Singulair and antibiotic

My son has been on Singulair for about a year and a half...it really seemed to help his allergies...at least at first. This winter has been very dry and I have been having to give him other over the counter allergy medication as the Singulair isn't helping much. He also started losing weight..just not hungry. At first that was ok as he needed to lose a little but then he was getting too thin. He wasn't eating much at school but refused to take a lunch from home. I took him to the doctor just recently to see if he was physical ok since I didn't know what was causing the weight loss. The blood testing showed everything was normal and I just told him he had to start eating better...he has somewhat...but also he finally told me he has been feeling very depressed...seriously depressed and having suicidal thoughts too due to some kids picking on him at school.

I knew there were problems as he complained alot but I had no idea it was this serious. I have taken him out of that school. Right now I don't know if the Singulair could be adding to this depression or if its all just due to the bullies. While he complained a lot he never acted as if it was bothering him that badly or I would have gone to the school about it. Anyway I stopped the Singulair and am going to see if his mood improves or not. After reading some of the scary posts on here regarding the side effects I am wondering if this is a good idea stopping it or not. I am waiting for a call back from his doctor on it. Since its once a day..its kind of hard to wean them off of it...but I could cut it in half ..do that for a few days, then cut it smaller and so forth. His is chewable so I could do that with no problems. He is 13.

PRAISE GOD for all of the stories shared on this site. And I've only read page one. My husband called me back today to say that he "googled" Singulair and found some interesting things (to say the least). While we were on the phone, my three-year-old was in the throes of another meltdown, kicking me, hitting me, throwing whatever he could get his hands on. My older two boys, 8 and 12, were ordered, once again, to lock themselves in their rooms to avoid being hurt by him. He will throw stuff, bite, hit, kick, and, at times, spit on us. This disturbing behavior is rather constant lately. He is like a mad man. Very scary.

Caleb has been on Singulair since about age 1, when he was diagnosed with chronic sinusitis and allergic rhinitis. Unfortunately, we initially equated his rages with the onset of "terrible two's" and dismissed his behavior to a chorus of "oh, he's just a boy!" My husband felt, at times, that I was just not disciplining him properly. I intuitively knew, having raised two other boys, that this behavior was abnormal, even for severe tantrums. We received a variety of suggestions from his pediatrician, caregivers, and grandparents, all to no avail. We have several calm days but things always deteriorate back to insanity. He is VERY unpredictable.

Last Thanksgiving, Caleb (age 3) was kicked out of his daycare setting for biting and hitting. Once I witnessed him run as fast as he could into a group of playing children, falling on them, kicking them. He would walk up to sweet little girls half his size and push them down as hard as he could. It was a nightmare. My husband had to take 3 weeks of leave to stay home with him while we prayed and searched for new care. We had him evaluated and he was staffed into the "developmentally delayed" program in our school district (for poor adaptive skills and personal/social behaviors). We recently had his tonsils removed, hoping that some of the sinusitis symptoms and behaviors would improve. They really haven't. This past week we have been looking into the Feingold diet. We have been PRAYING for answers. The last time we spoke with his developmental neurologist, he recommended a trial of Risperdol (sp?). We feel like more meds would be like a band-aid, not a solution. But his rage is becoming unbearable.

So, that brings us to today. I was so moved by your accounts. Unlike so many of you, we don't have much of a "before" to go by. But his "after" sounds VERY much like what you have all described. It's probably the pure rage that I see on his face that is the scariest part. And at the same time he seems desperate and vulnerable. He truly seems to snap. If we had pool chairs, I can just picture him throwing them (citing another post :).

We are going to throw the Singulair away. He will never, ever have it again. Even if this isn't the cause of his problems, I certainly don't want to exacerbate any behaviors with this toxic medicine. I will post again just to let anyone who's interested know if this changes his behavior. I am praying that my entry will help someone else, just as all the other postings have helped me. I have renewed hope.

I have copied many of your comments to a Word document. I will be sharing it with a high ranking officer at the medical clinic/hospital on Keesler Air Force Base. I hope that he will discuss this with his staff and that perhaps we can at least make a difference here. I, too, will be filing a report with the FDA. I can only pray that this medicine has not permanently altered his developing brain.

I keep reading of all those that are taking their children off Singulair, but I'm really curious as to what happens next. Are you all searching for other meds. or going to fish oil and vitamin D (heard that may help immune system) ? Are you having difficulty telling your doctor that their advice failed you? I'm at a lose as to what to do next...especially because we can't tell the doctor it didn't work, just that we are not taking the gamble.

I am not a 100% sure the experience I had was due to Singulair but it appears to be. Singulair was prescribed to me for "walking pnemonia". After a couple of days on the medications I was taking, I started experiencing pain in my knees and muscles in my lower legs. My left leg was worse than my right. After 3 days, I could barely walk and the pain was severe. I forgot to take my medicine one day and the next day my knees were much better and had less pain. I just thought I was getting better but the next day when I started the medicine again, the pain came back. I remembered when my son was on Accutane he had similar knee and leg pain because of the dryness caused by Accutane. So I kept taking the antibiotic I was on and stopped the Singulair. The next day I felt much better. On the second day I hardly had any pain at all. I was curious if anyone else had this type of side effect. Most of the postings I have seen have dealt more with depression in teenagers. I am 55.

I would be interested to know how many of those who took Singulair needed to take antibiotics more frequently than they did before they took Singulair. I'll see the response then I will tell you why if it turns out that is a predictable side effect.

I went to the dermatologist and was diagnosed with a severe case of hives/rash. Has anyone ever been prescribed Singulair in combination with Xyzal for hives? He also prescribed Tagamet for the stomach problems apparently these two drugs can cause. I am very afraid to take this but talked to two different doctors that are telling me to take my medicine and are getting angry at me for not wanting to take it an are getting impatient with me for being scared about it and asking questions. I was also prescribed a Lidex cream that has steroids in it even after telling the doctor that I just got off Prednisone for a sinus infection last month and had a really bad reaction to the Prednisone (steroid). He still gave me the steroid cream and said "this is a topical you won't have any side effects with this and your reaction couldn't possibly have been from the Prednisone, it had to be from the antibiotic" If anyone has heard of or taken the combination of Xyzal and Singulair for hives or skin problems please post me a response before I go get these prescriptions filled. All four of these will cost me almost $100 because the Xyzal is $40 and the Singulair is $25, they do not offer a generic for these two money makers. I have insurance and still will cost me a hundred for all four (steroid cream and Tagamet as well). Please someone let me know about this combo and if you have been given for hives as well. I don't know why I am given the Singulair at all. It causes hives in some people from what I have been reading. I can see the Xyzal because it is an antihistamine, that's fine but the Singulair seems to be a cause of hives. Doctor mentioned something about H1 and H2 inhibitors or something but said it so fast and speaks with such an accent I couldn't understand what he was trying to tell me. Please help before I get really bad reaction and have to go to ER like last month with the Prednisone. Thank you and God Bless.

IA huge thanks to you guys for putting this info out there, because I'm sure the Singulair website wouldn't go into detail about this, and tell about side effects it has: FYI -->

This was what I found on the Singulair website, no more, no less (see post below this one please)

'm really sad to hear that these things happened to you guys and your children.

My 8yr old (55 lbs) son got a cough that ended up lasting about 4 weeks, so i finally took him to his pediatrician. He gave him a breathing treatment and hinted at him having asthma- but he wasn't sure. We have no family history of asthma and in my mind i thought it was pretty far fetched, but we continued the breathing treatment for about 2 weeks and my son cleared right up.

We came back in the Friday after Thanksgiving for a check up and his doctor said that my son sounded much better. The doctor said that looking over my son's medical history (not much of anything) he said he could have asthma-but he wanted to put him on Singulair for the next 3 months until the winter is over.

He said it would be a preventative measure to keep my son's symptoms from "flaring" up. The doctors said " This is not a steroid, and there are NO side effects. Its a once daily chew able for children." I thought-hmmm that's a first, a drug with no side effects. Then I was thinking" "What symptoms was the doctor referring to?" He had a really bad cough he got while visiting his dad's family (bug going around). But I held my tongue and just nodded. He wrote out the prescription, and I left. I heisted as I pulled out in front of the pharmacy and then kept driving.

I felt uneasy about the whole thing. Giving him a daily medication for a condition (asthma) I doubted my son had. Glad I did my homework, I decided to not fill the prescription. I don't feel the least bit guilty for not giving him the meds.

In late March I went to my Doctor for allergy Meds. He prescribed Singlair. Within two weeks I began feeling as though I had an upper Resp infection (I did have one). My Doctor put me on Levaquin an antibiotic. Then I began feeling as though something was crawling all over my face,& my face began to burn. I went to the ER one week later & was informed that I had Pneumonia. Along with the antibiotics I was still taking Singulair & albuterol inhaler & Allegra D & Histanex cough medicine. I have had Pneumonia 2x before but this time was 2x as bad. It lingered on for over a month. Then I started to smell really bad odors kinda of like a sweaty locker room. I called my Dr's office his nurse thought it was weird & never heard of it before. Then I lost my sense of taste & smell. Finally I went to my Dr on 5/17/07 he informed me that if my sense's doesn't return in 3 weeks to notify him & he would order a CT scan. The scan was ordered & was negative. I still have no sense of smell or taste. Dr's nurse thinks it is psychological. I went to ENT Dr was given a steroid which didn't work. My Dr also asked me to try nasonex nasal spray but that doesn't work for me. Now it is August 1st & my senses have yet to re-surface. Although I can taste sweet, bitter & sour but couldn't tell you what it is I am eating. I also suffered pains in my legs & feet, was really exhausted & had bad dreams.
Please reply if anyone else is or has suffered the way I have & continue to suffer.

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!

I agree with guest 33852 about the burning and the frequent trip to the bath room. I have a 3 year old and see spent 3 days in the hospital and many trip to the emergency room due to her weezy and not able to get it controlled with breathing treatments. So she has been on singular now for 3 weeks and ever since she goes pee some times 10 times in one hour and always complains of it hurting down there. So I asked the doctor when we where still in the icu of this and he said the antibiotic she was on would take care of it. It still happen after that. So I took her to her ped doctor and they did a urine test and nothing but it still has yet to go away. She also Is not listening she seems really silly and she has been complaining of being scared ever since and shes never done that before. So I have a appointment with the asthma specialists and I am going to get her on something else. Singulair is horriable and I think doctors are just throwing it at everyone who has asthma. My brothers on it and the doctor tried to give it to my two other kids who don't have asthma ( but have a dry cough through the winter).

My wife has mild asthma, but with a history of chronic bronchial problems: whenever she has a "cold" the accompanying cough goes on for weeks, and she is unable to bring up her secretions.

For several months she has taken Singulair on a daily basis, as prescribed by her allergist. This, along with occasional Alupent, has kept her asthma in check.

But with the current viral URI, her throat has been "tight" and sore for a period much longer than one might expect, and her cough has gone on for three weeks. There doesn't seem to be a bacterial component here, which would indicate using an antibiotic; it is mostly the irritation of her throat, and the constant cough that's a problem.

Anyone else using Singulair have this happening? The side effects given on the stuffer are so broad that they're difficult to interpret.

Hi, my 6 yo son started on the 4 mg singulair about three months ago after being hospitalized for three days due to a seizure. After many tests and massive iv antibiotics it was determined that his sinus infection (for which he was taking an antibiotic at the time) had irritated his brain and caused the seizure. He has struggled with sinus infections ever since age 1 and taken way too many antibiotics. After starting the singulair we noticed that the next time he got a cold his nasal passages stayed open and after blowing green mucus for about three weeks he was better without an antibiotic. We thought singulair was a God send. But out of the last nine weeks, he has had green snot coming out of his nose for six of them. He also frequently complains about mucus in his throat. But the thing that sent me searching on the internet was that now he is complaining of stomach pain. I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place. He can't handle any more antibiotics, but I don't like what the singulair is doing to him either. I welcome any thoughts. BTW, we did have him allergy tested recently and he his highly allergic to dust, but nothing else.

Julie

My daughter has been taking Singulair for about 2 months. She now has hives or a rash on her face, arms and legs (and some in diaper area). She is on an antibiotic for a chronic sinus infection as well. The doctor says it is impetigo but her "welts" are not oozing. I am putting Bactroban on it and will see if it help. My worry is that it is really hives from the Singulair. Wouldn't her antibiotic help the impetigo?

I started with a cold last week. On Wednesday (June 15, 2005) my doctor gave me some cough meds. Then I went back on Friday, still ill. He prescribed Zurtech (SPELLING?) Antibiotic? And some other breathing med that starts with a "V" I belive... and Singulair. I took it, laid down. FIVE min later, I sat up in bed. My throat had closed and I was having a hard time breathing today. My 12 year old had to call 9-11. When they came they couldn't understand what was wrong with me. My BP was like about 178/100 (That afternoon it was 122/70) and my pulse was even elevated. My lungs were totally clear. They had me sign a release of liability and then left. When I looked on the net I see that this drug CAN cause the throat to close! NO MORE OF THIS FOR ME!!!!!

Coincedence? Maybe. I have chronic sinusitis. My doctor prescribed an antibiotic for my infection and Singulair (double dosage) to help with my sinusitis. After 3 days I got muscle aches across my back. I stopped all medication. My doctor said it must have been the antibiotic, Singulair would not do that. A month later he encouraged me to go back on Singulair. I was also taking antibiotics again, a different one than previously. Same thing happened. I got muscle aches across my back, but a little worse this time. I came off the Singulair, and the muscle aches disappeared. About a week later, my asthma was acting up. My family doctor suggested I take Singulair, but only the regular dose. I seemed to be doing fine. My ENT doctor wanted me to increase the dose again. He did not believe Singulair caused any problems and if I was handling the one dose per day, the muscle aches would not have come from Singulair. I increased my dose and within three days I began to get muscle aches all over and flu like symptoms. I now have pneumonia. Maybe all this is coincedence, but I will not touch Singulair again!

My 11 son started taking Singulair for asthma the same day he started IV Claforan for Lyme disease. The daily headaches got worse after a couple of days on Singulair and the anxiety was intolerable. He missed a lot of school. I and his doctor both suspected a Claforan reaction and never considered Singulair until I began to do more reading today. It has greatly affected his Lyme treatment as the doctor kept reducing the dose of the Claforan until he was barely taking any and yet he continued to have the anxiety and daily migraines. Finally I stopped the Claforn blaming it for the headaches and anxiety. Then his doctor switched his IV to a different antibiotic and the same thing is happening again. I now know it was the Singulair. It has greatly hindered his progess with the Lyme treatment so now we have to continue on another month with the IV and NO MORE SINGULAIR!!!!