Singulair side effects

I have no idea what most of you are saying. My son has cronic severe asthma and there have been times where he has been close to dying. He is 8 yrs old and been through a lot more than most people have been their entire lives. He has been on singulair for about 6 or 7 yrs now and he hasn't any problems with side effects that any of you are talking about. Before he was put on singulair controlling his asthma was almost impossible. For the parents who have not given ao have just stop giving their children their medication just like that. You should talk to you doctors because I know first hand how dangerous asthma can be. If any parent has ever had to rush their child to the ER and then you child was put into the icu for weeks at a time. You will think you lucky stars there is a medicine like singulair out there. Thank You for letting me share my story.

I am absolutely ecstatic to have found this webpage, although I feel like I have lost YEARS of my life to this drug. After reading the online article from The Plain Dealer (newspaper), my mom urged me to stop taking this medication.

I am 25 years old and have been on this medication since I was 12 years old. Over the years I have had NUMEROUS problems including migraines, chronic vertigo, anxiety, severe insomnia, irritability, urticaria, hives, eczema, and all sorts of GI issues ranging from GERD to diarrhea.

I have seen an allergist, a neurologist, a GI specialist, a family physician, a physical therapist (for the vertigo) and have had countless medical procedures ranging from MRI's to endoscopies.

I am horrified that ALL of these problems have stemmed from this one drug. I will NOT be taking my prescribed dosage before bed tonight and will be calling my allergist in the morning to inform them that I am going to quit taking Singular.

Thank you all for your support and for sharing your stories!

My 4y/o son has asthma that was not well under control, so the doctor put him on Singulair and Flovent about 2 months ago. In the first few weeks, he started having severe leg pain. He would be up at night crying. I would massage his legs till he went to sleep. He also started soiling his underwear with small thick amounts of stool multiple times a day; despite the fact that he has large soft bowel movements at least twice a day. His asthma has been well controlled since the start of the medicine. We stopped the Flovent 1month ago to see if the Singulair would continue to control his asthma, which it has. We adjusted his diet, since the doctor attributes his stooling to constipation, which has not helped. He is now frequently peeing his pants and frequently complains of arm and leg pain which comes on suddenly and seems to last for 5 to 15 minutes. I am going to take him back to the doctor for a full check up to rule out anything more serious, such as a spinal tumor, but till then I am going to stop the Singulair and see how things go. I wanted to stop it as soon as the incontinence started, but was afraid of his asthma flaring back up. Is flovent causing anyone's kids any issues. My son also seems to be having trouble getting his words out.

IN THE NEWS: Mentor mom helped sound the alarm over side effects from popular Singulair

Worst night of my life--woke up feeling filled with anxiety, insomnia, had to get up repeatedly to urinate, felt very agitated, though I felt very peaceful & relaxed at bedtime, feet were swollen so badly I couldn't put on my shoes. I took 10 mg of Benadryl, which did not change how I felt. My internist took me off the Singulair immediately, when I contacted him the next morning.

Despite being on an antidepressant which was recently increased, very recently I felt sad, anxious, and was crying all the time, felt irritable, and was chronically tired. I took 400mg of gabapentin (Neurontin), prescribed for nerve pain, numbness, tingling in both hands & feet at 9 p.m. Just before bedtime at 10:00 I'd take 10 mg Singulair. 1-2 hours later I was wide awake, sometimes not sleeping for hours or at all, even after taking 1-2 Benadryl, without the dyes.

Over the past two years I've had eczema, for which I saw 2 different dermatologists and an infectious disease specialist. Eczema was so bad, I couldn't sleep at night. I consulted with every imaginable doctor, including the allergist who prescribed Singulair & was told it couldn't be the Singulair because Singluair was FOR ALLERGIES. Was diagnosed with fibromyalgia by a neurologist, recently had a repeat of an MRI because I couldn't walk the pain was so bad. My neurologist was unable to find any reason I had pain & difficulty walking, after reviewing the results of the MRI.

I've seen my internist for heart palpitations. When I reported urinary frequency, he had me get a cystocopy (negative) because I had hematuria, blood in my urine, and I had weight loss.

I still have many of the side effects, like the numbness & tingling in my feet and hands, however, I am able to sleep through the night and did so immediately after going off the Singulair. A lot of the fibromyalgia pain I was having has subsided, depression, anxiety has subsided as well.

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.

hi i am 39 year old male from uk just stopped taking singular 10mg
been on this drug for about 3 years now side effects have been bad circulation in my legs can only sleep about 2 hour at night then get up
again find it very difficult to get off to sleep feel tired alot of the time my eczema never seem to heal like it use to i cant see no difference with my asthma since being on this drug.
my side effects are tiredness ,rash,irritable,weird dreams and bad circulation in my legs

My boyfriends kids 8 and 6 have been are on Singulair, Advair, Pediatan and Veramyst. Both daughter and son experience restlessness...trouble sleeping, stomach problems, Headaches, daughter especially experiences anxiety and mood changes. So many symptoms I have seen posted here. They have been on these meds for years and take them all every day....I am printing posts and researching info for him to give to his ex to find alternative treatment for their allergies and asthma....any advice or info will be greatly appreciated.
thank you!

My name is Eric, I am 16 years old, I have been taking singulair for about 8 years I think, I was never one for having bad dreams, but that all changed. (right now) I searched on google "Singuliar bad medicine" and I found this forum. I am very happy to know that Singulair could be the reason why I frequently have dreams of myself being killed or people I am close to dying.

When I grew older, I realized that the dreams I had did not match up with any thoughts I had the previous days, this is when I began experimenting with Singulair. I would take it as prescribed, then not take it for X amount of days and would see what happened. After not taking it for 2 days in a row, I slept soundly through the nights and had no dreams at all.

I tell you this now, in hopes that it's not too late.. If you or someone you know takes Singulair, GET RID OF IT. The bad dreams I had were so terrible that often times I would lay in bed and not fall asleep for many hours because I was so petrified of what I might dream about. The dreams I had would seem never ending, and anyone who knows what I am talking about understands that having a long dream can be very painful (I have felt the greatest of physical pain, this mental agony is far beyond anything I could have ever imagined). These dreams still haunt me today and not only that, but they have changed me as a person. I would wake up sometimes from a spaz attack, (arm thrust, kicking motion, because the dreams were so real). If you think mentally you are able to handle this, then continue taking singulair it works miracles, but I promise you the pain will only get worse and worse, thank you for your time, and please talk to me if you have questions, I would love to help.

I stopped taking singular, I never fall asleep in school anymore, my grades skyrocketed. I only have irritated eyes from not taking it, and sadly they hurt ALL THE TIME.

I am 31 years of age an suffer with severe allergies, I was put on Singular about a month ago but didn’t start getting symptoms until 2 weeks ago I thought it was me but I soon realize it was not , I have severe stomach pains I like to describe as muscle spasms’ very painful, I had swollen eyes always puffy and sore throat. I realized that I didn’t start to have all these issues until I started the singular so I stopped 3 days ago and the spasms have since stopped the sore throat is getting better and the puffy eyes getting much better.. My father in-law told me to look up this site and I am so glad to see that I was not the only one and I wasn’t going crazy thanks everyone for sharing your stories
S.

My 4 yr old son was recently put on singulair for his asthma.
He went from being a little boy who settled straight down to sleep at night to a boy who was running around his bedroom very hyper and not being able to sleep at night. After a week of this we started to give him the singulair tablet in the morning and this resulted in him getting in to trouble at school and becoming very aggressive. After 2 weeks he is now completely off singulair and I have my happy little boy back!

I am so glad to have found this site. We are taking my 2 1/2 year old son off Singulair immediately. He has been experiencing a rash on and around his ears, around his hairline, back of his neck and shoulders, down his arms to his wrists and on his face and below his chin - almost everywhere above the neckline. At first we thought it was a reaction Singulair and took him off the medication. When it didn't subside, we took him to his pediatrician's and they told us it was a heat rash due to a reaction to sunscreen and sweat. Since I have had that reaction myself, we agreed with the doctor's diagnosis. We restarted him on Singulair and the rash only got worse. We've taken him off the Singulair and will be contacting his allergy/asthma doctor immediately about this reaction. We are not sure if he has experienced other side effects - we have seen an increase in him crying when he goes down for bed and wanting to snuggle, as well as not wanting to be touched on the legs (not sure if that's due to his scraped knees or not). Unfortunately, it's difficult to get a 2 1/2 year old to tell you exactly where it hurts.
Thanks for the information - we now know that we were correct in the beginning and that our son does not have to go through this any longer and can enjoy his summer.

My husband has been on Singulair for ten years now. It was a miracle drug for us as his asthma and allergies were ruining his quality of life. Little did I know that the Singulair would have such drastic effects as well. He is a police officer who has been through some traumatic events in his career. I attributed his irritability, depression, anger, severe nightmares, heartburn, weight gain, and puffy swollen eyes to post traumatic stress disorder. He stopped taking the medication about two weeks ago after his prescription ran out and he saw the FDA report. He is once again the man I fell in love with. Now I know what has been causing all of the changes in him, and we have decided he will never take Singulair again.

I am a 61 year old female and I had sinus surgery in Sept. 2008 and started taking Singulair about a week after the surgery. I started to gain weight very fast after taking the singulair. I stopped taking the medicine and lost 17 pounds without any strict diet, I started back taking the meds. after being off for about 3 months and have gained the 17 plus pounds back. The singulair helps my allergies but I hate the weight gain.

Extreme aggression and anger in my 2 year old. He has been on singulair for six months now and has been kicked out of two schools for biting and hitting for no reason(sometimes when the victim was asleep). Our allergist told us to take him off the drug three days ago and we can already see much improvement.

My 13 year old daughter has been taking singulair for 8 months, and started suffering from severe depression 6 months ago. We intervened and prevented her from committing suicide, but barely. We never correlated it with the Singulair until a visit with her pediatrician today. I am so sad I want to cry. I am the one that suggested to her asthma specialist that she be put on Singulair. I am so fortunate her pediatrician caught this. We couldn't figure out why her personality suddenly changed.

My 11 year old step-daughter has been on Singulair for 3 years and has had trouble sleeping - waking up 8-10 times nightly, sometimes with terrible nightmares as listed on some of the other posts. Thank you so much for sharing this info. We took her to an ENT today and the only thing they offered was to take out her tonsils and adnoids but the were basically normal - all they wanted was money the way I see it. We are taking her off all her meds tonight; she also takes Asmanex, Nasonex and Allegra.

I have been taking Singulair for allergies for about 4 months. At first I took it in the evening at about 9pm and hour before bed. Almost immediately I felt very tired, sore throat, ear ache, increased tinnitus, irritable, and had aches and pains. So I stopped it for 10 days for it to clear out of my system and started again but this time I took it in the afternoon about 3pm and the difference is amazing, i've had absolutely no side affects, and feel like a new person. Maybe that's what people need to think about doing. The drug is at is most potent for the first 2 - 3 hrs, then slows down, so taking it at night is not a good idea, even though that's how it's prescribed.

I am so thankful that our MANY voices are finally being heard I am grateful that the FDA is finally forcing MERCK to add a warning to its label, but we must still keep fighting until there is a blackbox warning on this medication. My daughter committed suicide after three years of hell on this medication. The world has lost a beautiful, fun, and highly intelligent young woman because MERCK is so concerned about its billions of dollars in sales from Singulair.

If you have had any side effects PLEASE REPORT TO THE FDA! It is up to us to make them aware of how devastating this medication can be.

I can finally taste my food again. My face isn't puffy with puffy eyelids. I actually feel HAPPIER, sleeping real well; no problems

As i read some of the news reports on the new FDA comments,i see we are referred to as a handful of reports,the very words handful conjure up a picture of 10 not the thousands that there actually are.Also i noted missing from the news reports was ,that this drug is largely given to children,as young as 6 months,not for 10 days or 2 weeks but everyday,for as long as they need it.i know myself trying to convince my doctor,that my sons depression,insomnia and anxiety,came from this drug was impossible,so i fired him.I am wishing the best to everyone that has suffered,and ask all to please report your adverse effects to the FDA

Protecting young children,preserving their mental health,should just not be this difficult.

PLEASE REPORT SIDE EFFECTS OF SINGULAIR TO THE FDA: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/medwatch-online.htm.

The FDA is continuing to monitor ongoing reports of suicide and other psychiatric problems.

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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I am 40 years old and recently went to my medical facility as I have had a "viral" ear infection for almost a year now, and it is concerning me. I do not take medication typically. My new primary care provider recommended I try Singulair. So far I have taken three doses over three nights. The first night was horrifying, the dreams I had were so scary, and they were tied into reality which was even stranger as the drug also makes you wake up often, then when you fall back asleep your awake time ties into your dreams. I woke up in a numb state. Since then, I also have been extremely agitated, dizzy, mouth sores, acne, fuzzy thinking, light headed and severe fatigue and body aches. Thank goodness I checked out this webpage, as I too will stop taking this drug. I find it very disappointing, how are we suppose to be able to trust our medical professionals to help us with one of our most prized possessions, our bodies, when we are given something to clear up an ear infection only to have it affect numerous other aspects of our lives to such a serious degree with no mention from our medical professionals. This is ridiculous. I guess I'll live with the viral ear infection.......

My 4 year old daughter was taking Singulair before bedtime (for asthma) and developed vicious bad dreams. I took her off the Singulair and the bad dreams disappeared. Through web forums I learned that this side effect has occurred in many children. For the past 2 months her asthma has been completely controlled through the use of a nebulizer and inhaler. I found out the Pediatricians and Nurses and our care facility were not even aware of this side effect. Why is such a mind-altering drug being prescribed to children? And why does a medicine that produces bad dreams require it to be taken before bedtime? She was also taking Zyrtec to control allergies. Her doctor mentioned that it could be taken any time of day, so we gave her the Zyrtec in the am and the Singulair in the pm. One morning during allergy season we forgot to give her the Zyrtec in the morning, so we gave it to her at night. Five hours later she was crying hysterically! It took hours to get her to calm down, and this girl is a very happy, social, well-behaved and well-adjusted child. I stopped both medicines the next day and within one week the bad dreams disappeared. So I would also cautious parents about Zyrtec as well.

Took it for a week. During the time I developed a sinus headache that would not go away. Sinus pressure, pain, congestion. Today had rapid heart palpitations and anxiety. I called my doctor and he said to stop taking it. I haven't felt like this since before I started taking Wellbutrin. I wonder if it interferes with it. I've read others who take Wellbutrin and after taking Singulair started having depression and anxiety. My boyfriend told me to stop taking it. I'm glad he did! He said when he took it, all his friends noticed major personality changes. It took it 2x/day for 3 months!

Doctors can be quacks and will throw any script your way. Be conscious of whats being given to you and if your Doctor really listened to your symptoms.

I've been taking singulair for a year now and it treats my asthma well but lately I've been having equilibrium problems and strength issues. I never had this before I am a strong athlete and dancer and seems this might be from the Singulair. At first i had no sides effects but lately it's really been bothering me.

I discovered my son's side effects from singulair a little over 2 years ago. He had used Singulair for approx 3 years. I did not recognize that he was suffering side effects until his ped increased his dosage to 5mg. At that point, it was loud and clear. I discontinued the Singulair in March 2007. The most significant improvements happen after approx 3 weeks. He was like a different child. Even after the 3 weeks, it seemed like he continued to improve a little every day.

I can tell you from our experience that my son suffered many, many side effects that i did not recognize. He had nightmares, anxiety, fear, frustration, leg pains, stomach pains, dark circles under his eyes, poor appetite, quick to tears and restlessness...just to name a few. On the higher dosage, he began to have a facial tic, dilated pupils and hallucinations.

I am thankful everyday for this website and some higher power that helped me realize what was going on and get him off Singulair. The first week off Singulair, he slept like an angel. No night terrors, no thrashing in his sleep. Week 2, he continued to improve in so many ways. It was nothing short of amazing. Week 3, he began to realize the changes in himself. Fears were a HUGE side effect for him. During week 3, the fears, ALL of them disappeared. He never spoke of them again. It was very strange and truly amazing.

I don't want to tell you to stop the use of Singulair. Only you know your child's health status. I will tell you that stopping Singulair changed our lives and saved my son. He suffered the assault of Singulair for 3 long years. Good luck to you all and your families. Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

TO ALL

MY SON LOGAN IS SIX NOW AND JUST FINISHED KINDERGARTEN TODAY.
WHEN HE STARTED KINDERGARTEN HE WAS ON SINGULAIR FOR 4 YEARS. HE HAD ALL TH ADVERSE SIDE EFFECTS. TUMMY ACHES, CONSTIPATED, DIARRHEA, LEG CRAMPS TO POINT OF NOT WANTING TO WALK, BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS, HATED EVERYONE, NIGHTMARES, SEES GHOSTS, CRIED OFTEN.

ANYTHING SOUND FAMILIAR. HIS MOTHER THOUGHT HE HAD ADHD OR ASPERGERS AND PEDIATRICIAN AGREED WITH HER.

SOMEBODY THAT I THINK IS SPECIAL FOR ONE WAY OR ANOTHER KICKED ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO INVESTIGATE SINGULAIR IN EVERY ASPECT.

FIRST WEEK OF GARTEN I HAD TO HAVE A CONFERENCE WITH COUNSELOR AND THREE TEACHERS AND HIS MOTHER.
I LET THEM TALK AND EXPLAIN THEIR THOUGHTS ABOUT LOGANS PROBLEMS. I THEN DROPPED A BIG PACKET OF PAPERS ON TABLE ABOUT SINGULAIR AND ZYRTEC. THEY WERE VERY VERY SURPRISED THAT I PRODUCED THIS INFO.

THAT DAY HIS MOTHER AGREED TO TAKE HIM OFF SINGULAIR. IT TOOK ABOUT 6 MONTHS FOR LOGANS ADVERSE SIDE EFFECTS TO SUBSIDE. HE NOW ONLY TAKES ZYRTEC AND IS GROWING SO FAST.

SO PROUD OF THE LITTLE TURD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IM NO DOC BUT HOW DID KIDS AND ADULTS SURVIVE ALLERGIES IN THE OLD DAYS?

GIVE IT TIME LET THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEMS CATCH UP. KIDS DO GET SICK. DO YOUR KIDS A FAVOR AND INVESTIGATE THE DRUGS DOCTORS PRESCRIBE THEM. SOME HELP BUT SOME HURT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TAKE CARE AND GOD BLESS ALL!!

My son was on singular about 4 years ago and i thought i noticed irratability, lack of interest and depression, but he was only 4 1/2 at that time and i couldn't tell. It did relieve his allergy symptoms. We took him off at that time. Now, again put him back on it this past year (he is now 9 years old) and i see again a lack of interest, depression, mood swings, irritability and his teacher just told us that as this year has increased he has changed in his school work as well. As of last night we will be taking him off of this medication for good and will continue to manage his seasonal allergies with an emergency inhaler and zyrtec/claritin type meds. He is sluggish on the baseball field and not as alert (he unusually a natural athlete!) and he seems depressed and withdrawn - which is not his personality. I thought maybe because he was getting older he was changing but now I realize it is again the medication. It is okay for a week or two to get through a cold or high allergy week, but long term I will not have him on this any longer and wish that Merck would make the long term effects clearer to the doctors, patients and public in general. We are fortunate that his allergy symptoms are not as severe as other children and we can go lightly on medications.

My 4 yr old son has been on Singulair for a little over a month...prescribed after asthma attack and severe allergies. He has been a different child, extremely aggressive, out-of-control, and very hyper. I am so tired of having to get on to him constantly, and am realizing he has no control over his behavior. In addition, he just suffered another round of illness, this time also had an ear infection. Now I'm reading respiratory and ear infections are also side effects, how crazy is that?! We are stopping Singulair TODAY...I feel so bad for keeping my child on this medicine at all!!

My 4 year old Son has had diarrhea from about the last 4 weeks... we have started some tests for Celiac disease but today it only occurred to me today that he has been on Singulair for about that time frame... after all the worry and reading these other storied Im even more convinced that it maybe the Singulair..
Im just hoping that someone might read this sometime today or the next couple of days to tell me if when they come off the singulair how long did it take for the diarrhea to pass. My son had is last tablet 2 nights ago ( so he has only been off it so far for one night. But he still has the diarrhea.. should it have started to come out of his system already.

I am 39 years old and very active. I have been on Singulair for about 2 years now. I did not think I had any problems while on the medication because it did help my breathing. I am now on an antidepressant (Lexapro)which I began about a year after I began the singulair. My depression however started almost a year before I actually got on the Lexapro. I had alot going on in my life so I just equated my depression to that. However I am realizing now that maybe the singulair triggered my depression. I ran out of singulair two days ago and am experiencing withdrawal symptoms, extreme tiredness, stuffy head, and I had heart palpitations last night, which I have never had. The withdrawal symptoms are why I began researching the medication because I couldn't understand how being off of it for such a short time could cause such an effect. I was on Singulair once before about 6 years ago before I retired from the military while I was at Ft Hood before I deployed to Iraq. By the time I left Iraq I was on multiple medications, Singulair, Claritin, Advair, Emergency Inhaler, When I arrived in Iraq I became ill and listed my medications. They were in shock and took me off everything except Claritin and I was fine. It wasn't until I returned home I began the Singulair again. (Why? I guess I never equated it to causing my other issues until now), I am also taking Zyzal and Lexapro. I see now that every time I take the Singulair it leads to additional medications to other things. I am going to stay off of it and hopefully be able to wean myself off of the Lexapro as a result. Unfortunately I probably will still need to take an allergy medicine. Thanks everyone for posting this useful information. I have two kids 6yrs and 12yrs and I know now that they will never take this medication. They have allergies like me so it is very probable that eventually it would have been mentioned. The allergist/asthma doctor is adamant the 12 year old has asthma but I never gave him the advair that he wanted him to take because I did have side effects from that medication that I did recognize myself and my son is the fastest runner on his select soccer team and extremely athletic without it, no emergency inhaler needed or anything.

Our daughter is now 5 1/2 and has been taking singulair since she was two, when she was diagnosed with asthma. She also has a slew of food and environmental allergies. It was not until she started taking Advair that her asthma became controlled. Her allergies still seem to bother her occasionally. I feel since her asthma is under control why take two meds? I did not refill her Rx and we are on day two of no Singulair. She's had headaches for two days and feels lousy. After reading the side effects of this drug I may now have answers to the headaches she'd get often and the moodiness and the sleepless nights and the deep dark circles under her eyes and the diarrhea. We'll see what happens in the next few weeks, although I agree that dose of antihistamine now and then is much better than all this other nonsense!

May 25th, 2009
11:20 A.M.

Started Singulair 5/14/09. Within last week or so started having extreme pain in shoulders, hands (especially thumbs), wrists and hips. Put ti down to arthritis. Pain has been getting worse every day. Thought it was a food allergy so stopped eating fruit and have cut out all sugar. Yesterday realized that pain has increased so it wasn't the food. It suddenly dawned on me that it could be the Singulair. Stopped taking it last night and am already much better. Still some pain but not so excruciating.

About a month before my Dr. gave me Advair. After a few days on it, I went to bed and thought I was having a heart attack. Pain across my back and down my arms, up my neck and across my chest. This happened 2 nights in a row and decided to stop taking it. Called my MD and he said to stop it immediately. However, he thought it really might be my heart so I had an echo cardiogram and stress test. They said my heart was perfect. After 2 days off the med had no more trouble..

My take is that these "air" drugs are not for me. My MD is on vacation and won't be back until Wed. I will speak with him then. Hopefully by then all paij will be gone. Will post again to report results of stopping Singulair. Reading all these posts also made me realize my depression, irritability and crying has probably been a result of this drug.

By: Fed Up

im having cough and then wheezing for a couple of minutes. My doctor thinks its common allergies, but I wasn't having my usual allergy attacks. She put me on Singular and It's been 3wks now and I've been feeling worse than ever.

After 5 days of Singulair I acquired Churg-Strauss Syndrome which made my lower legs paralyzed, I acquired Drop Foot, right hand paralysis and Vasculitis. It is a debilitating illness.

I took Singulair for about two years. I had developed these now known to be side effects but at the time nobody including the FDA was either aware or honest about the aggression, agitation and other side effects. I assumed this was all due to stress in my life and since it came on so gradually I did not put 2 and 2 together that it was the medication. I lived for two years being an irritable stressed out pain in the you know what struggling with these major aggressive compulsions. Then I saw a story on the news that the FDA was issuing this new warning on Singulair about the aggressive, anxiety and suicidal side effects of this drug. I stopped taking it that day. Luckily my asthma had been fairly well under control, I noticed no increase in asthma symptoms. What I did notice was I stopped being irritable and constantly annoyed and angry within a few days. I am back to being a mellow person, no problems since I quit this drug. I am horrified they are giving this to children. Both doctors and pharmacists should be warning people UP FRONT of this risk.

my 6 months old son is having flu for past 3 months. He has been taking all the flu medicines but did not work. I went to another pead and he had prescribed singulair oral granules 4mg for my son. I have been giving him singulair since than, for past 5 weeks but i don't see any side effect yet, but i m worried after reading this side. I m confused!! can anyone help? i m from Malaysia. any advice is welcome at ****** .

I've been on Singulair for a few weeks now and just put 2 and 2 together. Since starting this medication my nighttime asthma has improved but I have been very irritable. I have always been a stay at home mom and wouldn't have it any other way but lately I can't stand my children or my husband. They have been driving me crazy. Every little thing they do makes me want to scream. I just want to get out of the house. My husband also tells me I'm losing my mind. He says he has told me things and I have no recollection. I am currently breastfeeding my 10.5 month old who has also been very cranky lately. My 4 year old started Singulair around the same time as me and has been whinny all day and cries a lot. We are both stopping this medication today. I wish I had researched it before we started it.

I have just started my son on Singulair about 1 1/2 weeks . ago. He is also on Allegra plus using the Nasonex. The allergist did warn about all the things that have been reported about this drug. We still decided to try it to see how he responds to it. The number one thing we have noticed is: it has really made a difference in him with his allergies for the good. As in all the things we have heard about behavior issues with others, we have seen an increase in his energy and hyperness but not enough to alarm us yet. We have decided to keep him on it until we see a difference that we feel he is in any kind of danger or anyone else. Hopefully this will not be the case, we all are just getting our exercise which we did prior with him anyways. I hope that a few more positive reports come in, taking any kind of drug you run the risk of side effects. I'm not a fan of taking them but right now they help my son breathe and enjoy being outside where kids should be playing and loving life.

I've been on Singulair 10mg tablets for only 4 days to alleviate seasonal allergies and have been suffering from very bad cramping in my feet, legs, hands, arms and upper body. Additionally I have experienced what feels like bloating and a hardening of the stomach area. On top of all this I've had the craziest dreams!

The upside is my allergies have been relieved somewhat, but these side effects are certainly not worth this additional pain and anxiety I've been suffering. Further reading on Singulair, including this forum, Wikipedia, and other places has left me convinced that this is not a safe medication to be taking (look up churg-strauss syndrome for example) and I will be discontinuing it immediately.

I'm quite angry that doctors are prescribing such a thing when a simple antihistamine would suffice. This also cost me €60 for a 28 day supply.

I have been taking Singulair for one week now due to my exercise induced asthma and allergic asthmatic symptoms. I feel very stressed out and anxious and yell at my parents a lot. Also, I feel kind of paranoid, like I feel as if somebody is watching me at all times. It is scary because I've only been on it a week. Also, my face is red and blotchy and my acne has gone from very little bumps to full blown breakouts all over. I have a barking cough and runny nose now that the doctor prescribed it. When I cough I have a pain on my left side that feels like someone is stabbing me.

I have been on Singulair about 3 weeks and have been having mood swings, irritability, depression and nightmares. My doctor prescribed Singular after I complained about weight gain from Advair. I was diagnosed with asthma after having a bout with pneumonia last December 08.

Although Singulair has helped with my asthma symptoms, I have decided to stop using it after reading some of these postings.

I'm so glad I'm not alone! I am 23 years old and have been thin my whole life (98 pounds). I have been on Singulair for chronic sinus infections for 3 months now and have gained almost 10 pounds (I have never gained weight or had to watch what I eat) and I have intense cravings! I am also experiencing the anxiousness and mood swings that I thought were just because I am a first year teacher. I have not taken it for a few days and my mood and nightmares have already improved.

Consumer Medication Information (CMI) distributed by pharmacies with prescriptions is NOT regulated by the FDA and may not contain a complete list of side effects from the medication's FDA approved label.

CMI is usually stapled to the prescription bag or inside it and is often produced by private companies that provide this information to pharmacies. It is different than a medication guide or patient package insert, which are FDA approved, published by drug manufacturers, and and required to be distributed with certain medications.

You can get accurate medication side effect information from the United States National Library of Medicine's DailyMed website.

I have been taking Singulair since November 08. Over the six months I noticed that I was suffering from depression and increased anxiety, plus an irregular heart rhythm. I experienced nightmares on an almost nightly basis. I have since stopped the medication - the nightmares have gone, the depression and anxiety improve everyday. Hopefully, this will also resolve the heart irregularities.

Tremendous weight gain almost instantly from age 7 to now at age 8-1/2 . When my grandson started this medication we noticed the weight gain. The doctor assured us it had nothing to do with the Singular. We looked on line for information, but could find nothing about weight gain as a side effect. At last it has surfaced that children taking the Singular are also having a weight gain problem. We intend to stop this medication immediately. This is intended for the health and well being of children.

I am 51, when I was a child I had asthma and it went away in my twenties. Yesterday the doctor told me I have asthma and allergies. I took 10mg singulair last night, today I have a sore throat. Is this a temporary side effect that will eventually go away?