Tantrum symptoms and conditions

My daughter is a 4 year old child started on Singulair after she was unable to tolerate Zyrtec. For the first few days her allergies seemed better and we were encouraged by her improved allergy symptoms (allergies to poplar trees, grass, and lambs weed manifest as headaches, itching (usually of the extremities), and stomach aches). However, after 2 days her behavior became increasingly erratic. She was emotional, tantrum prone, irritable, anxious, and had difficulty sleeping although she appeared and said she was exhausted/tired. After several weeks on Singulair, we stopped the medication to determine if it was causing the behavioral and sleep problems. The symptoms stopped after discontinuing Singulair and she went back to her usual happy, well behaved self. After being off of it for several weeks we decided to try it again due to her allergies flaring up and wanting to be sure it was the Singulair causing the behavioral problems (because for all of its negatives, the greatest positive about Singulair is that it definitely helps her allergy symptoms). Unfortunately, the irritability, anxiousness, tiredness, tantrums and insomnia returned. We tried giving it to her at different times during the day but the symptoms were still present (although she slept a little better when we gave it to her in the morning). We also tried cutting the dose in half and giving it to her around noon. Decreasing the dose did help with the symptoms to some degree, but they were still bad enough to outweigh the benefits of taking the drug. As a nurse, I love Singulair for the relief it provides allergy sufferers...unfortunately for my daughter, the side effects outweigh the benefits. Given the rates of ADD, ADHD, and other behavioral problems diagnosed in children nowadays, I thought it pertinent to report these symptoms present in my daughter that are solely caused taking this medication.

My son started taking Singulair in Sept 08 when he was 22 months old. I never really gave it to him consistently, since it was just to help with his reoccurring ear infections. I noticed a little change in his behavior, but I thought it was the "terrible two's". I started giving it to him religiously at the beginning of Nov 08. He had his first meltdown on Nov 15. He was totally uncontrollable. I call it the "Exorcist" tantrum. I took him to the ER, but they told me nothing was wrong. (I did tell the ER all of the medications he was taking.) He started waking up in the middle of the night screaming. Each day, he got a little worse. Defiant, hateful, destructive, etc. He still isn't talking much, so he can't tell me what is going on. Christmas and New Year were horrible. We had NO idea that it could cause mood changes (that is putting it mildly). The pediatrician had no idea what could be causing the behavioral changes. He also started biting his fingernails and obsessing over little things, like the strings hanging off of his blanket.

We decided to take him off Singulair after double checking the side effects. We stopped a week ago, and the change is amazing. He is back to my great little boy. I am sooooo glad that we discovered this after only a few months. I cannot imagine living like that for years.

Two days after stopping the Singluair, I found this website: ******

As I read the different cases, I thought that it was exactly like my son. I was convinced it was the medicine. Each day that he gets better and better-like his normal self- I keep getting madder and madder that no one informed me about the possible side effect. The Dr. did not know nor the pharmacist.

Yesterday, I went to the FDA site to complain about the side effects. It just so happens that the FDA released a statement yesterday that they are still investigating the link between suicidality and Singulair.

We need to let everyone know, that if you are using Singulair, please pay attention to their child's behavior. Some people may be just fine, but others (like my son) are not fine.

I have 2 sons with asthma that have both been taken singulair (the oldest for 3 years & his brother for 2). My younger son's asthma got alot better since he was diagnosed & he was recently taken off Singulair thanks also to my husband hearing a report about the moodiness caused. When he was on it he would cry for no reason, get very irrational & seemed to think the world was against him. In just 2 weeks he is happy & cheerful and has told me he thinks it is due to being off singulair. His older brother's asthma has gotten worse over the years & I'm concerned about taking him off but he too has crazy moods. Just tonight he started a new soccer team & got crazy & suddenly didn't even want to participate in something he loves (wanted me to let him quit right then) until we argued enough he reluctantly participated. He then came home complained of a headache (which is also way too frequent) and now has been asleep for hours. Are there any alternatives to this drug? I'm a stressed out mom that doesn't deal well with these mood swings. He is normally a social butterfly & a sweet kid but lately seems more withdrawn, more irritable (especially tonight) & complaining about leg cramps in addition to these frequent headaches. I can't deal with too many more of these evenings & wonder if all these things are possible side effects. I'm glad to see my other son doing well but miss his normally sweet brother! Even his siblings think he is acting crazy :(

OMG!!! I thought I was the only one feeling like I was losing my mind on this stuff. Since I've been taking Yaz, I've had zero sex drive. If I'm lucky I might get 20min of a good sex drive. I've also had mood swings that make Naomi Campbell look like a two year old having a tantrum. I've had more arguments with my husband in one day, than I've had in our entire relationship. I cry about everything. Sometimes I cry and I don't even know what I'm crying about. Yaz is the worst thing on the market.

I guess I owe my boyfriend (possibly ex-boyfriend now) an apology. I'm in my first week of using the NUVARING and already I've engaged in some erratic behavior. I cry several times a day and feel the urge to throw screaming fits. I am 29 years old and in no way am I a tantrum-throwing type of woman. My 2nd day on NR I became extremely angry with my boyfriend for talking to a girl and I left him to find a ride home from the club. I have been someone completely different from myself these past few days and I couldn't figure out why. I've also been very drained and sluggish. I am so glad I found this page. So I'm not bipolar, NUVARING just makes me crazy.

My daughter has been off of Singulair for about 6 weeks now and is still having "explosive" reactions to minor issues. My daughter's personality is better - no more dark thoughts, etc, but the anxiety/aggressiveness is still hanging on. Anyone having similar issues? We are also still dealing with the OCD behaviors as well. She is 4 and I really think her brain chemistry is still altered. At what point should I recognize that this new child may be my new reality? I would really appreciate any thoughts from those of you that have been off for more than 6 weeks. Are you back to 100%?

My son is three and a half and has been taking singulair for a little over two years. But only when his seasonal asthma flares up or when I know it is that time of year that he has problems. While taking singulair he has always complained of headaches, stomach and leg pains, and of course it never occured to me that it could be a perscribed medication. However after hearing the affect it had on another little girl and that leading me to research it to find all of these postings from other parents. What really brought on the investigation is the last week. My sweet little boy turned into a monster. He kicked, hit, screamed, pinched, bit, scratched or anything he could do to physically hurt you. We were all freaked out by this because he is such a sweet, gentle little boy, one of his teachers made every excuse she could think of. Because this was not in his character at all, then of he did it to her. She described it as a switch going off inside him. I believe he was also hallucinating, he told me someone told him to do it. This is by far the most scary thing I have ever been through and will never give my son singulair again. Further more I am going to pass this information along to all my friends and family and hope and pray that it makes is to everyone so this madness this perscription medication causes.

My 2 year old son has only been on Singulair asthma for 4 days(since Friday March 28th), but he will not be taking it anymore. We have noticed a HUGE change in him in those 4 days. He is having mood swings like you wouldn't believe. One minute he's ok, then the smallest thing will trigger a terrible tantrum, then he has his clinging moments like he's seeking security where he just clings to me. This is totally not normal for him. My parents also noticed a changed over the weekend. He is normally the perfect angel for them, yet threw tantrum after tantrum while they had him. I'm so glad that I thought about his actions being a side effect of the meds and found this website. I'm horrified at all of the circumstances I've read about on here and I hope that all these children who have been on it for years have no long term side effects from the meds. I am currently awaiting a call from the doctor to find out what medicine they recommend to replace it with.

Our 7 year old son has been old singulair since he was about 3. I can't even describe in words how I feel as a parent knowing now what my son has been going through. He (just like the others) has been very emotional and become very timid and has had a couple of panic attacks. I really began noticing it when his doctor bumped up his dose several months ago. He began talking about death and morbid things quite frequently. His doctor also has diagnosed him with ADHD. Over the past several months I took him to the doctor for extreme leg pain and once to the emergency room for crippling abdominal pain. They couldn't find anything wrong with him. We've taken him OFF of singulair forever and few days ago and him bright and positive personality seems like is beginning to come back. I just hope that he has suffered long-term damage from taking this medicine. At this point, we can only hope and pray that everything will be fine.

My 4 year old has been on Singulair for about 6 months or so. He was put on it by his ENT Dr. because he kept getting sinus infections due to his allergies. He also takes zyrtec on the really bad days. We are seeing so many of the same symptoms I just spent the last thirty minutes reading with my jaw to the floor. As He chewed his pill tonight my husband was telling me what he had heard on the news today. I immediately got online to see what I could find. WOW! I would have never thought this could possible be the cause for the angry outbursts, the tossing and turning until 11 pm many nights, the out of control, on the floor kicking and screaming, hitting, throwing anything in his way as he stomps off to his "time out" for throwing this type of tantrum. Could the Singulair really be the culprit? In a way I almost hope this is the case, otherwise we will have to continue with our recent discussions of getting him in to see a Psychiatrist.
I graduate nursing school in 5 weeks and have learned about many types of medications and all the "common" side effects of them. I never would have put two and two together that these behaviors could have been linked to an allergy medication So, tomorrow night we start an experiment and will not give the Singulair. We'll see what happens...

My daughter who is 8 has been taking singulair for about 3 years. Her behavior has changed so much and the doctors said it was normal kid things......
She went from a sweet child to one who seems to have these horrible mood swings which cause her to lash out and say mean things, nobody loves her, she wants to run away, she hates me. She gets so angry and slams doors and acts like a child having a tantrum. She has had stomach problems which we went to doctors/specialists for a year......stomach aches at night/sometimes 24 hours a day. She has nightmares and wants me to sleep with her. She does not want to open her curtains because she thinks monsters will come in the windows. She has bad OCD related to germs. She now wants me to go with her when she plays at a neighbors house, she seems to want to know I am close by.
She is very independent and to start this clingy behavior this past year is not normal.
A relative is a doctor and thought my daughter has a touch of ADH but she is honor roll and very well behaved in school so maybe my relative is noticing anxiety in her. I need to call the doctor today and take her off this. I don't know if there is another medication to put her on or if she should be on it. She takes qvar and abuterol inhaler along with claritin D.
I just feel sick reading all these horror stories. I was being told her behavior is normal tantrums to get our attention. Now I know none of this is true.

My son has been on Zyrtec for the past year - he is now 4. He the sweetest disposition one minute and is a monster the next hating us and wishing we were dead. We assumed that it was his age and possibly a behavior disorder until I read the other entries. We took him off immediately and he is back to the kid we lost last year. This needs to be taken seriously. When I researched the side effects on the drug website they do not mention behavior issues as a possible side effect. My son will live with a runny nose and a smile on his face.

If anyone could see me right now they would know I am about to blow my head off. Two weeks ago my 28 month old daughter was taken to her doctor by her father. He said she has allergies. She came back with prescriptions for Nasonex and Singulair. I thought this was odd because I RARELY hear her coughing but apparently her doctor says she is wheezing and could develop Asthma. So her father was giving her the meds and this week she came back home for school. Now I know every toddler has moments and tantrums but this week I saw my happy, loving, well behaved daughter have her very first tantrum for no reason at all. She has been falling asleep in preschool, complaining that she is sick, that her tummy hurts, sleeping 11 hours a night, 2 hours in school and still falling asleep everywhere else. She has been moody, irritable, and uncooperative about absolutely everything (so unlike her). I told her father I was not going to give her Singulair anymore and of course since "doctor knows best" she is back with him for the weekend and he is giving her Singulair. I AM LIVID!!!!! I thought maybe I was being unrealistic as a parent to expect my daughter to always be sweet and well behaved but after reading these other posts I am sure that for at least this case, mother knows best.

My 3-year old daughter has had recurrent bronchitis and allergies for over a year now. She's been on antibiotics constantly, and we're looking at having her tonsils removed. Her ped suggested that maybe she has asthma and her infections are secondary to that, so maybe try Singulair. We filled the prescription, but I didn't give it to her based on what I read here.

During the next few months, we repeated bronchial infections and antibiotics. Finally we had to try prophylatic antibiotics. She got all gunky and wheezy again...but no fever so at least no infection but she was obviously wheezing and congested, so we decided it probably was asthma and decided to try Singulair (this was earlier this week). Not only has she recovered from her latest congestion problem quickly, her behavior has actually improved (?) as in only 1 tantrum in the last two days, her appetite is way up, and she actually slept through the night last night (first time in 3 years). I think she feels so much better, and it has so far been wonderful for her.

My daughter is 5 years old and has been on singulair for 1 week. i have already noticed a dramatic change in her behavior. she has become irritable, mean, nasty, and emotional. she has had me in tears on a daily basis. she has turned into a monster. we will be calling the doctor in the morning!

My son has been on Singulair for over a year now, and I'm beginning to wonder if the medicine is what his problem is. He's in the third grade, and is struggling really bad in Math. He also has little tantrum fits, and doesn't seem to listen as I think he should. I'm having him tested for a learning disability, but I just wonder if it's the medicine? He was put on it for the Chroop, he seems to get it really easy, and I'm afraid to take him off for fear he might get the Chroop again. I don't really know what to do.
Concerned Mom`

My 2 year-old daughter is having similar behavior issues to those described here. Her doctor put her on Singulair in the spring, and we noticed a change in her behavior, so I took her off of it. Now, after having more asthma symptoms, a new pediatrician prescribed it to her again. When I told the doctor that it had turned our daughter into a monster when she took it before, the doctor said she didn't believe it was the medicine. Well, after one day of taking it this time, I told my husband that I was having deja vu, that our daughter was behaving exactly the same way. He said, "Well, she IS two"--implying that he didn't believe it was the medicine either. Well, yesterday, when he came home from work while she was in the middle of a horrible fit, he said, "Don't give her Singulair again." She is normally a sweet, well-rested, sociable little girl (yes, she is 2, but even if she throws a tantrum, she can usually be reasoned with or distracted. . . but not on Singulair). On Singulair she's a tantrum-throwing mess.

My seven month old son was prescribed Omnicef for an ear infection four days ago and it was the worst experience we have had yet...worse than colick and worse than reflux. My son who is normally extremely happy and easy going became a monster. He wouldn't eat, wouldn't drink and wouldn't sleep. He would throw a tantrum and swat his bottle out of my hand he wouldn't let me rock him or put him in the bed. He acted like he had gone mad and was very aggressive. It was a horrible experience. I called the doctor back after only one day of being on the medicine and they told me that these weren't side effects of the Omnicef and it was probably just his ears hurting to give it a couple more days. This behavior continued until today when I refused to give him another dose and told the nurse so...she asked if he was on any other cold medicine etc...and he wasn't so they prescribed him augmentin which is what we normally take and have never had a problem. I will never give this medicine to my child again and am not sure I will ever take it myself for sinusitis again either. He also experienced red looking stools but I can't swear that it was bloody but it was definitely a rusty red.