Stuffy nose symptoms and conditions

I started taking singulair about one week ago and I started not sleeping well , waking up at 4 or 5 am focusing on stupid things like what I had forgotten to buy at the grocery store. I first thought I was pregnant since I suffered major insomnia during my first pregnancy, took a pregnancy test and after seeing the negative results started asking myself what could cause that, that is when I realized I started Singulair about a week ago. I will stop it today and see if I sleep better. I am allergic to dust mites and dust, it is pretty bad sometimes and it will give me asthma. I was using an inhaler before (Alvesco a couple times a week) and did not experience any insomnia. The doctor told me Singulair was very similar but it would also take care of my sinuses. It works really well for the sinuses and the asthma, but I rather have a stuffy nose, no asthma and sleep well. I am very surprised to see that some of you have been using that drug for so long after having so many side effects... and with children too...it is really scary

sudden stuffy nose and vomiting after taking it for colonosopy prep

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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Thanks everyone here for your comments. I experienced severe insomnia, restlessness, and anxiety while taking Flomax. Also, stuffy nose, swollen throat, and shortness of breath. Since insomnia, restlessness, and anxiety are not widely reported side-effects of Flomax, at first I didn't think that was the cause. Instead I thought I was having a relapse of the major depression that I recovered from 10 years ago, which began with similar symptoms. That scared me! Then I talked to my doctor, and he told me to STOP taking Flomax. I did, and within 24 hours, the insomnia and restlessness are gone. I don't know what our next treatment option is going to be, but it sure won't be Flomax. Flomax had me flummoxed!

My daughter has moderate asthma with occasional severe attacks. She's been on Singulair since she was 13; she is now 24. It has definitely helped her asthma a great deal, but now, when she misses a dose, or in the most recent event, she missed several days, she becomes allot more tight and has more difficulties sooner than it was like before she got on singulair at age 13. She is back on it now after being off for 5 days and is getting some relief. I wonder if her body has become dependent on it, or so accustomed to it that she now has to have it. A doctor a few years ago, said that means her asthma has gotten worse, but I suspect the dependency factor rather than her getting worse. Anyone have that experience?/

Been prescribed Flomax for urine spraying / retention problem. The doctor didn't think it was absolutely necessary, so asked me to take one pill every two days. Just took the 4th pills and had some bad side effects. Almost fainted twice. I have never fainted in my life and am physically fit, can run a half-marathon without any discomfort. Other side effects include dizziness and weakness, blurry vision, stuffy nose, etc. It doesn't seem to help on my spraying / retention symptoms either. On the days I don't take Flomax I feel perfectly fine. I will stop taking this medicine as the side effects are a lot worse than the symptom it's trying to cure.

I've been on Lisinopril-HCTZ 10-12.5 for 8 months now. I hate it. So far I've experienced:

- dry cough
- headaches
- chest pains (under my left rib cage area. Its a sudden sharp pain that lasts maybe 2 seconds, then its gone. It'll do that a few times a day)
- stuffy nose (doctor told me it was allergies. Put me on allergy medication, have been on it for 2 months, and it hasn't helped)
- trouble breathing
- rashes
- fatigue (doctor assured me it would go away after a few weeks, but it hasn't)
- dizziness
- no menstrual cycle (this medication has stopped my periods all together)

I've had it with this crap. My primary doctor wasn't the one who put me on it. I haven't been able to see my primary doctor because I don't have insurance and couldn't afford it. I've been going to a community clinic. I'm willing to pay to see my primary doctor than continue going there. At least I'll know I'll be taken seriously.

I have an 8y.o. daughter that has been on Singulair for about 3 years now. Since she started taking singulair she has been absolutely miserable! She cries at everything, is very moody, has leg pains, wont leave my side and is tired ALL the time. She has circle under her eyes, she looks like she hasn't slept a wink in days! She has been off her Singulair for about 5 days now and she is a totally different person. She has been "happy-go-lucky" and full of herself, she has even woke up happy (which hasn't happened in I dont know how long). She was put on Singulair by our Doctor b/c she had Pnemonia two times in a row. She has Allergies and Asthma and for the past 3 years has been on: Singulair (4mg), albuterol, flovent, Zyrtec, and Flonase. That is just too much for a little girl to be on. She hardly eats at all, gets headaches. I just see such a difference when she is not on it but, what will she take in place of this? My husband also takes Singulair (he is miserable all the time), he doesnt sleep at night and is always tired. Anyone have alternative to this drug?

I have been on Seroquel for three days now...tonight will be my third night taking it and so far I've had severe persistent sore throat, stuffy nose ] and my eyes have been so itchy. I'm pretty sure it's just a cold going around but those are also very important side effects and I've already called my doctor about it and he also said it was just something going around. I have noticed I've been hungry, hungry, hungry and I eat A TON already as it is. I'm 110 lbs and I eat like a horse, I always have, even before I started the medication. I'm 5'1" and now I'm worried I'm going to blow up to the size of a house! I can't monitor how much I eat because I eat so much as it is. I do, somewhat, somewhat remember eating a block of cheese last night before bed time. I know why they say to take it before bedtime!! It knocks me out. Which is bad because I have a 17 month old who still wakes up around 4-5ish in the morning. His bedroom is right across the hall from ours and we have his door cracked open an inch and we leave ours halfway open so we can hear him. I am usually a light sleeper but last night I noticed that it sounded like he was across the street, I could hardly hear him. I'm surprised I even made it out of bed, got him and brought him back to our bed without running into something or dropping him. It's scary. It really is. My doctor is giving it to me to treat my mood swings. I'm hoping they don't do diagnose me with bipolar disorder like they've talked about when I was a teen. I have had some tachycardia but I also have a heart problem I was born with that has been pretty messed up for over a week--I started having premature ventricular contractions, but this was before I started the medication. I am actually wearing an EKG-like monitor during the day to record this...this has nothing to do with the medicine but I thought I'd through it in there in case they decided it is. I talked to my cardiologist today and told her I was on this medication. Well, it's about 8:17 here and I need to go take the medicine and hit the sack...goodnight.

MY APOLOGIES TO ALL FOR AN ERROR IN MY PRIOR POST. WHEN I CUT AND PASTED THE INFORMATION FROM MERCK'S WEBSITE NOT ALL OF IT APPEARED IN MY POST FOR SOME REASON. THE CORRECTED INFORMATION IS BELOW. CHECK THEIR WEBSITE FOR YOURSELVES TO VERIFY THIS.

THIS IS FROM THE PATIENT INFORMATION:

"What are the possible side effects of SINGULAIR?

The side effects of SINGULAIR are usually mild, and generally did not cause patients to stop taking their medicine. The side effects in patients treated with SINGULAIR were similar in type and frequency to side
effects in patients who were given a placebo (a pill containing no medicine).
The most common side effects with SINGULAIR include:
• stomach pain
• stomach or intestinal upset
• heartburn
• tiredness
• fever
• stuffy nose
• cough
• flu
• upper respiratory infection
• dizziness
• headache
• rash

Less common side effects that have happened with SINGULAIR include:
• increased bleeding tendency
• allergic reactions
• behavior and mood related changes
• drowsiness, pins and needles/numbness, seizures (convulsions or fits)
• palpitations
• nose bleed
• diarrhea, indigestion, inflammation of the pancreas, nausea, vomiting
• hepatitis
• bruising
• joint pain, muscle aches and muscle cramps
• swelling

Rarely, asthmatic patients taking SINGULAIR have experienced Rarely, asthmatic patients taking SINGULAIR have experienced a condition that includes certain symptoms that do not go away or that get worse. These occur usually, but not always, in patients who were taking steroid pills by mouth for asthma and those steroids were being slowly lowered or stopped.
Although SINGULAIR has not been shown to cause this condition, you must tell your doctor right away if you get one or more of these symptoms:
• a feeling of pins and needles or numbness of arms or legs
• a flu-like illness
• rash
• severe inflammation (pain and swelling) of the sinuses (sinusitis)
These are not all the possible side effects of SINGULAIR. For more information ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Talk to your doctor if you think you have side effects from taking SINGULAIR."

d27gayle POSTED INCORRECT INFORMATION ABOUT THE SIDE EFFECTS OF SINGULAIR. I JUST COPIED THIS FROM MERCK'S SINGULAIR WEBSITE. THIS IS THE CORRECT AND UPDATED INFORMATION. THIS INFORMATION DOES LIST DEPRESSION AND SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR AS SIDE EFFECTS.

IF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SHARE INFORMATION ON THIS SITE, PLEASE MAKE SURE IT IS CORRECT BEFORE POSTING!!!!!!!!!

What are the possible side effects of SINGULAIR?
The side effects of SINGULAIR are usually mild, and generally did not cause patients to stop taking their medicine. The side effects in patients treated with SINGULAIR were similar in type and frequency to side effects in patients who were given a placebo (a pill containing no medicine).
The most common side effects with SINGULAIR include:
• stomach pain
• stomach or intestinal upset
• heartburn
• tiredness
• fever
• stuffy nose
• cough
• flu
• upper respiratory infection
dizziness
• headache
• rash

Less common side effects that have happened with SINGULAIR include:
• increased bleeding tendency
• allergic reactions
• behavior and mood related changes
• drowsiness, pins and needles/numbness, seizures (convulsions or fits)
• palpitations
• nose bleed
• diarrhea, indigestion, inflammation of the pancreas, nausea, vomiting
• hepatitis
• bruising
• joint pain, muscle aches and muscle cramps
• swelling

Rarely, asthmatic patients taking SINGULAIR have experienced a condition that includes certain
symptoms that do not go away or that get worse. These occur usually, but not always, in patients who
were taking steroid pills by mouth for asthma and those steroids were being slowly lowered or stopped.
Although SINGULAIR has not been shown to cause this condition, you must tell your doctor right
away if you get one or more of these symptoms:
• a feeling of pins and needles or numbness of arms or legs
• a flu-like illness
• rash
• severe inflammation (pain and swelling) of the sinuses (sinusitis)

These are not all the possible side effects of SINGULAIR. For more information ask your doctor or pharmacist. Talk to your doctor if you think you have side effects from taking SINGULAIR.

THE FOLLOWING IS COPIED DIRECTLY FROM THE SINGULAIR WEBSITE.....

The side effects of SINGULAIR are usually mild, and generally did not cause patients to stop taking their medicine. The side effects in patients treated with SINGULAIR were similar in type and frequency to side effects in patients who were given a placebo (a pill containing no medicine).

The most common side effects with SINGULAIR include:

stomach pain
stomach or intestinal upset
heartburn
tiredness
fever
stuffy nose
cough
flu
upper respiratory infection
dizziness
headache
rash
Less common side effects that have happened with SINGULAIR include (listed alphabetically):

agitation including aggressive behavior, allergic reactions (including swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and/or throat, which may cause trouble breathing or swallowing), hives, and itching, bad/vivid dreams, increased bleeding tendency, bruising, diarrhea, drowsiness, hallucinations (seeing things that are not there), hepatitis, indigestion, inflammation of the pancreas, irritability, joint pain, muscle aches and muscle cramps, nausea, palpitations, pins and needles/numbness, restlessness, seizures (convulsions or fits), swelling, trouble sleeping, and vomiting.

Rarely, asthmatic patients taking SINGULAIR have experienced a condition that includes certain symptoms that do not go away or that get worse. These occur usually, but not always, in patients who were taking steroid pills by mouth for asthma and those steroids were being slowly lowered or stopped. Although SINGULAIR has not been shown to cause this condition, you must tell your doctor right away if you get one or more of these symptoms:

a feeling of pins and needles or numbness of arms or legs
a flu-like illness
rash
severe inflammation (pain and swelling) of the sinuses (sinusitis)
These are not all the possible side effects of SINGULAIR. For more information ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Talk to your doctor if you think you have side effects from taking SINGULAIR.

Has anyone experienced hives with Mirena? I had it put in about 7 weeks ago and now I seem to have broken out in hives on my arm. I have not experienced any other significant side effects so far.

I wish I would have read the side effects before trying this med on my 4 year old. I've been receiving complaints from his preschool teachers in the last few weeks about him throwing things, hitting kids and adults, yelling, spitting, name calling and the length of time it takes him to calm down. He can't tell me why he is doing these things but can give me a detailed account of all he is doing and to whom and admits its wrong. I've ignored the messages he's sent me saying his stomach hurts even to the point of crying about it 1 day, complaining of headaches that he is sleepy at home and school no matter how early he goes to bed or how late he wakes, a little vomitting, eye swelling occasionally, stuffy nose, thirst leading to increased accidental bed wetting and all this has been going on since he started the med in late July. I even took him to a child psych who said he couldn't find any reason he would act out and that he is well spoken, mannared, entertaining and knowledgeable for his age. Starting today he will never take this med again! The doctor says give him 5 days for the med to be out of his system. I hope this is the problem and feel terrible for putting him, his classmates, and teachers through this.

Very positive. Took 5mg (1/2 of 10mg) and had good college-era wood for the next 18 hrs. Good for 2x with the Mrs. A little flushing of the face and stuffy nose at first but it went away before show time.

I am a healthy woman and love doing sports. My allergies started slowly since I moved from my country Chile to U.S.A . At first it was a mild congestion, second year congestion and conjunctivitis, third year the same plus sore throat. This year almost asthma symptoms. It was right after running a 4 mile race through Central Park here in NYC. My coughing started very dry and by the third day I was coughing phlegm and I worried because I thought I was having bronchitis or something along those lines. Besides I have a 4 months old healthy baby girl. So I went to the doctor and she prescribed singulair once a day and asmanex two hours before starting to do exercises.
Immediately after taking singulair my itchy and watery eyes stopped and the first day was great. I am on the third day and I am so tired and achy almost as if I am ready to have flu. My stuffy nose is permanent now and at night I am anyway coughing but a dry cough. Because I take the medicine at night I wake up nauseous and with a light headache and also feels like if I have sinusitis. These may be mild side effects but it was recommended by the doctor to ease all these symptoms and I feel completely opposite...All these side effects are listed on singulair but I wonder if a medicine is listing more side effects than benefits...Why anyway goes to the market? I do not like taking medicine and I did took singulair for my daughter to protect her and our family as prescribed by the doctor. I could notice the negative difference right away since I haven't taken any kind of medicine since I got pregnant and even before. Maybe is too early to tell but I know my body and I can tell this medicine is not right for me. I have decided to follow up the treatment for 10 days to see if I notice some other improvements but so far it seems that I am taking medicine to get sick instead.

I must be one of the "unusual" cases. I have been taking Flomax for about 4 years with no significant side effects. It took about 7 days for my system to adjust but after that I have had very few problems. I do have an occasional sinus problem but none of the other symptoms described in these posts. Flomax was prescribed because of BPH and urinary difficulty. It has worked very well for me.

Restless sleep, very sore and aching body, dry mouth, & chills.

BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD! I took this drug today and thought i was going to die from a heart attack. I began getting palpitations and then it progressed into a full blown panic attack. Thank god I had some Xanax to bring down the side effects. But now I just feel out of it and foggy. I almost called 911, it was that bad. I felt like I couldn't breathe, like there was something standing on my chest. I called my doctor right away who said they had no other samples, that Avelox was the only thing they are really getting right now. That seems really odd to me that a drug like this is on the market with so much negative press and yet its all our physicians have on hand for people like me with no insurance. PLEASE DONT TAKE THIS DRUG, it is terrible...

I am starting a new post in the hopes that others will see what I am trying to say about the delayed reaction in those that took Singulair for allergies.

If it is consistent that Singulair does not stop allergy symptoms immediately, then the pathways that eventually stop allergy symptoms involve a change in the mast cell function, development and migration (or some combination).

I asked this question for a reason. Are allergy symptoms stopped immediatedly. My question below:

I have a question that will help me continuing looking for information. I can understand that in the case of asthma that Singulair would provide immediate relief. If it is used for seasonal allergies or other allergies without asthma, does it work right away or does it take a period of days or weeks to be effective? If it takes time, could you tell me how long it took in your situation?

My thinking was going in the right direction if the answer below is consistent of everyone or most.

about 2 hours ago on Apr 11, 2008 by catherineevans, #7045
My granddaughter was put on Singulair for allergy symptoms without asthma. Itching, red eyes, terrible congestion, etc. dark circles under her eyes all the time. When we first put her on this, we didn't see any consistent results for 2-3 weeks, then it seemed to 'kick in.' I don't know if this helps. By the way, she was 9, now she's almost 12 and was immediately taken off when this story came out 2 weeks ago.

Then after seeing one response, I gave my reason for asking.

I asked this question because I have a theory of how montelukast really works for allergies as compared to how it works for asthma.

Asthma is a hyper-sensitive state that gets going because the mast cell has a receptor (the leukotriene receptor that Singulair blocks) that sends a signal along a pathway that causes lung tissue to have that extreme response - the wheezing, the airway constriction.

On the mast cell is another receptor the histamine receptor that causes the secretions that make our noses runs and and stuff up. This is not the same immune response as the asthma response. When I saw a post that somebody's doctor said that Singulair is an anti-histamine, NO it is NOT.

So if Singulair does not block histamine immediately and your child's allergies did not go away immediately, then maybe Singulair is working through some other means such as changing normal mast cell homeostasis.
I know that this seems like "what does this mean?" I am really writing this hoping to God that there are people reading this site that know what I am talking about.

Thank you so much for responding. Your answer actually told me what I wanted to know and confirmed my hypothesis. More answers will help. I hope others respond.

PLEASE respond about the length of time that allergies disappeared if you took Singulair for allergies.

I was on Minocin for acne for almost 2 years. It worked great. HOWEVER I started getting a stuffy nose that wouldn't go away. I went to ENT clinic for about 5 months trying to figure out what was wrong. Then I started getting so tired I could function or even to go to work. At this point I wasn't even thinking it could be the medicine since I had been on it so long. I started having days when the joints in my fingers would stiffen and my knees, hips would stiffen. There were times I could hardly walk. Then my rosecea would flare up really bad. Each place on my body where I had a scar, there would be a perfect round circle around it that would itch. One point they had dx me with cat scratch fever! Symptoms continued and got worse. I was having tightness in chest, shortness of breath and the joint pain would come and go. I was tested for lupus and received a "false postive" reading. At that point I started doing my own research and found out that some meds will cause a drug induced type of lupus. I stopped the med and symptoms went away. They put me on doxycycline and immediately I started getting a stuffy nose and my joints would ache. I can no longer take any meds that are in the "cycline" family. However, I just thougt it odd that I could be on a medicine for 2 years before I had any type of reaction.

This is a very strong and potent medicine. Although it stopped my very severe post nasal drainage, I had such a stuffy nose that I had to take ibuprofen to reduce the swelling. Minor headache but very good over all.

Here's what I got. I got to urinate a little bit easier. I got headaches, fairly intense back aches,all day drowsiness, with inability to sleep upon retiring. I got a stuffy nose along with slightly blurred vision. My energy level and physical output were almost nonexistent and I have become "edgy" while getting annoyed easily.A complete feeling of being uncomfortable and feeling ill. In my opinion the side effects are not worth it.

Many strange things have been happening to me for the last year and a half, that I did not ever experience before. I just turned 38 years old. I am now suspecting these are side effects from the MIRENA. I want to get opinions about what I'm experiencing and what happens when it's removed.

The most profound thing is the feeling of being in a mental bubble. Even though I'm aware of it and I try to be alert, I feel cloudy minded and can't even rely on myself to remember things or commit to things because I never know how I will feel when I wake up each day. Some days are okay while others are completely LOST because I may have struggled to sleep the night before, sweating and soaking my pillow case and waking up with a rapid heart beat, panicking for no apparent reason right out of sleeping. Or, I'm irritable due to discomfort which takes several forms like these:
- major moodiness, like feeling totally peaceful one minute and then something small triggers me and I'm angry for hours, later realizing that I was overreacting
- visibly shaking hands, especially when I drink just 1/2 cup coffee.
- increased oily skin and acne on face, back, shoulders and even in ears, along with thinning hair around face
- fatigue and stiffness in the morning, so it takes me forever to get out of bed
- off and on fatigue that has me uncontrollably dozing off during the day
- bloated tummy (visible), gas and menstrual cramps in no predicable pattern, but I never go more than a week without these things
- strange libido, one day I wouldn't care if I ever had sex again, the next night wake up horny as heck at 2 am
- ears ringing, jaw pain, mystery pains in back and joints regularly

All along I've been assuming these odd things were stress and age related but the more I think about it, there's just too many things, and these things don't necessarily represent the stress of a typical stay at home mom.
Sure, I have had stress and anxiety in the past, but they could always be connected to something large going on in my life. Now, the anxiety and moodiness hit unpredictably and indiscriminately, it seems. For a long time now I feel like I'm a total mess physically and mentally, even more so because I realize something is wrong
I am pretty sure as of right now that I should get this removed. If the symptoms go away I'll then know what caused them in the first place.
I am wondering what happens upon removal, will it also be a roller coaster of physical and mental anguish???????? How long will it last?

Had my Mirena installed in Sept 07 after having a bad experience going back on the pill (LoEstrin 24) for a few months. I am 43, was on the pill for years in my 20s with no issues. After 5 months on the LoEstrin, my blood sugar went through the roof...thought I was having a stroke....never had anything like that happen before, doesn't run in my family. Anyway, decided to try the Mirena. Went through the usual adjustment period....30+ days of spotting, headaches, nausea, dizziness. It got a little better but the bloating remained. Didn't have my first real period until Dec....then another one 3 weeks after that...lighter, but 10+ days long!! Acne has been horrible! Never, ever had that kind of problem before, not even as a teenager. Insomnia almost every night and severe brain fog every day....can't concentrate at work. This past month, the extreme fatigue set in....and to top it all off, the libido is in the toilet....that was enough of that. Went to my OB/GYN for my annual 2 days ago, told him I had enough. I started on my list of side effects and he was finishing my sentences. He said something to the effect of "A year ago, I was really excited about the Mirena, but now, not so much"....he apparently is hearing a lot of this and bless him, he did not try to talk me out of having it removed. After only 48 hours, I feel like that Claritin commercial where the layer of haze is peeled back. Just now starting to spot a little....removal was nothing, just one small cramp. I am happy for those who can use this form of BC without any problems but not all of us can. What's scary about this is that you don't always connect the side effects with the IUD....who would have thought that the stuffy nose had to do with something in that part of your body??? And today I woke up with a clear nose for the first time in months...what a difference. Am expecting the "crash" but maybe I will be lucky and it won't be so bad. It seems that perhaps the longer you have it in, the stronger the crash is. In any event, the difference is already perceptible and everyone around me has noticed. Good luck to all....good health and a good sex life should not have to be this difficult!