Singulair and flovent

I am starting to think I would like to be a part of a class action law suit, my daughter had to switch schools because of her mood swings, and vague hallucinations. and vague paranoia. She once ran into a parking lot she was so afraid of needles! Took her to a psychiatrist, sensed she was quick to put her on mood stabilizers and left before the eval. Recently her ped refused to up her dose of singulair and told me about depression. I subsequently upped her flovent and took her off her singulair. I did this after I heard her teacher saqy she kept on leaving the classroom to go to the nurse, and was exhibiting defiant behavior. and saying she was depressed, hearing music that wasn't there, etc. Now that shye has been off of it a week, she is a different child, and hasn't argued with me once. Hasn't cried for 5 days. has not argued w2ith her brother either! I feel I have the child back from 5 years ago when she started taking it! unfrigging believable! I would love to sue, because these episodes have almost ruined my marriage, and caused me to miss many days of work, and feel guilty when I didn't Thank-God I just took her off of it on a whim!

I am 44 years old and have been taking singulair for about 4 years. 3 months ago I started experiencing crushing chest pain, tingling in my lower limbs, and felt very stressed out. I went to the ER last Thursday and was checked out for angina - the ER doctor told me I was suffering from chronic severe anxiety. I took Ativan for 4 days and felt better, but now the drigs are gone and I again having constant chest pain. In doing some research I found that anxiety can be caused by imbalance in adrenaline, and so started looking online to see if any of the allergy/asthma meds I am taking (adviar, singulair, allegra) can affect adrenaline. That';s when I found this website. Although i find the testimony compelling, I wish more folks would have poted about how their symptoms improved (or didn't) AFTER discontinuing singulair. Also I've noticed many of the stories are about children not adults; many people are taking more than one med for asthma, and most people's symptoms seem to come on right away whereas I have been taking sinulair for years and only recently have anxiety. I will stop singulair tonight and see what happens, but am wondering if anyone has come across further research that correlates singiulair with anxiety? My job life is really peaceful, I am otherwise happy, work can get hectic but that's true of any job, and I am out of ideas as to why suddenly at age 44, when I eat right and exercise - why get anxiety? Thanks for the posts, I'll try to remember to follow up after I am off Singulair for a few weeks.

My allergies caused nearly constant painful sinus pressure, drippy nose (I should have bought stock in Kleenex to profit from my box-a-day use), asthma, getting gradually worse all the time--it was as though I'd had the flu for 10 years (I'm 54). I was taking Claritin in the morning and Zyrtec at night, which only toned down the most severe symptoms. I was on Prilosec as well, as one doctor though acid-reflux might exacerbate the asthma. My family and I are avid hikers, but I haven't been able to breathe well enough to join them for years, even with daily Ventolin and Flovent. I've only been taking Singulair for two weeks, but it has made all the difference. I feel "normal" instead of sick for the first time in a long time. So, for me, it does work. But my stomach's been killing me--like a bleeding ulcer (which I had 25 years ago). I'm hoping that will subside or going back on Prilosec (expensive!) will counteract it. I've also had the weirdest dreams--very vivid and disturbing. Because I did research online before taking Singulair (Doctor uttered not one syllable about side effects), I recognize the dreams are from the Singulair. Because I understand what is causing them, I can easily set them aside when I wake up. I think anyone who's had mental or emotion problems could be sent over the edge by the dreams unless they had a clear understanding and acceptance that the allergy drug caused them. I would be easy to think something was wrong with you to dream such bizarre, violent stuff. (I'd give examples, but I've truly trained myself to forget all about the dreams as soon as I wake us, so I don't remember the dream events now.) I'm quite concerned about children taking this drug. Maybe not everyone has this disturbing-dream side effect, but how could you explain them away to a four-year old? How would you even know if a younger child was having them? Even children old enough to comprehend shouldn't be subjected to horrific mental images, like the 16 year old above. A tip for people who Singulair helps, but they have the weird dreams--try Melatonin (over-the-counter supplement) at bedtime. I've used it to help me sleep in the past when life events kept my mind too active to sleep for several days at a time. Unlike sleeping pills, it doesn't make your tired the next day, you can wake up easily, and it's not habit-forming--it just lets you drift off on days you otherwise can't. Since I'm concerned about the long-term effects of anything taken frequently, I don't take Melatonin very often, but I did try it after the fourth day of Singulair dreams. I had no memory of weird dreams when I woke up, so it seemed to work, and I didn't remember dreaming the next night either. I only tried it that one day because, as I said, I've trained myself to not be bothered by the dreams.

My eldest son was diagnosed as a Severe Asthmatic at the age of 3. He was put on Flovent 110, 5mg of Zyrtec and Singulair. I cried thinking about my little guy having to be on daily meds for who knows how long. I decided that I would just try the Zyrtec and Flovent 110, it worked wonderfully. When my eldest was 4, my other son, 2, was put on Flovent 44. Never gave them to my youngest because I knew it was not asthma. I ended up lowering my eldest's dose to the 44 and giving him 1 puff a day with the Zyrtec, he is now 7 and is still under control. As for my younger son, he was not asthmatic, he had sleep apnea, had his tonsils and adenoids removed and is now perfect. Just be careful with these doctors, they seem to diagnose these little ones too quickly......most of the time they are not even right. My eldest went through many many doctors before he was finally diagnosed in the ER and sent to peds for 2 weeks. My youngest went through many doctors too, none would do anything, I had so many excuses as to why my son was such a heavy breather and why he had difficulty swallowing and sleeping. Sorry guys, I ran off here, just want you guys to know that all that are diagnosed with asthma do not necessarily have asthma and I believe way too many drugs are prescribed for these little ones.

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.

I wrote a post few days ago about Singulair and how great my daughter is doing since she started to take this medication three months ago.
Then I started reading about all the side effects that other children had because of Singulair. I GOT SO SCARED!
So scared that last night I stopped giving Singulair to my daughter.

From January to September my daughter had asthma every other week. She was put on steroids (prednisolone) every time she couldn't breath. Then in September the pulmonologist said we have to take control of the situation because so much steroids can damage a little body.
She made me feel I had been a terrible mothers since I always refused to give her singulair.
She convinced me and then I started Singulair, but now I feel worst because I have the feeling I am giving poison to my daughter even if her asthma is under control.

My 7 years old stopped Singulair 12 hours ago, I do not know what is going to happen now. Of course I cannot call the pulmonologist anymore in case my ds gets bad.
Somebody here said that she is giving her son Nordic Naturals Fish Oil, Culturelle probiotics, vitamin c, and changing his diet - increased magnesium and decreased dairy.I will love to have more information about this alternative way of controlling asthma. I do not remember who wrote this post. If there is a web site of a doctor I can contact i will do right away. I live in New York.

I need help. Thank you so much.

I have an 8y.o. daughter that has been on Singulair for about 3 years now. Since she started taking singulair she has been absolutely miserable! She cries at everything, is very moody, has leg pains, wont leave my side and is tired ALL the time. She has circle under her eyes, she looks like she hasn't slept a wink in days! She has been off her Singulair for about 5 days now and she is a totally different person. She has been "happy-go-lucky" and full of herself, she has even woke up happy (which hasn't happened in I dont know how long). She was put on Singulair by our Doctor b/c she had Pnemonia two times in a row. She has Allergies and Asthma and for the past 3 years has been on: Singulair (4mg), albuterol, flovent, Zyrtec, and Flonase. That is just too much for a little girl to be on. She hardly eats at all, gets headaches. I just see such a difference when she is not on it but, what will she take in place of this? My husband also takes Singulair (he is miserable all the time), he doesnt sleep at night and is always tired. Anyone have alternative to this drug?

I had been taking singulair for over two years. I am 70 yrs old and in good health except for light asthma, allergy problems. My doctor took me off it. It did some good in the beginning but the last four mts I was continuing to get wheezing and bronchitis infections. I also had a lot of leg pain and was tested for all kinds of blockage, etc. I experienced very painful leg cramping, toes twitching, etc. The only way I could stop it was to pull my toes forward as the worst happened at night and woke me up. I finally found Leg Cramps with Quinine an all natural homeopathic med. It worked like a charm. I didn't know that this was a side effect of Singulair. Since I am off singulair just two weeks. It was replaced with Flovent an inhaler ( 2 puffs 2 x a day to begin and then later it will be 1 puff as the inflammation gets better. It also comes in granules. I am feeling much better and now I am ready to stop Leg Cramps as I feel the singulair may have been causing the problem. While taking Singulair I also had stomach cramps with diarrhea. I will not go back on Singulair. If the cramping returns, I will definitely go back on Leg Cramps with Quinine (available in any pharmacy over the counter and very inexpensive.

My daughter is 7 and was just put on Singular as a preventive medication for croup which she gets when she has an infection. She is not on a daily inhaler nor does she have asthma attacks at school. I asked the doctor for an alternative to the pulmicort breathing treatments b/c the prolonged use of this caused her to have dental issues (8 cavities) and he gave her singular. I am concerned of the side effects in the reviews of this medication but I need some relief for my child. She has been on the medication only 1 day is frequent urination a side effect and can it come on that quick? If there is another medication that doesn't have the side effects apparently singular has please let me know.

I have a 4 year old that was on Singulair for 17 days. He has always been a strong will child, yet he was always manageable. Those days that he was on it, and a couple of weeks after were the hardest weeks I have ever had with him. Within days of taking it I began to notice an extreme change in his behavior. He was moody, angry, he was beginning to be aggressive. He wasn't sleeping through the night anymore, and even began wetting the bed, something he hasn't done since he was two.

It was prescribed for his asthma, he couldn't walk five steps without coughing and wheezing. It did work, but I didn't think it was worth it. I went in to see his doctor, she said the aggression wasn't a side effect of Singulair in children, but had been recorded in adults. So she said it was fine to take him off of it. And to control his coughing he could just use 2 puffs of Flovent twice a day.

Well, he's been off of it for almost 2 weeks. His first days off were the same if not worse. He was even moodier than usual. I started thinking it wasn't the Singulair. He became exhausted, sleeping in the day. Was still angry and not sleeping at night.

But as he heads into his 2nd week off Singulair, he seems to be acting normal again. :) Normal for a 4 year old anyway. He's been sleeping through the night for the past few days and has been happier. He's playing again with his toys in a non-aggressive way. He just seems like he's becoming himself again.

I read some things were people said they didn't notice a change in their child, but it's taking some time for my boy to get back to "normal."

My 7 yr old daughter has been off of Singulair for 12 days now. The change in her personality is amazing. She experienced two nights of strange dreams and waking in the middle of the night. We put her back on Flovent once a day as a substitute. Her aggression and frustration went away within days. She is so happy and content with herself. I can see that she is no longer frustrated by emotions that she could not explain. She's silly, funny, happy. She no longer hates us, pulls her hair, or tries to slap herself because she's thinks she deserves it. She has been on the drug since she was 3-1/2. We were doing family therapy to try to help her. This is no longer needed. She's back to her old self. What a shame no one warned us of this potential side effect. I also wondered how I missed the news story since I just found this site in September 2008. The news story about Singulair came out in March - just around Spring Break. Since we were out of the country, I missed the news. Isn't that a convenient time of the year to break a story? I'm sure many other families missed the news.

for the people that have taken their children off singulair...
what are you using for a preventative med?
my daughter has really bad asthma and I don't know of any alternatives

My wife and I recently took my daughter to an asthma specialist and she was prescribed Flovent and Singulair as everyday suppressive treatment. Our daughter is only 4 and the first evening of taking SIngulair she was exhibiting exaggerated emotional behaviors such as sadness and excessive crying (sad/moping). The following day the same emotional state was there without anger, but with abnormal crying (for my daughter). She went to preschool and her teacher said she was saying things such as, "I don't care", "I don't need anyone", "I hate this", etc. These are not normal behaviors for our typically happy child. Her doctor said suicidal thoughts and depression were possible side effects in adults, but I am beginning to think they apply to children as well. After only 4 days of Singulair we have decided to stop the treatment. I hope these comments help some of you other parents experiencing the same thing. -Rob

Have been experiencing the same serious behavioral issues (screaming, launching every toy he has out of his room, knocking over his night stand, hitting, kicking and just being hateful) with my 4 year old who has been on Singulair for 2 years as I'm noticing many of you have here. My wife and I have a wonderful relationship and happy home and tons of love and support from other family that's close buy so the kid has a very nice environment. We have taken him off the medication as of yesterday. I have consulted his doctor but I'm anxious to hear what methods of treatment for the asthma all of have chosen in replacement of Singulair or did you just maintain with an inhaled maintenance program with something like Pulmicort? Also, how long was after taking your child off of Singulair did take to for the outburst to subside and the behavior to become more mellow and normal (what is normal for a 4 year old?). Any info would be greatly appreciated.

My son suffered from pneumonia at age 6 months till age 2. They had him on Flovent and Singulair from the age of 1. For as long as we can remember, he has been an aggressive, mean, bitter, angry child. The slightest thing would set him off. The doctors had just had him tested for tumors and cancers and other serious head related problems because he was constantly complaining of headaches. All tests came back normal. Then we heard that Singulair can cause ADD amongst many other side effects, including headaches. We took him off of Singulair and after only 2 days off of it he was a completely different little boy. He is happy and loving, calm and patient. He isn't dissolving in a fit of rage at the simplest thing. We can not believe the difference in how he is acting.
We found about 2 years ago a natural supplement that has really helped control his and my asthma and allergies. It is called OPC-3. It is an incredible anti oxidant that helps with so many health problems! If you would like more info, just let me know. It has been a life saver for our family and many others! Here is a website where it can be found.
******
It is under the health and nutrition tab on the left side.
Good Luck!!

My 15 month old son was just put on this Friday, four days ago. He had been on Zyrtec since he was five months old and his allergies had recently gotten worse along with a percistant cough. As the weekend went on he became more and more angry and fidgety. Sunday afternoon, after his nap he came running down the hall screaming and crying (this nap is usually 1 1/2 hours long and he had only been asleep for 30 to 45 minutes when this happened). He was very upset for about 20 minutes. He is normally a very happy, fun loving child. Later that afternoon he didn't get his way and took it out on me. He began to kick and scream(at the top of his lungs) , throwing his head back, and then hitting me. Everyone that was with us have been around him from day one and they all said how he wasn't himself and had never seen him act this way. Now, this morning on our drive into town to go to daycare he normally is talking the whole way (45 minutes) but this morning he was just staring off out the window and didn't want to talk or "have a conversation" with me. I knew something wasn't right and had already had it in my head he wasn't getting another dose of this. I found this site and some of the little things began to jump out at me and I know for sure we aren't going to take this again. I just hope and pray that this hasn't caused any lasting side effects, again he has only been on it for 4 days. After reading all of this I have called the daycare to check and the doctor, who hasn't called me back yet. Going to see his ENT tomorrow and we will be having a long conversation about it all. His ped. is the doctor who put him on it. She is trying to try everything before he is put on a nebulizer.

Another side effect named on the Singulair web site is ear infections. This med. should have never been given to my son who has already had one round of tubes because of ear infections. The tubes have already fallen out and within a week he had an ear infection.

This is a follow-up. I have posted about our experience before, but to summarize: 6 year old boy on Singulair for over three years for Asthma. Drug worked wonders, but side effects developed so slowly that we thought those were "phases" that would go away. Side effects were just as everyone else reported: nightmares, fears, depression/sadness (we even went to a child psychologist since we thought this behavior was all due to father's deployment), aggressiveness, crying at the drop off a hat (like a 2 year old, not age appropriate), attention deficit, school performance dropped, and also, at the very end, obsessive compulsive behavior.
We stopped Singulair as soon as we heard about the FDA investigation (on NPR, about 6 to 7 weeks ago). Asthma has not worsened, thank goodness, so we make due with the Flovent for now. Most of the side effects were less prominent after some time, however the obsessive compulsive behavior stopped only a few days ago. We have better days, we have worse days, but slowly the better days outnumber the bad, aggressive, and negative ways.
What I read again and again in the postings is that we all assumed our children entered a bad "phase." A phase that just got worse and never ended!
Reading about the very same side effects in our children, over and over again, alarmed me. Taking my son off the Singulair and seeing the improvements, some faster some slower, totally convinced me. I will never ever have Singulair in my house again.

My son is almost 6 yrs old. He has been taking Singular for approx 3 years, in addition to Claritin and Nasonex. This is all for his allergy to mold. His doctor started him on these meds after a 6 month episode with sinus infections leading to asthma-like symptoms. We have not noticed anything unusual about his behavior until approx 3 months ago. He started waking up every night (2-3 hours after going to bed) with bad dreams. At first he would not fully awaken and fall back asleep immediately. After a month or so of this happening most nights, he had two nights in a row where he woke up screaming and was inconsolable for about 30 minutes. We initially thought it was night terrors, but he was not scared or fearful, he was just upset/angry. He would hit the bed repeatedly and yell. He didn't know what he was upset about but would talk about how he thought we hated him, he was dumb, etc. After about 30 min he would 'snap out of it' and return to his normal self and go back to sleep easily.
At first we thought these were night terror brought on by a recent fever, but he had another episode last night. He has also been falling apart at the littlest things and getting quite violent (for a 6 yr old). He was sent to his room yesterday evening because he was complaining about the dinner his mom made (lots of complaining these days..). He had a total melt down an started throwing things and hitting the door so hard he put a hole in it.
Some of this behavior I would chalk up to normal kid stuff, new baby brother, etc. But I am suspicious about the negative thoughts, bad dreams, and instant melt downs... I stopped giving him Singular today and we will see what happens. God bless you all as we figure these things out...

In response to dtrzaski post Im am sending out this question to everyone. We know there have been stool/stomach/weight issues. Are there any other children that it has been discovered to have high cholesterol. My son was discovered to have high cholesterol at around 3yrs old, apprx 6 months after starting Singulair (regardless of a very healthy diet lots of fruit and veggies!) Any thoughts out there?

These posts about contacting a bad viral infection while the immune system is suppressed by Singulair are particularly worrisome. This was from 2007 so it has nothing to do with the FDA investigation. Epstein Barr causes some really bad illnesses including lymphoma.

The scary part is that children are the most susceptible to viruses. They need to develop immunity at a young age that will build up over time to levels that will protect them for the rest of their lives. Why are we giving children a drug that will suppress the leukotrienes? Why do we think that it is okay to take away one of the bodies defense mechanisms? Wouldn't it be logical that a drug that suppresses the immune system is a last resort option not handed out like lollipops?

www.iddb.org/drugs/singulair/ - 243k
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Anonymous Immune System Dysfunction September 13th, 2007

Do users of Singulair and Advair understand how these products work? In order to understand how they work, you must first know what happens in the body during an allergic attack.

Allergic response is a function of the body's immune system. When an allergen enters the body through the nose or the lungs (e.g., a bit of pollen or cat dander), it is recognized by the body as a foreign substance, and the immune system then produces histamines to fight the intruder. Singulair and Advair work by disabling the body's immune system, so that there is no allergic response.

I too thought these drugs were wonderful. I was on both Singulair and Advair to combat asthma from my new husband's cat. I took high strengths of these drugs for approximately three years.

During the time I was on these drugs, some disease entity, most likely a virus (e.g., Epstein-Barr, Herpes Simplex I, HTLV I). I have been sick with a fever for the last four and a half years. My immune system seems to have been permanently impaired, and every organ in my body is now compromised. I have a fever, night sweats, liver and spleen enlargement, digestive problems, skin infections, hypertension, rapid-onset insulin-dependent diabetes and other endocrino;ogical problems, blood cell abnormalities, and neurological problems (e.g., tremors, myoclonic seizures, muscle cramps and weakness, vertigo, incoordination).

I am about to undergo a spinal tap and other tests, looking for the causative entity. Whatever it is entered my nervous system when I had an epidural anesthetic while on these immune system depressants. I have not been the same since. I have been too sick to work. This has ruined my life.

As we have all learned from recent reports of heart damage from Vioxx, the FDA no longer has the money to fully test new drugs entering the market. The "clinical trials" are a drug's entry into the population. If it kills or sickens too many people, they withdraw it. However, the drug companies define "too many people" as a number that could potentially ruin profits through lawsuits.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Don't rely on the government to protect you. Before putting any drug into your body, do the research into how it works. Read comments from other users. I wish I had done that.

Here is the list of asthma drugs mentioned.

Flovent- growth velocity reduction in children/adolescents, Agitation, aggression, depression, and restlessness. Asthma exacerbation, bronchospasm, chest tightness, cough, dyspnea, immediate bronchospasm, paradoxical bronchospasm, pneumonia, and wheeze. Upper respiratory infection, influenza, Nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, dyspepsia and stomach disorder. weakness, tired feeling, nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss, changes in the shape or location of body fat,

Advair - asthma-related death, Agitation, aggression, anxiety, depression. Behavioral changes, including hyperactivity and irritability, have been reported very rarely and primarily in children. Muscle injuries, fractures, wounds and lacerations, contusions and hematomas, burns, Rhinorrhea/postnasal drip; ear, nose, and throat infections; ear signs and symptoms; nasal signs and symptoms; nasal sinus disorders; rhinitis; sneezing; nasal irritation; blood in nasal mucosa. Sleep disorders, tremors, hypnagogic effects, compressed nerve syndromes, Cushing syndrome, Cushingoid features, growth velocity reduction in children/adolescents, hypercorticism, hyperglycemia, weight gain, osteoporosis

Albuterol - Dizziness; headache; nausea; nervousness; sinus inflammation; sore or dry throat; tremor; trouble sleeping; vomiting. Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); chest pain; ear pain; fast or irregular heartbeat; new or worsened trouble breathing; pounding in the chest; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin; severe headache or dizziness; unusual hoarseness; wheezing.

Pulmicort - rash, contact dermatitis, urticaria, angioedema and bronchospasm; symptoms of hypocorticism and hypercorticism; glaucoma, cataracts; psychiatric symptoms including depression, aggressive reactions, irritability, anxiety and psychosis. neck pain, abdominal pain, dry mouth, vomiting, weight gain, insomnia, infection, taste perversion

Symbicort - Long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonists may increase the risk of asthma-related death, psychiatric symptoms, e.g., irritability, anxiety, restlessness, nervousness, agitation, depression; skin bruising. immediate hypersensitivity reactions, such as anaphylactic reaction and bronchospasm; symptoms of hypocorticism and hypercorticism; glaucoma, cataracts, psychiatric symptoms, including aggressive reactions, behavioral disturbances, psychosis.
confusion; insomnia; seizures. dry hair; dry skin; urticaria; rash; pruritus; purpura; photosensitivity; increased sweating; alopecia, erythema multiforme, Conjunctivitis, dysphonia; blurred vision; earache; eye pain; blepharospasm; altered taste, Dry mouth; abdominal pain; anorexia; increased appetite and weight gain; nausea; vomiting; diarrhea; constipation; flatulence; gastritis; dyspepsia; thirst; hiccough; stomatitis. Urinary discoloration; altered micturition; menstrual irregularities; impotence; vaginitis; urinary retention; urinary incontinence; breast enlargement, Wheezing; upper respiratory tract infection; nasal dryness; pharyngitis; epistaxis; nasal congestion; dyspnea; coughing; rhinitis; hemoptysis; sinusitis; sneezing; bronchospasm; bronchitis; laryngitis. Breast pain; arthralgia; myalgia; malaise; chest pain; leg cramps; asthenia; back pain; fever; peripheral edema

I am a 50 year old women. I had bronchitis that turned into severe asthma.
Could not stop coughing. I have been on Singulair for over a year. Have had weight gain, Hand numbness,Stomach problems. Even had an colonoscopy but turned up nothing. Now I understand after reading all these posts. The weight gain alone was driving me crazy. Limiting myself to 1200-1400 calories, eating only lean meats and vegetables.Exercising and loosing MINIMAL weight over a 4 month period. I felt like I was doing something wrong. Ive thrown my Singulair away after reading your posts. Will figure out something else if my allergies and or asthma flairs. Just not worth it. Will repost after Ive been off a while.

Hello to everyone, I just came home from a parent teacher conference for my son who is 7 yrs. old, and heard the same old thing, "he is restless, impulsive and has a short attention span". He has been taking Singulair for about 3 yrs.. Since he has started school I have had these complaints and have also been told he displays symptoms of ADHD, which ironically has been for the last 3 years. Like any parent, I question" if I am doing something wrong with my parenting, is his diet good, etc. etc.", I am also a nurse, I realize that medications are needed and beneficial in some circumstances, however I firmly believe and was taught in nursing school that medication is last resort. That being said, I have been very adament about NOT giving my son ADHD medication after doing alot of research on the different meds and their side effects. So, we started him on all natural vitamins, changed his diet some ( kids got to have candy once in a while) and started a more structured routine( the best we can since we both work) and also enrolled him in Sylvan. The teacher says there is a 50% improvement but he is still impulsive and still does not pay attention like he "COULD", again suggesting he needs ADHD meds. I came home in tears and started to do more research online to see what else can I do besides putting him on psych meds?....Then I came accross this site, I just want to cry after reading all these posts. I wonder, could this be his problem, the Singulair?.. About a year ago he use to get up in the middle of the night, 5 out of 7 complaining of nightmares, hearing things at times, headaches, decreased appetite, stomach upset, all AT TIMES, not all the time so I never thought alot about side effects of Singulair. When the school started complaining I did look at side effects of Singulair and seen HYPERACTIVITY and mentioned it to his pediatrician and she shrugged it off saying she never heard of it being a problem. She's a great MD so I listened to her because his asthma was bad when he was younger and it is now under control. But then I think maybe he is outgrowing the asthma. I am afraid to stop Singulair and him have breathing problems again but then I can't help this strong feeling in my heart that says this may have been his problem with everything else all along. We are going to stop the Singulair tonight and see what happens. If anyone else has a child with asthma any suggestions for alternative treatment would be appreciated. I already know what's out there but sometimes it's nice to hear from another parent going through similar situs. Thanks for reading, Bobbie

My 9 year old daughter has been on singulair for about 5 months now and she is moody and not a very nice person sometimes. Now she in complaining of headaches and even cry's with the pain I want to take her off but I am a bit scared that if I take her off to quick this might be harmful can anyone let me know if they had any problems when they stopped their childs singulair.
Worried Mum
Australia

Hi, I have written on this forum before. Our son (6) was on Singulair for over 3 years for Asthma. Over those years, his whole personality changed; it happened so slowly, however, that we assumed that those changes were "phases". We stopped Singulair 16 days ago, and we have seen big changes in our son. Thus, I want to summarize our side effects by describing the changes in my son:
Suddenly no more fears (nightly waking up scared to death, and fear of being alone in any room in the house during the day), sleeping through the night, less agitated and less aggressive, better listening skills (again!) and more interest in learning (this was a child that once loved science and did math at age 3. He lost interest in anything that had to do with learning). He draws happy faces again. He is also less nervous. He lets us hug him again, and tells us how much he loves us.
Some days are better, some days are worse. There are times he still tells me that he wants to "throw himself in the trash" and other negative things about himself and his life. We also still see obsessive compulsive behavior (a tic where he touches his head and then his legs from his feet up, driving me crazy), but it is slowly getting less severe. But overall the changes are very clear.
As for the Asthma: we still use Flovent once a day: so far we had no setbacks. Our doctor noted the side effects, but was rather surprised about them. Obviously, I will NOT EVER give my children Singulair again, no matter what the doctor will tell us.

I am starting a new post in the hopes that others will see what I am trying to say about the delayed reaction in those that took Singulair for allergies.

If it is consistent that Singulair does not stop allergy symptoms immediately, then the pathways that eventually stop allergy symptoms involve a change in the mast cell function, development and migration (or some combination).

I asked this question for a reason. Are allergy symptoms stopped immediatedly. My question below:

I have a question that will help me continuing looking for information. I can understand that in the case of asthma that Singulair would provide immediate relief. If it is used for seasonal allergies or other allergies without asthma, does it work right away or does it take a period of days or weeks to be effective? If it takes time, could you tell me how long it took in your situation?

My thinking was going in the right direction if the answer below is consistent of everyone or most.

about 2 hours ago on Apr 11, 2008 by catherineevans, #7045
My granddaughter was put on Singulair for allergy symptoms without asthma. Itching, red eyes, terrible congestion, etc. dark circles under her eyes all the time. When we first put her on this, we didn't see any consistent results for 2-3 weeks, then it seemed to 'kick in.' I don't know if this helps. By the way, she was 9, now she's almost 12 and was immediately taken off when this story came out 2 weeks ago.

Then after seeing one response, I gave my reason for asking.

I asked this question because I have a theory of how montelukast really works for allergies as compared to how it works for asthma.

Asthma is a hyper-sensitive state that gets going because the mast cell has a receptor (the leukotriene receptor that Singulair blocks) that sends a signal along a pathway that causes lung tissue to have that extreme response - the wheezing, the airway constriction.

On the mast cell is another receptor the histamine receptor that causes the secretions that make our noses runs and and stuff up. This is not the same immune response as the asthma response. When I saw a post that somebody's doctor said that Singulair is an anti-histamine, NO it is NOT.

So if Singulair does not block histamine immediately and your child's allergies did not go away immediately, then maybe Singulair is working through some other means such as changing normal mast cell homeostasis.
I know that this seems like "what does this mean?" I am really writing this hoping to God that there are people reading this site that know what I am talking about.

Thank you so much for responding. Your answer actually told me what I wanted to know and confirmed my hypothesis. More answers will help. I hope others respond.

PLEASE respond about the length of time that allergies disappeared if you took Singulair for allergies.

has anyone took their child off of singular for more than 2 weeks and has the child had any breathing issues since being off?

After reading more posts and comments to others re: SINGULAIR and discussion of side effects of steroids - I am really scared as you could all imagine! Do I need to look for any side effects from the flovent and albuterol? What should Iook for? I am so not the paranoid type but am quickly becoming more now b/c I don't want my son to suffer anymore. I know predisone long term but what about the flovent which is a steroid? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I just came back home from the dr. We made some tests and my 5 years old daughter is allergic to house dust mites and has beeing diagnosticated with athopic asthma. The dr. prescribed Singulair. Now, after reading all the posts, I freaked out and I have not idea what to do. I am really sorry I did't ask about side effect, but I considered, her beeing a dr, knows better than me. My thought now is: I'm not going to give my daughter Singulair.

This is an update. We took our son off Singulair 10 days ago. We continue with Flovent once a day, and the asthma has not deteriorated. My son's overall mood has gotten better, he is less aggressive and became very verbal about how much he loves us. He is still emotional but not as much as before: while he still wants to cry at the drop off a hat, he manages to stop himself after 15 seconds. That is a huge improvement. Things are by far not back to normal, but overall I see my old son shining through.
However, we still have an issue with obsessive compulsive behavior. We have an appointment with our pediatrician this Thursday.

I am one of many that has decided to stop giving my child Singulair. And like many others, I have noticed a great improvement in her behavior.

My question is for those who have done the same. What medication have you replaced the Singulair with and have you noticed any of the same side effects that Singulair was causing? What are your thoughts on Flovent inhaler?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

What's the safe replacement drug for Singulair? I took my son off it before and he had his worst asthma attack ever. I see all the same symptoms in my son who's 9 and has been on it for 4 years now. It's so scary. We're off to the doctors to see what can be done. My Pharmacist has never indicated that there was ever a change in the side effects to Singulair. Thank you for all your helpful postings.

My son is 10 years old and has severe allergies and asthma. He was hospitalized when he was 5 for asthma and at that time put on Flovent 110 mg twice in the morning and twice at night for awhile this seemed to work around the age of 7 he was put on Singular 5 mg to help with asthma and also his allergies. After a short period of time he began to complain of stomach pain he would get nauseated and sick with a 10 minute car ride, we took him in to the pediatrician and was told that there was no obvious cause and to basically deal with it. Around this same time he also began to have trouble in school he was not able to pay attention and was falling far behind we tried tutoring, extended day classes anything to keep him up with his other classmates. Needless to say all our efforts did not work and he got worse he was now moody and withdrawn. We thought it was his frustration with school that made him short tempered and emotional. At every parent-teacher conference it was the same report; being told how bright our child could be but his lack of focus and emotional state prevented this. My husband and I decided that we needed to be proactive and made an appointment with the pediatrician again we discussed all the issues and told the pediatrician that his mood has changed and he could not focus that homework was a battle each night usually resulting in a major meltdown. The pediatrician diagnosed my son with ADHD with ODD. Never would I have thought that my child with have behavioral or anger problems and I had a hard time coping with the idea at first but tried to make it okay for my son I did not want to make him feel like he did something wrong or that he was broken. The pediatrician prescribed Adderrall 5 mg at first and after three months we revisited and the dose was adjusted to 10 mg. School made a dramatic turn around and we were hopeful, however his mood was still all over the place he would get angry over small things, have a meltdown, and at some points would just wake up in a fowl mood and when asked what was wrong he could not explain it he just was not happy with anything. In the background of all of this was his asthma he was hospitalized again in when he was 8 after being discharged he was put on Zyrtec as well. So now his meds were Flovent 110 mg, Singular 5 mg, and now Zyrtec 10 mg. It was all overwhelming for all of us but we were trying to make it okay for him. He began to complain of restless nights, headaches and would get dizzy for no reason. Here we go again back to the doctor they attributed everything to the Adderrall. He passed out one day at daycare and we rushed him to the ER they did an EKG and found nothing and told us he was probably dehydrated. He constantly had a fowl smell coming from his mouth we asked his dentist they found nothing no cavities we asked the pediatrician no reason; no matter what we tried we could not get ride of it and he brushed, flossed and rinsed with mouthwash everyday three times a day. I was not making any connection on the side effects I guess you could say the left hand was not talking to the right. After we had wildfires that burned almost the entire city he had another asthma attack that lead us to the ER again after being treated we were assigned to a pediatric pulmonologist that added Nasonex to the regiment. Then in January we had him tested to learn what exactly his allergies were and was advised they wanted him to come in for allergy shots one in each arm once a week. In March 2008 we went in for his first set of allergy shots and right after had an appointment with his pulmonaligist he had a bad reaction to the shots and they changed his meds again. Now he is on Advair 250/50, Singular 5 mg, Zyrtec 10 mg, Nasonex, and Adderrall 10 mg. We decided to hold off on the allergy shots until he can better tolerate it. This entire time there has been little improvement on his attitude and he is withdrawn and seems disconnected now. When we try to talk to him he simply says he doesn't know what is wrong. It is all a roller coaster ride. Then on March 26, 2008 it all changed for me, I had put the kids in bed as normal and about an hours later heard someone up and in the bathroom I went to go check to make sure no one was sick and found my son in the bathroom and it appeared he was washing his hands and I asked if he was okay. He told me he was washing a cut, I looked at it and asked what happened he was hesitant and then pointed to his arms; he had bitten up and down both arms and on his hands to the point of bleeding I was shocked and did not really know what to say. We talked about it and he told me he could not control himself and even when he wanted to stop biting himself because it hurt could not resist the urge to to it over and over again. We talked calmly and after a long conversation he told me he needed to talk to someone about his problems. The next morning I called the pediatrician he said he could see him on March 30, 2008. On March 29th I heard about the side effects of Singular and was so shocked and angry how come no one told me what this could do to my baby; I wondered if he had never started this stupid drug if he would have been put on Adderrall. I would not let him take Singular that night or any night after. I will never let my son take this drug ever again. The following day I took him in for his appointment and after discussing everything the pediatrician agreed that it is best to leave him off Singular. I am taking my son to see a child physiologist as well. I am so upset that I did not make the connection myself.

I cannot believe I am seeing this. I thought my son develops ADHD.... My son (6) took Singulair since he was 2 1/2 (asthma). The drug worked great, until about one year ago: anxiety, severe mood swings (yes, crying at the drop of a hat), fears of being alone in a room, any room (even when I was in his view), aggression, loss of concentration. I thought it was because my husband was deployed and took my son to the psychologist. Over the last month, my son developed new symptoms: itching, and therefore, rubbing first over his face, by now from the feet up over his whole front body. We took him off Singulair two days ago and investigate other asthma meds (he still is on Flovent). Hopefully, we will see improvement soon.

Wow, this last few months have been a revelation. My big guy (now nearly 7) was diagnosed with Asthma at 18 months or so. He has been on singulair for as long as we can remember, and then since November 07 on Flovent too. He was such a happy baby, just the cutest thing, but as he grew older he got more emotional. A little high strung, quick temper, and some signs of depression. His eating habits were awful, which we thought were due to him having allergies to some foods. We have noticed mood swings and depression, but it would pass. Leg cramps were a common complaint which we brushed off.

Then for some reason we thought it would be a good idea to put him on Flovent too in the winter, well it really went downhill from there. Violent anger, depression, wanting to die, wanting to kill himself, wouldn't eat at all. You name it, he had it. My wife and I were at our wits end, but we didn't think it was the medicine, never entered our minds, and my wife is a paediatric RN too. I sent an e-mail to a psychiatrist friend of mine desperate for help. Well while I was writing it I saw there was a pattern and the sudden slide began the same time he started Flovent. I researched it on the web and OMG the horror, the other parents could have been talking about my boy.

I took him off immediately, co-incidentally his Doc had failed to renew his Singulair scrip the month before so he hadn't been taking it for a month. Well within 24 hours we saw a difference, by the end of the week I cried as I had my boy back. Never thought about Singulair as really we thought it was the Flovent. However after seeing the news today, and having seen a little guy get less and less happy over the years, we realize that the singulair was also affecting him, and then the combo just ripped him apart.

We had filled the Singulair but thankfully were holding off until we saw a pulmonologist and allergist this next few weeks. We will now not be putting him back on it at all. We removed his bedding, got rid of our cats (labs came back highly allergic to them) and tonight after being outside running around in the 40 F air, he went to bed breathing fine. He still is a little emotional, still a little difficult to feed, but we can negotiate, he listens to reason (as much as a 6 yr old will), and more importantly is happy and chatty again.

I am a 60 year old woman,and was on Singulair in 2000 for the treatment of asthma. At the same time I was put on inhalers Flovent and Serevent, taking the inhalers twice a day. Almost immediately, I began waking up at night, screaming my lungs out, having a very strong, vivid feeling that my heart had stopped, the blood was draining from my head and arms and this was my last breath and I was dead! It scared the hell out of me. After calming down I would go back to sleep and it would happen again. Sometimes it would happen 10 - 12 times a night, and sometimes even while I was awake. It wasn't a dream. It frequently was accompanied by a restless leg. I spoke to my allergist, my primary care doctor and a pharmacist, and all said it wasn't related to my drugs. I had a sleep test and woke up screaming my lungs out, scaring the night-shift technician, but nothing showed up on the tests. This went on for about 6 months, and then I quit taking the inhalers at night. My "night terrors" eased off a bit to only once every couple of nights, but didn't go away. I quit taking Singulair and Serevent after about 2 years, and only then did the terrors really subside. I had thought they were caused by the Serevent alone, but after reading these stories I suspect it was a combination of the 2 drugs. I still have the terrors a couple of times a year, generally preceded by a restless leg.

My almost ten year old daughter has been on Singulair for a few years now. Since the age of two, she was hospitalized every year due to her asthma. The doctor has her on Flovent but switched her to Singulair because she was concerned that the Flovent might be stunting her growth (my daughter has only been in the 25th percentile for height since she was very young) and the Flovent did not seem to be completely helping with the asthma. Since taking Singulair, my daughter has not been hospitalized for any asthma complications in the last two years. But, when I saw the news about Singulair, I nearly fell out of my chair. My daughter gets mood swings like you would not believe and has temper tantrums like a 4 year old. She NEVER ever used to be this way. It just started within the last two years. She is our oldest, so we thought maybe it was her hormonal changes starting. But, she is always the one who says nobody loves her and storms off in a range. I believe she knows this is completely untrue, but isn't it ironic that all of us have such similar stories to share?! Could all these problems be there for all of us because of a drug we were given to HELP our child?! And, if that is the case, what now?! Do I go back to the Flovent and keep stunting her growth?! Do I pull her off all her current asthma medicine, only to be prescribed another one with something else negative we will find out about years down the line? From day one, I have felt all these medicines for her asthma were not a good thing. But, I have asthma too and the last thing I want is to see her suffer, not being able to breathe. What is the answer?! I am completely horrified and distraught over all the people, especially young children, affected by this drug!! And, to top it all off, I was just at the allergist, myself, this past week and she suggested I take Singulair for my allergies since she didn't want me taking Allegra D because of the decongestant thinning your blood! AAAAHHHH!

I have posted in the past but just thought I would update on my 9 yr old daughter condition. She has been off of singulair for the last 2 weeks and her behavior is so much better. She isn't sad anymore and doesn't talk about death like before..She still dealing with some issues and is seeing a counselor for her depression . Which he says she seems to be doing better. She is no longer taking Singulair or Zyrtec but just Flovent and Clarinex. Her asthma is under control and her allergies too.I am just happy I came across this website. Had I not researched I don't know what would of been of my daughter .I am NEVER giving my children Singulair or Zyrtec AGAIN!! I almost started my 13 month old on them!

I have three children who were all taking Singulair and also Zyrtec. My oldest, 11 year old son has been on these medications since he was diagnosed with chronic Asthma at age 3. The aggressive behavior, bad dreams, leg cramps (growing pains, we were told),head aches and stomach aches were all explained as age appropriate for a 3 year old boy. As he grew older, he would say he wished he or one of his siblings were dead. Yes, the Singulair
along with a Flovent inhaler controlled his Asthma wonderfully. We have never had to take him to the ER. However, after hearing in the News about the Singulair, I have done a lot of research. I have not given him either of these meds for a month now. He does still use the Flovent. After not having any Asthma attacks for about a year now, we were hoping he was out growing it. So, I guess it was good timing. And then the trees started blooming and the pollen is everywhere. Son gets congested, coughing up lots of thick, green mucus. I treated him with Children's Mucinex mini-melts, benadryl, and sudafed. It helped that it was Spring break and I could treat ever 4 hours. He needed the nebulizer a total of about 6 times for the entire week. Today, he was mucus free. As for his behavior, he still acts like a typical 11 year old boy, but has been less aggressive and mean towards his siblings.
My daughter age 10 has been on Singulair and Zyrtec for unknown allergies off and on for about 5 years now. They did seem to help, but once again we had unexplained behavior. At age 5 she told me she wanted to kill herself. The school counselor said she must have heard it on TV.Bad dreams, headaches,mean to brothers (above the normal sibling rivalry thing), mean to me, leg cramps, stomach pains,itching all over. Many times, too many to count, she would be moody and go into fits of rage. When asked what was wrong, she would cry and cry that she didn't know. Been off for a month, and less rage. Actually playing nicely with younger brother. Recently, the pediatrician ran a lot of blood tests. Daughter complained that she hurt all over and she ran a low grade temp for 3 weeks. (less that 99.7) All tests came back fine. Last Monday, the fever went away and the aches are gone.
Now for the last, my 7 year old son has been off and on these two meds for about 5 years for severe allergies. Again, they did help. He did not react as badly as my other two children did. Leg cramps( which he still has nightly, just might be growing pains),headaches, and bad dreams are the only three I can think of right now. Anyhow, after hearing about the boy on the news, I got scared. Plain and Simple. My husband thinks this is a bunch of nonsense and everything can be explained. The Singulair was costing us a hundred dollars a bottle for a month supply for one child.
I am still watching my children very closely,especially my asthmatic. I still haven't told the pediatrician that I've taken them off the meds.

My daughter will be 2 in June and she suffers with asthma she has been taken diff meds such as xopenex, pulmicort, orapred, and now singulair. i researched all the other meds and took her off but the asthma specialist said she needed the pulmicort and i asked her pediatrician what he thought and he prescribed singulair he said it was completely safe and i had nothing to worry about but now i am very much worried because my daughter is only 21 months old and can not tell me exactly what wrong if anything. she has only been taking this singulair since last night so it has been twice she has taken it and last night she had a nightmare. she was fussy going to bed, it took a long while to wind her down she normally falls asleep between 9 and 10 pm last night she went out around 12. her lungs r very sensitive and i want her to get better but a lot of these meds have really bad side affects and who's to say what will be the long term affects and thats what i worry about the most. i just don't know what to do and I'm very worried. i came across this site by accident but I'm glad i did cuz now i know that this is not safe to give my 21 month old daughter.

I have a 9yr that was placed on Singulair about 3 or 4 years ago with Concerta for ADD. He was always coughing at night and the doctor said it was allergies and told me to give him 5mg every night before bed. And the school said he had ADD. Well needless to say, my son weights 48 lbs and has had headaches. But he also doesn't act like a normal 9 yr old should. He does things destructively (breaks toys and destroys things in the house) and states that he doesn't know why he does things. He doesn't want to clean his room, shower, brush his teeth like he used too, and he acts depressed all the time. I ask he whats wrong and he says he doesn't know. He doesn't want to play outside or do anything remotely fun. After reading all these post I'm wondering if I should take him off the medication he's on and see what happens but I'm afraid of more side effects. The doctor says he needs to be on this medication. He has problems going to sleep at night is this a side effect? Any advice would greatly be appreciated.

Okay, in addition to my earlier post, everyone will be relieved to hear that I took my 3 1/2 year old off Singulair immediately after my last post (he had only had 4 or 5 doses). He has not had another nose bleed, and his attitude seems to be back to normal today.
He's still peeing like a faucet, and again I'd like to know if anyone else has experienced this while on Flovent or Ventolin??
Also...I think it is important to note that I was told by the specialist that SINGULAIR TAKES 6 WEEKS TO BEGIN TO TAKE EFFECT ON ASTHMA SYMPTOMS, so anyone who wants to take the risk and try the drug needs to stay on their puffers for the first 6 weeks.
When I told my son's specialist (a pediatrician whom I trusted completely up until this:) that I have removed him from Singulair because I had come across some rather alarming info regarding it's side effects--would she like to have the printout that I brought along--she stated that they were well aware of the side effects of the drug -- i could keep my printout.
........WHAAAAATTTT?
This is a doctor who, when I asked her if the drug was safe, she replied "yes". When I asked her if it were her child, would she give it to him? She said yes.
Either she is NOT aware of the true side effects, or she feels that the positives outweigh the negatives...who knows?
I urge everyone who reads this: Do not trust your doctors to make decisions about your children's health without doing your research first and asking lots of questions.
I am just grateful that I have not had to suffer the tragic outcomes that so many of you have had to suffer. My heart goes out to all of you and your children.

My 3 1/2 year old son has been on Singulair for 4 days now. Needless to say, I am grateful to have stumbled across this website when I googled "asthma medications, nosebleed" after he had the first spontaneous nosebleed of his life, yesterday. Since this had never occurred before, I wondered if his meds could have something to do with it. (He is also on Flovent and Ventolin as he has just suffered his second asthma episode in a month. He has been on both these meds before and I have not witnessed any notable adverse effects with these)
I have also noticed a slight shift in his attitude and willingness to do as he's asked since day 1 of Singulair. This is extremely unusual for my very sweet, cooperative, focused child. He also stated today that he did not love his older brother, whom he adores. He has actually hit me and kicked me on several occasions, which is so unlike my little momma's boy, it had me wondering about the Singulair even before I came across this website.

I am also wondering if anyone knows whether Flovent or Ventolin can cause extremely frequent urination? He is running to the bathroom every few minutes at times. (this was happening before starting on Singulair)
His urinalysis shows that he has no bladder infection and sugar is normal. Help!!!

I have a 8 year old daughter that has been on Singulair since she was 2 years old. When she first started Singulair, she was also put on Flovent (an inhaled steroid), along with Albuterol for what the doctors call reactive airway disease (similar to asthma). Her triggers were allergies and having a cold. Her first flare up of mood swings alerted me to take my daughter off the Flovent. She seemed to improve a little, but still had behavior/moody issues. I had chalked them up to the "terrible twos", and not really thought much of it. As time went on, I became accustomed to the behavior that my daughter was showing. When the few complaints of stomach pains, headaches, and leg pain came along, I managed to explain them away with reasonable explanations (example: growing pains, eating too much, not enough sleep, etc.). As my daughter went off to school, I heard numerous complaints from her teachers that she lacks focus, cannot complete a task in a timely manner, easily gets distracted, and at times (more than not) is a disruption to the class. At home, I noticed a strange "tick" going on with her blinking, the constant need to repeat herself, and the battles with bursts of crying to get her to do ANYTHING. SOMETHING IS REALLY WRONG!!! I was on the edge of having a full work-up of mental tests. I have her see the school social worker weekly and I keep a constant communication with her teacher regarding her behavior. I decided to look up side effects regarding this medication. I first looked at the website for the manufacturer and saw nothing alarming, nothing about behavior affected side effects. I looked into mental disabilities (autism, aspergers, ADD, ADHD, etc.) and saw no common link to her behavior. Then I came to this site and MY JAW DROPPED!! Everything that my daughter has experienced, TO THE LETTER, has been experienced by other children. The weight gain, the occasional pains, the strange behavior. I decided that NOW is the time to act. I have seen my daughter's doctor and discussed my concerns. We are going to wean her off this stuff starting TODAY! Fear of a serious relapse of breathing problems is making us very cautious. I am kicking myself for not making the connection sooner. Wish us luck that this drug has not destroyed her chances of getting better and that this "asthma" can be controlled another way without such serious side effects.

Hi. My eight year old daughter has been on singular for 6 months. She has had chronic stomach pains that she says feel like pressure. Her appetite is terrible. She always says she isn't hungry. I have to search for anything I think she will eat. She is very tall and very thin for her age. She grew an inch in the last year but gained no weight. First time her growth just stopped. No surprise as she doesn't want to eat. I took her to the doc several times and they think she has acid reflux and have given her 2 different acid eliminators ( which freak me out as well) Said she should see a gastroenterologist. We have appointment in March . I started reading this site and thought well maybe it's the singular. So I called her allergist and told them I was taking her off to see if that's why she has the stomach problems. They said I could since it wasn't a big trigger time(seasonal) and she wasn't sick with any cold or flu) She gets mild asthma when sick. Her allergist asthma doc thinks her stomach aches are related to the mucus dripping into her stomach. I have taken her off all meds to try to see if it could be the Singular. She also has been very tired and can't keep up in her dance classes. Her school teacher had to put her in the front of the class because she said she wasn't paying attention. She seems to lose it over anything that requires focus or attention.She also seems kind of depressed. She is worried that something is really wrong with her. This child used to eat normally and is gifted academically .Her tests results(taken while on the Singulair) went way down from last year. She was put in gifted pull out program from last year results but would have barley made it in this year based on her much lower scores. That does not make sense to me. Never has had attention or focus problems before. I will keep everyone posted. Does anyone know how long it might take to get this drug out of her system? Has anyone else had this kind of reaction to this drug? I also wonder whether she had reflux before but this made it worse? I had her blood tested for Celiac and general stuff and nothing showed up.I wanted to get the Singular out of her system before we see the G.I. doctor. anyway thanks, Elizabeth

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!

Hi,My biggest side effects are the hair loss,limb swelling,insomnia,halucinations(unless my dead dog really is a ghost),memory loss,numbness in legs and arms,tingling in arms and hands expecially when I cough or sneeze,sinus stuffiness and infections and cronic bronchitis.Allthough I have these side effects I personally think that I am better off taking the singulair for my asthma(does not help my allergy symptoms at all) than when I was on all the allergy meds and streoids.I used to have a bag load of those and I was allways having attacks,was depressed and thought of suicide but then I did the study for singulair about 15 years ago and thought it was a miracle cure so I waited for it to come out on the market.I know it is not a miracle cure but I don't have to take those other meds anymore and I only use my fast acting inhailer mabee once a month now.I am now 6 months pregnant and will be looking for an alternative treatment from a hollistic/natural Dr. after I have the baby.There has got to be a better way to control this disease,I hope,naturally through diet and other remadies with less or no side effects to treat my allergies and asthma.If anyone knows of such tratments,please post it.Thanks.LR