in tears over almost anything. Within a few days, I was trying to find a way to leave my family. I just didn't care about anything any more.

The water-cooler crowd at work was chatting about the news reports about Singulair and suicide. I started to wonder: gee, doesn't depression preceed suicide? Maybe this hopeless feeling I had was related to the Singulair.

So I stopped taking it. 48 hours later, I started to laugh at jokes again. Five days later, I cleaned my kitchen. Now it's been three weeks and I'm back at my hobbies and loving life.

Two weeks ago, I realized that the never-ending laziness and argumentation we've been getting from our twins might be related to Singulair. I checked with the ADHD doc, and their general doc, and got the go-ahead to discontinue the medicine (although not both of them at once). I did this without telling anyone: not the twins, not my husband, no one.

Forty-eight hours after the first kid had stopped taking the Singulair, I came home to a grinning, hugging, 15 year old, who sat me down at the kitchen table to explain the strategy he'd designed to study for his upcoming exams. I was speechless and numb. I didn't tell anyone that he was no longer taking the Singulair (he takes a variety of vitamins and ADHD meds every day). The next day, my husband called me excitedly: the kid was cooperating with him! He didn't know what to make of it. I kept him in the dark for a few more days.

The other twin had been on a lower dose (5mg rather than 10 mg). I stopped his medication as well. The change in him has been more gradual.

Neither of them takes ADHD medicine now on non-school days. They are happy and cooperative. We ask ONCE for chores. There are still a few arguments and stormy moods - but I no longer wonder what's going to get broken next. And they seem to love working as hard as possible at their sports.

The good news is, we all feel better. The bad news is -- how did this happen? How can it be that such an obvious side effect was missed?

It's not like the effect of montelukast on the brain is unexplored. Try searching on "montelukast brain ischemia" - there are many studies that show that montelukast (Singulair) dramatically reduces brain swelling. What does it do for an uninjured brain? Does it dehydrate it? Deprive it of nutrition? If I had to characterize the behavior I saw in my twins, it's this: they acted the way hypoglycemic patients do, when they're late for their next snack. REALLY GRUMPY.

Or do some research on migraines and Singulair. There's an effect there, too. Many asthma patients on Singulair report that their migraines improve.

So the drug clearly affects the brain, and Merck's position that Singulair doesn't cause suicidal ideation is almost irrelevant. The fact is, montelukast has a significant, often-studied effect in the brain. That effect is not fully understood.

In our house, the effect of montelukast on the brain has been significant. We have dragged two kids to many psychiatric evaluations. We've spent hours and hours with teachers and principals and counselors, trying to understand why they just won't get their work done. We've used every performance-management trick in the books to get them to work - without much benefit. The kids have swallowed an awful lot of stimulant medication because it was the only thing that controlled their rages. Who knows what their teachers think of them - are they forever branded as the lazy kids? And we are lucky. From this forum, I've learned that it could have been a lot worse.

My daughter took singulair for a number of years because she was asthmatic and the doctor recommended that she takes one each a day. At 13 she started acting differently and I thought it was just growing up and being a rebellious teenager. I later found track mark on her arms and she was hospitalized under suicide watch. She was not allowed in school until she had numerous therapy sessions. On top of everything she was giving topamax to control her anxiety and depression and now missed so much school that she has graduate a year later.

My 14 year-od son was on Singulair for approx. two months. During that time he lost interest in activities he had enjoyed and seemed angry most of the time. He was constantly moving and was hard to communicate with because he seemed unable to focus. He also started having nightmares. I attributed these changes to puberty. However, I took him off Singulair about a week ago. Almost immediately his behavior changed. He is back to his old self. He is calmer, happier, more focused and enjoying activities again. Unfortunately, while he was on Singulair, he was nearly free of allergy symptoms for the first time since he was two years old. He has used Rhinocort, Clariton and Zyrtec. He is now back on Clariton.

Praise the Lord! It is about time. When I read this in the paper yesterday I could believe it. I have been waiting for this to happen for two years now when i decided to take my daughter off this junk. I have told every single person i know what this stuff did to my sweet little baby whom is now 9. She too experienced nightmares, mood swings, anxiety, night sweats, stomach aches, headaches, constipation, urinary problems, leg pains, aggression. She has always been a normal kid for her age. She had always been in dance classes since she was 3 and loved it. Never ever had she been into trouble at school or dance but when she got on this stuff her teacher was calling me at least once a week about her being rude and very forgetful about everything. Her dance teacher told me she looked like she was spaced out all the time. And not listening. I noticed she was having panic attacks in the stores when we would be shopping. She cried and told me"MOMMY I DO NOT KNOW WHY I AM ACTING SO MEAN? I HATE MYSELF. I DO NOT WANT TO BE ME." i cried too and we started praying about it. I posted on this site 2 yrs. ago when i decided to take her off against her ped. advice. She actually got mad at me when she tried to put my younger daughter on it when she was 3. I told her no i was not going to give it to her nor was i giving it to my older daughter any more. She looked at me like i was crazy. And said my girls needed it. I told her i did not like what it did to my older daughter. We do not go to her any longer. It took a couple weeks and my daughter started acting like her old self. I do think it messed her mind up though. Singular is evil and should be off the market. It makes me sick to think back on what it did to my daughter. It was a complete nightmare!

My 12 year old soon has been on singulair for approx 5 years. He has had severe anxiety, mood swings, stomach problems, and feelings of sadness when he is left; does not leave mom or dad for long. I started checking into the side effects of singulair a couple of months ago and found out my son was on double the dose for an 11 year old. We dropped him to 5mg from 10 and the stomach problems have definitely eased up. This does not help the fact that he has missed 15 days of school this year for mostly stomach problems, test and doctor visits. My new pediatrician assured me his asthma was under control due to the use of this medication. THIS IS NOT MEDICATION I honestly am feeling like it is POISON. My son has been on this rx so long I don't know how he would act without it. My concern now is going into puberty with this medication. We will not attempt that....GOOD LUCK TO ALL

My 12 yr. old son has been on singulair for about 5 years. He has always been a sensitive child but there have been times when music or even going to church would make him cry. My Mom passed 5 yrs ago as well and we connected his sadness with her passing. Now I'm not so sure. He does sleep walk from time to time and states he has trouble getting to sleep. He is taking singulair for allergies not asthma. I'm stopping him tonight. He is heading into puberty and I have to say I'm frightened about the suicidal thoughts. I wonder if it could be similar to the anti depressants that effect teens in the same way.

I have read a lot of these blogs and I am seeing that many other people have the same side effects. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism when I was in 6th or 7th grade I think and I am now a high school senior so about 5 years taking Synthroid. the doctors said that my antibodies had completely destroyed my thyroid gland so I wasn't getting any of the hormones I needed which became very noticeable when I started gaining weight and loosing energy in 5th grade. I haven't really seen any weight gain in a while but I still look like I am overweight. I am 5'6 and 130 lbs so I am about average. Side effects that are also occurring are rapid mood changes, one minute I am happy and something sad happens or I think about something and ill be tearing up. I feel depressed a lot. I am currently on 150 mcg. also during 9th and 10th grade I was put on this drug to stop my puberty so that I could grow more while on the Synthroid I guess it helped a little with height but I still look like a freshman. I don't know if I should stop taking it or keep taking it because I stopped for about a month once and started getting really sick, I would get really bad nose bleeds at random, had constant migraines and felt sick to my stomach. I started taking the Synthroid again and felt fine. I really don't know what to do.

I was born without a thyroid gland so I can't compare the way I feel now to the way I would've felt with a thyroid. I've been on Synthroid my entire life (22 years), and I'm up to 112 mcg now. I am very skinny (5'5", 104 lbs) and feel constantly fatigued no matter how many hours I sleep, what I eat, and how much exercise I get. I periodically get pain in my hip joints, heart palpitations, and intense mood swings. My thoughts race but I have very little physical energy. I feel restless and gloomy almost all the time for absolutely no good reason. My doctor tells me I'm depressed but I honestly have no reason to be depressed and I wish she would see it as a symptom instead of a diagnosis. I graduated from a good college, I've got a job I like, I have friends, I enjoy life and my hobbies, yet I feel overwhelmingly sad. This does not seem like depression to me.

I find that after I do aerobics I get a tightness in my chest, which makes me worry about my heart, but again my doctor doesn't seem to think this is cause for concern. I have been irritable/fatigued for YEARS and I suspect I'll feel this way for the rest of my life. The worst of it started when I hit 16 years old and started the 112 mcg. My tests are always normal and it frustrates me that my doctor disregards my symptoms. I've tried other doctors, but they always send me away with my 'normal' test results. Can anybody help?

I was taking solumedrol for five days for an acute attack of MS. I was fine throughout the treatment the nurse came out to my home and showed me and my son what was to be done each day. I left the drip set to 104 which took around 2 hours to complete. The only things I experienced during the treatment was having a metalic taste in my mouth and sour burps thereafter, something I found helpful for this was to take tums or rolaids before my treatment and maybe one or two afterwards. I did ask the nurse was that something I was supposed to experience and she said yes. On my 5th day I took my medication and took the IV out. A couple days passed and I woke up one morning to looking like I was reliving my puberty years I mean my face was broke out all over, my forehead, cheeks, chin oh and also my back. I don't know if this is one of the side effects but I am putting it up here anyways. I have never had a break out like that before, my face is clearing up now, my back is up together, but I did notice that on my forehead where the bumps have dried up my skin looks different sort of like snake skin, and my cheeks look as if they have a rash. I think it did have something to do with the medication because like I said I have never experienced anything like this before, and my skin has never looked the way it looks now. Hopefully it will pass. On the positive note the medication did help me out with my attack, and I feel like I am back on track and pretty much my old self again.
Shelvia Harlan

My 16 year old daughter is taking Topamax (50 mg. in the a.m.) along with 15 mg. of Adderall as a mood stabilizer because the Adderall makes her agitated. The Topamax made her even more aggitated and guess what? The doctor increased the Topamax to an additional 25 mg. in the late afternoon and told me I need to try this for two weeks. Now my daughter has a "meltdown" every 15 minutes and can get quite violent. Topamax worked well on her before puberty, since then, it's a nightmare!