Daughter just turned 2, started Singulair on her birthday, so it ...

We put our son on Singulair when he was 3 1/2 because it was easier to give him a pill than try to get him to use an inhaler. I wish I had never made that decision. I didn't know about any of the potential psychiatric side effects of this drug, and my son did not exhibit an immediate, dramatic, or alarming change in behavior or mood. But during the 5 1/2 years he took it, he developed numerous behavioral, emotional, and neuropsychiatric issues that worsened with time. By the time I discovered Singulair could cause these things I was convinced and petrified that he was mentally ill. After a few days off the drug his symptoms started to go away.

Looking back, one of the reasons I didn't make the connection between Singulair and his behavior sooner was because preschoolers and young children are in a constant state of developing and changing behavior. I attributed his behaviors to everything but his medication. Looking back, the earliest problems he had were difficulty falling asleep and abnormally intense temper tantrums.

Please visit www.parentsforsafety.org and familiarize yourself with the information on the "Adverse Reactions" page so that you will have the knowledge to immediately spot an adverse reaction if one occurs. We also post additional side effects reported by parents that are not on Singulair's label but nonetheless have happened to children while taking singulair and went away when they stopped.

The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP)
recommends that for all age groups, inhaled corticosteroids are the most effective medication for long-term control. Every parent of an asthmatic child should read this report: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/asthma/asthgdln.htm

Best wishes to you and your little girl.