My son age 3 was diagnosed with asthma about a year ago. Since t...

Good luck to you you are in a pickle,this med does do wonders for astma but the side effects are horrific,we had a specialist,he still gives the med,all you can do is be verbal,i printed of a lot of concernedcitizens research and presented it to my docs,they still say the connection is still under investigation, not in my house the connection is made

Any decent doctor would allow you to get a second opinion. Many good doctors recommend you getting a second opionion. Does your dr have too big of an ego or what?? Can you switch doctors? Our pediatrician and Allergist AGREED with me taking our son off Singulair. At first the allergist said "well, it is a small percentage that this has affected, blah blah, blah until we said that our son has had temper tantrums beyond his years, anxiety, nervousness all the time and then recently started to talk about wanting to go to heaven, --we have been living w/ this for years AND I always wrote it off to ...oh he has allergies and asthma and doesn't feel well a lot.... SINGULAIR is a dangerous drug and the doctors only read what they are given. You have to read all these postings from parents for first hand experiences of what the drug has done to their children. I go by what is written here, not what comes out in research. There is so much hidden from us!!! Our son was on this drug for YEARS!! Good luck. You have to just keep fighting this yourself and if your dr doesn't agree --find someone that WILL LISTEN TO YOU. Think about this........Many people dealt w/ asthma BEFORE SINGULAIR ever was on the market so what meds did they take???? SINGULAIR is not the ONLY answer for helping w/ asthma. Good Luck........ At least we all have these postings to read. I read these postings EVERY DAY!! bye

Your situation is really a good opportunity to recap what we have been saying here. I think that we all agree that Singulair is not the right drug for everybody. Here are some very good points and questions to ask.

1. Your son is diagnosed with asthma. What tests have been done to determine why your son has asthma? What are his lists of allergens? Does your son also have food allergies that contribute to his misery? You have a perfect right to know exactly what causes your son's problems. Nobody should shove a pill in your face like a big bully. Once you know what is causing the problem then you can make a very big effort to do everything possible to help your son. All of the articles on allergy promote that one of the best things anyone can do is to reduce exposure to the allergens. If it is dust mites that causes an issue, get dust mite mattress covers, clean the rugs with dust mite carpet cleaners, get a hepa filter air cleaner for his bedroom. Another problem is common mold. We don't really acknowledge this but dust and pollen are covered in millions of mold spores. Dust mites live with a mold called aspergillus. Dust mites don't have a digestive system so they rely on aspergillus to live. Something like the good bacteria in our digestive system helps us metabolize. If your doctor refuses to identify your son's allergens prior to treatment, call the insurance company for a referral to somebody who will. You have a right to know how to help your son. If changing his diet and environment helps him without daily meds, you have a right to know that BEFORE being stuck with a pill.

2. Ask your doctor if he is aware that even Merck has recognized through their recent studies on Singulair that the efficacy of Singulair is highly dependent upon genetic factors. Go to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia post on this site. A very famous researcher Hakon Hakonarson (I wonder if his parents ran out of first names. He must get teased a lot.) is compiling data with the purpose of determining what genetic profile is best for what asthma and allergy medications. I bet that your Dr. BOOB has no idea of that because he just reads the newsletters from somewhere. So we don't really know if your son would be a good candidate for Singulair or not. But if we take that factor under consideration from the beginning, we have a better chance of finding a good match for YOUR son. You only need to concern yourself with your son. Medications are not one size fits all. There are studies from Canada that say that if Singulair is the right medication for an individual that it will be effective within the first two weeks or so. If it doesn't work right away, it is not a match and can be harmful to the patient. This is a proven fact that there is a genetic component to Singulair's efficacy.

3. You also have the right to know that Singulair does change the immune system. Singulair is not an anti-histamine. Singulair was made to block leukotrienes. Singulair also does not prevent the actual acute asthma attack. Even Merck's original research says that they acknowledge that the acute asthma attack is probably caused by histamines and prostaglandins. The product literature warns not to rely on Singulair to mediate an acute asthma attack. Singulair is for the inflammation of the lungs caused by immune system cells that leukotrienes attract to the area of inflammation. In other words, macrophages and eosinophils are told by leukotrienes to go to the lungs. These cells secrete chemicals that nature designed to kill micro-organisms. The theory of Singulair is that blocking leukotrienes will prevent excessive numbers of these cells from doing damage to the lungs. Blocking leukotrienes can be both good and bad. Leukotrienes are essential to fighting viruses, molds, yeasts, mycobacterium etc. If your son's problems are caused by micro-organisms, YIKES, Singulair would only mask the symptoms by blocking leukotrienes. Many doctors in Great Britain do not recommend that children be on constant medication for asthma/allergies for fear of suppressing the natural way that the body builds up immunity to viral infections. Those doctors do courses of therapy with time off. European doctors seems to be more aware of the long term approach to medicine- the entire person as a whole. American doctors seem to be symptom specific. You got a symptom - here is a pill. Then people end with 12 pills for every day sometimes.

3. Singulair is a category of drug that does cause allergy reactions. It is a quinoline. It can cause the same kind of allergy reactions: hives, headache, vomiting, intestinal cramps, diarrhea that any antibiotic-anti-fungal in the quinoline/quinolone category can. It is not an anti-histamine. It is an anti-leukotriene. Why a quinoline binds to the leukotriene receptor and blocks leukotrienes is a story for another day.

3. Many doctors have become confused by product literature that recommends Singulair for seasonal allergies. The reason that Singulair could be good for seasonal allergies would be in certain individuals who are highly sensitive to the pollen/mold connection. Pollen is covered in mold spores. In wet humid weather, molds are pervasive everywhere. Some people are highly sensitized and over-react. If an individual is only having a histamine reaction like sneezing, red eyes, clear mucous from runny nose, etc and does not show signs of reactions with the lympocytes, then why use Singulair and interfere with their immune system? There are plenty of drugs just for histamines.

4. There are many people who have suffered documented neurological and psychiatric side effects from Singulair. The Swedish pharmaceutical industry regulating body has recommended that Singulair be studied in children because they noted that they have received an excessive number of complaints. These complaints are not anecdotal. Singulair can cause horrible night mares, aggressive behavior, depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. All of the European countries have acknowledged that these complaints are valid. European countries acknowledge that the incidence of headache as a side effect is 18% of those who take Singulair. If all neuro-psychiatric complaints are added together the incidence is estimated to be 10%. They are going by reported complaints by doctors and pharmacists. This information can be found in earlier posts.

You have a right to the disclosure of all information about Singulair that could affect your child's well-being. These points are documented but no where will they be found in Merck's product information. In my opinion, if pushing pills without supporting the doctor with everything that is known in the scientific community that will help the doctor prescribe properly, then Merck is just like some drug pusher out on the street. Doctors have a right to know about every new study that concerns how patients react to a drug.

So the bottom line is to find a doctor who wants to behave like a scientist not a pill pusher. As soon as you know what causes your son's asthma symptoms, you will be in a better position to know what to do about it. Do surgeons remove gall bladders just because somebody complains about acid reflux? NO. I hope not. I am sure that you don't want to confront Dr. BOOB will everything that he does not know about Singulair. If you are in a medical plan and he is the gate keeper who controls the traffic flow to specialists, then call the insurance company for a referral to an allergist who can test your son. If that doesn't work then, maybe the insurance company can get you another gate keeper who will be willing to provide the opportunity to make informed choices concerning your son's treatment options.

Ossie, obviously get a new pediatrician. You should not need a referral from anyone to get a 2nd opinion or see a specialist - pulmonary, allergy, or internist. As a life-long asthma sufferer whose asthma turned into COPD, I will advise you of the steps you must take or your child will develop COPD at an early adult age - I know all too well from experience. Fortunately, the majority of children outgrow asthma, but an increasing number, like me, worsen as they age.

1. Remove ALL allergens from your home. Tobacco smoke, pets, rugs & carpet, curtains, any item that attracts and holds excessive dust, dander, dust mites, air particulates. Sadly, just keeping pets outside will not do the trick. Allow one or 2 stuffed toys that can be washed frequently. Remove from the yard all grasses and other plants that produce micro-pollen (the small pollens are generally the ones that cause allergic reactions). Purchase window coverings that are simple, such as pleated blinds - clean them frequently.

2. Never use any sprays in the home - cologne, air freshener, hairspray, cleaning products. What you put into the air, your child will inhale.

3. Run an air purifier in the child's room. Make sure there is plenty of fresh air circulating.

4. Immediately see a qualified nutritionist (not an "organic" health food naturopathic nut, but a mainstream expert) and place your child on a healthy diet. Foods rarely cause asthma attacks (occasionally shellfish or peanuts), but you may want to eliminate most foods for a few weeks other than staples that generally do not cause childhood allergies: potatoes, soy milk, apples, celery. Work with the nutritionist and an allergist as you add foods back into the diet: bread (gluten allergy), chicken, dairy, eggs, et al. Add one food at a time for a week. Closely monitor your child's reactions. The asthma may be exacerbated by foods.

5. Insist the new pediatrician prescribe a nebulizer ("breathing machine") to give your child a breathing treatment with albuterol in the morning and before going to bed at night.

6. Clean or replace all air vent filters monthly, rather than annually.

7. Use only allergen resistant pillows and bedding.

8. Use fragrance-free soaps, shampoos, and laundry detergents.

9. Start your child on a swimming program. Unless chlorine bothers your child, swimming is an excellent exercise to increase lung capacity and strengthen muscles (esp. the heart) without placing excess strain on the heart and lungs.

10. Avoid giving your child a potentially asthma inducing drug, such as aspirin (should not be given to children for any reason).

11. Avoid situations where your child is exposed to very cold air.

12. Last, the family needs to practice excellent hygiene and you should be cognizant of viral infections outbreaks to try to keep your child away from them. Viral infections can trigger life-threatening asthma attacks and cause chronic asthma. Colds, influenza, and other viral diseases are difficult to avoid, but you can be vigilant, have your child vaccinated, properly wash hands (wash hands with soap under running water while singing Twinkle Little Star twice through), and keep your home clean.

Good luck.

Fire your doctor and do NOT accept his recommendation. I've communicated directly with Leslie Hendeles, Professor of Pharmacology and Pediactrics at the University of Miami. His direct quote to me was "Singulair is not an important drug for pediatric asthma as are inhaled corticosteriods. If we took all of our patients off it today, they would not suffer".
Do not let your doctor put your son on Singulair. See my other posts under matthewct1