Screams symptoms and conditions

Our son, who is now 6 was prescribed Singulair at the age of 3 due to asthma/allergies. He was prescribed this by an ENT/Allergist. I thought our sons mood swings were due to the fact that we were expecting another child. He was always so happy/loving and playful. When the baby arrived 2 months later, his behavior worsened. Again, I put it on the new baby sister in the house. His moods/anger/outbursts increased. He hit, threw things etc. I told the doc about this and he said it was due to his enlarged tonsils, and they were then removed. Well needless to say, his behavior did not change because he was still on the Singulair. I mentioned the possible side effects to his pediatrician and she said it was a possibility, but to keep him on it because he needed it. Well, 3 years later, in March of this year I took him to an allergist that I had seen years ago. He immediately took him off the singulair (and all inhalers). His moods seemed to brighten a bit, but not they are worsening again. Is it possible for the Singulair to have long term damaging effects. I understand kids have tantrums, etc. Kids are kids, I get that. But he punches, kicks, screams, cries etc. My husband are at a loss. We don't know what to do. Oh, and he is now on Veramyst as needed (march-june, Aug-Oct.). Has anyone else experienced long term effects due to Singulair?

My son was on singulair for most of his infancy (11 mos- 22 mos old) we took him off of it when I started staying home with him. He was in daycare and was having breathing issues. We would give him the singulair and Zyrtec every morning. He became a very despondent baby. He would spend the ENTIRE day in the rocking chair at the daycare. After months and months of the teachers telling me this we decided it was best I stay home with him. He came off of the singulair and things got so much better for a while, he began to interact with us and others, not fearful anymore, and slept through the night. However other things have grown to be worse, as he has been developing...every day he seems more difficult to deal with. Now, 5, he is angry, fits of tantrums and rage, can't cope with his emotions, he actually kicked me today during one of these fits. He has been peeing in his room when he is sent there because he has been punished for one of these outbursts. What are the long term after effects of Singlair? Has anyone had this experience? Could the singulair have been given to him too early and now caused some sort of permanent nero or psychiatric condition? PLEASE ADVISE!!!! This Mom is really frightened.

My son used a nebulizer 2 to 4 times a day every day from the time he was one and a half years old. When he had just turned three his doctor prescribed Singulair. It was like a wonder drug for us! It took care of his asthma and we didn't have to use the nebulizer any more. He's been on it ever since -- he's 10 now -- he also takes zyrtec and has a rescue inhaler that he uses maybe once a week. About every other year he requires a course of steroids and a week of regular nebulizer use. Also, for the past year he has also required a daily inhaled steroid.
Now, about his mood issues. My son has always been sensitive and intense, moody. The first time I became alarmed was when he was 7, and he told me he wanted to burn his hands on the stove to punish himself for forgetting his homework. I consulted a psychologist who evaluated him and said he was not clinically depressed. Since then he has had periodic "dark" episodes -- especially in the winter. He has said he wants to die. He has had crying jags over things that are upsetting (loss of a pet was the worst) but it seems excessive for him to be saying he "just wants it all to end." He has told me that he is always unhappy and that he hates himself. He has also had problems with moody acting-out with friends. He will brood about hurt feelings until he loses his temper and screams at the friend. I have worked very hard with him on learning to manage his emotions. He hit a friend at school who was teasing him. He accepted his consequences willingly and willingly wrote letters of apology -- he told me he thinks he has anger problems and doesn't want to be this way. And his character is that he is a sweet, caring boy who can't stand to see anyone hurt, but also can't stand to be hurt.
A couple of years ago I asked his allergist if any of the meds he's on are linked with depression. He said no. We have a family history of depression, and I thought my son had gotten the worst combo of all the genes.
Recently, this all got to the point that I decided he needed to see a psychiatrist and quite possibly take medication for depression. Before I made the appointment he had a check-up with his allergist. Going down his list of meds the dr. said, recently Singulair has been linked with depression, have you noticed any moodiness or sadness? My first thought was that I have, but that he's always been like this. My 2nd thought was that he has been on Singulair for most of his life. I said yes and that I'd like to try him off of it.
My son resisted going off of it. He has had enough negative experiences with asthma that he didn't want to risk it, but I insisted. I didn't expect to see any change, but I thought it was important, as I was going to take him to a psychiatrist to consider depression meds, to see how he did off of it for a couple of months.
Less than a week later, he had been in a wonderful mood -- to the point of being silly and giddy all evening -- for 3 days in a row. The kind of mood that I don't see him in often, and when I do I think to myself, "he should be like this more often." One evening he even realized he had forgotten to bring home a homework assignment. I thought, "oh no, here we go, his evening is ruined." But he talked through his options with me, looked a little uncertain, and said, well, okay, I guess I'll have to tell my teacher I don't have it. I'll tell her I'll make it up at lunch if she wants me to. That was it! He didn't mention it again. I didn't say anything about his mood, because I really don't think I can know anything after just a few days -- it could be coincidental. The next day, he said to me that he thinks being off the Singulair is "working." He has now told me that a couple of more times.
I am tentative, but amazed. Even if my son does have a predisposition to be depressed, maybe the Singulair was making everything worse, and things really can improve for him. I am afraid to be to hopeful. At the same time, I feel guilty for giving this medicine to him for 7 years without a second thought.
As an aside, my son has periodically complained of leg pains, that I always told him were growing pains.
I would love any feedback that anyone can give me. So far (these two weeks), his asthma has been controlled with pulmacort, zyrtec and albuterol, so that aspect is okay.

My son has been on singulair for the past 6 to 8 months and my husband and i have had a very difficult time with him and his behavior. We have noticed him being very angry, mad, sad, screaming out for no reason, very defiant and not listening. He has been making threats to me for a while now, saying he wants to kill me, but only to me, his mother. He has become physically violent to himself and household items and me at times. He has night terrors and screams out at least 6 nights out of the week. He has bad headaches and often doesn't feel good. His stomach bothers him a lot. He makes constant threats to me and seems to not be able o handle the simplest task. I will not be giving my son this medication ever again after reading on this site. My son has suffered long enough as have we, his family. I want my loving sweet baby boy back! It makes me wonder what the hell is wrong with our society that they would continue to prescribe this medication knowing the horrible affects that our children endure. Shame on you! You deserve more than a slap on the hand! You should have your licensed stripped and e put out of business!

Started taking Ambien CR about 2 1/2 months ago- started at 6.25 mg, then increase to 12.5 (double the dose). I have always had thick luxurious hair and within the past 3 weeks have noticed significant hair loss, almost as if I was on Chemo. The first day I noticed I was in the shower washing my hair and I heard someone screaming, only to realize that the screams were coming from me. My hair was falling out in pelts! Thick plugs of hair were all over my tub, so much so you could have made a wig from it. Now my hair has thinned so much and continues to fill my bathroom waste basket and brushes, that I have been looking into wigs! I am a 45 yr old female and have never had this happen. My MD says it could be stress related, I told him it must be now because there isn't a morning that goes by that this isn't stressing me out and is putting me in tears constantly. Has anyone ever had this side effect before?
DRC

We have an other update. Day four being off Singulair. I have seen a big change, back to his normal self (thank God). Everyday that he is off, he gets better and better. Yesterday there wasn't even a rage fit. He is sleeping better and no more screams at the top of his lungs. The screaming was the first that stopped and every day the fits get less and less. I understand that a growing baby is going to throw a fit here and there but the fits he was having were not normal ones at all. The funny part here is that after I took him off of all meds except the astinel (sp?) he is better all around. No runny nose, no cough, no sneezing, NOTHING!!! Good luck with your little ones. All I can say is everyday that he is off this awful stuff he will return back to you a little at a time.

Well, we just got out of the ENT and he couldn't believe that his ped put him on Singulair. He said he didn't like it, it wasn't a good drug, and hadn't heard of many good things about it. He also told me to take my son off immediately, to bad I already had. He also wanted me to put him back on Zyrtec but only when needed, not every day like he had been taking it. Told him about how the neb. had been talked about so he listened to my little one's lungs and he said that they are all clear and there is no need for one. While I was in this appointment, his ped. called. She said that she had never heard of any side effects with this and she wanted him to stay on it for a week to see if it worked or not. Sorry we aren't doing that, we had four doses of it and that is more than enough to say we aren't staying with it. This is just his first full day off the med and I shouldn't get all worked up but while in the waiting room to see the ENT we had two huge fits and even hit his head on one of the chairs because he didn't get his way. The ENT said to give him about a week to go threw "detox" and get it out of his system and then he should be back to himself.

Also, on top of the big mood changes and swings we didn't sleep good last night and had another fit of rage in the waiting room of the ENT. Not fun at all.

I wrote an earlier post but I am now reading alot of your posts where you say your child experienced FEAR on Singulair. That is so interesting. When my son was on it for around 3 years he would never sleep alone in his own bed and he would have episodes every night that would last up to 3 hours at bed time because I would try to get him to sleep in his own bed, even at 8 years old. I thought he was possessed!!!! He would scream and fight me and I would literally have to hold him down to get him to stay in bed. It was horrible. I'm not sure how a hullicination would be described but maybe that was part of it. All I know is that he turned into a totally different child. It was something out of a horror movie. I eventually gave up and let him sleep in our bed cause it was exhausting. He would just make blood curdling screams and the terror in his eyes was horrific. Then the next morning he would be fine like nothing had ever happened.
Now that he is off of Singulair he will sleep in his own bed with the light off all night. It was an amazing turn around. He also told me he's not scarred anymore.. Who knew????? Has anyone else experienced anything like that with their child????

Our 6 year old son is on Singular since March 2006. His smiles turned to frowns, laughter to screams, playfullness to agression. Although, he is quite bright for his age, it appears at times that he is in a fog. He says unbelievable things for a 6 year old; " I just want to die, I hate myself, you hate me don't you, I just want to kill myself, I can't stop/help myself, my brain is telling me to do it". Singular was very helpful for his asthma but, what it has done to his spirit and our lives is not worth a single mg. He is off the drug for 3 days, we pray our little "sunshine" will return to us.

My son took singulair for over two years. He is now 9. Foe the last few years he has had a Jekyl & Hyde personality. Sweet as can be one minute then he will fly off the handle, calls us names, screams, breaks furniture. He also becomes emotional very easily. We have been baffled as out two other sons have never behaved in this way. I am now wondering if there is a connection with his behavior issues and his having taken Singulair for a long term.

I too am on Singulair and have no side effects. But the issue is not adults on Singulair it is children it is a drug that affects them differently. My daughter is 8 years old and has been on it for 3 years. She has been exhibiting similar symptoms as all of the other children. I never thought about the Singulair. The doctor had her see counselors. I started wondering if she needed anxiety medicine. She has a lot of fear, anxiety, anger, screams, is very hateful, sad. But if she misses a dose she gets instantly sick. She has an asthma attack. So I want to know alternatives. I don't want these kids abuse any longer with this drug. I feel so bad for them and my daughter. They have suffered too long. We see the doctor on Tuesday. Anybody have any ideas.

Recently my evening dosage of Topamax has been increased to 200mg. Since the very first night I have experienced nightmares. This is very unusual for me, however, these dreams are so intense I generally wake my husband from his sleep with horrible screams. In addition I find myself waking very early in the morning. Perhaps that is to my advantage since my dreams have been of the worst kind!

I have been taking Geodon for 3 yrs and have been trying to get off of it. I started on 40mgs once a day and was driving crazy from the Withdrawal side effects my pdoc and I did not anticipate. Geodon should be taken twice a day to even out the effects. Geodon has a wear off effect. About two yrs ago I was upped to 100 mgs a day and dealt with many side effects. I take 40mgs in the am and 60mgs in the pm. Now I deal with constipation, facial twitches, something stuck in my throat constantly, feeling cold all the time. I would complain to my pdoc but we never made the connection it was Geodon doing this to me. I am considered bp1 w/psychotic features and have not had a major episode since my dose was raised to 100mgs a day. Off and on I try to wean myself off Geodon but I find it impossible. My body screams for the Geodon when I don't take it. Nausea, hot & cold flashes, a feeling of total unwellness, dizziness, loose stools & stomach cramps all start about three days after I start the weaning process and last till I take some more Geodon to make it subside. I only have Ativan to help me get off this stuff and it is not much help. I am also on 75mgs a day of Topamax. Since I was raised to 100mgs I have had real troubles with insomnia. I go to bed at 9pm and I am fully awake between 3 to 5am. I never got up that early before Geodon. Ambien does not help to keep me sleeping. I will admit my mania is gone on Geodon but I still have some low lying depression that never seems to go away. I hate Geodon because it is next to impossible to get off this medication. I have tried to wean myself down several times without success. I don't want to be attached to this drug for the rest of my life. The addiction factor of this medication is not talked about in the brochure for this medication. The Withdrawal effects are horrible if you want to taper down or get off of it all together.