Singulair and good job

I'm going to be interviewed about my family's horrific experience with Singulair on Monday by a CBS news affiliate out of Boston. I am going to try and blow the lid off this story and will hopefully be posting my interview on youtube. This has gotten so ridiculous with the ALA "study" ....and I never wanted to go there....but it almost to the point of conspiracy. These people are just downright creepy!!!!!!!!!!

My baby is 3. She had strep throat from Jan to April. I'm talking off the antibotic for max 4 days and the fever would return along with swollen glands, difficulty swallowing and just plain miserable. Took me 2 ENT referrals for someone to finally agree with me that this is not normal and something needs to be done. We scheduled a T & A for April 18th. The surgeon told me that she had a severe sinus infection as well (surgery day). He recommended that we start Singulair 4mg at night along with Nasonex to possibly help with her constant sinus congestion. I gave it to her and noticed nearly an immediate a change in her disposition.(looking back now) At the time I simply chalked it up to having her tonsils out. She was on the medication until Friday May 9th. Her babysitter said that she was seeing what I was at home...only I hadn't shared my dgtrs behavior at home with her...call it guilt for being a single mom who works...I just thought she was having trouble adjusting from a week at home with mom from the surgery recovery to getting back into the "norm" routine. At home she would cry at the drop of a hat. Not just wimper or whine....but tears and screams for nearly an hour. I would ask her why she was crying and she'd simply reply "I don't know Mommy." One minute we'd be playing and she's be laughing and the next she was angry and anxious. She would complain of "tingles in her feet"...I thought she had just been sitting on her legs and her foot had fallen asleep. She would deliberately instigate her older sister...totally not her. She became fearful of her room at nighttime...and took for ever to get to sleep. A co worker had mentioned that a little boy she worked with had his medicine changed b/c the dr said one of his meds may contribute to his behavior issues. Being a nurse I asked what med...SINGULAIR. I immediately went to the web and googled singulair. I found this site...and began to read parents horror stories of their experiences. She has not had another singulair nor will any of my children - EVER. I feel guilty that I didn't take the time to research it before I put her on it. I feel blessed that I was in the right place at the right time to find out about this site. I thought that my kind and sweet little girl had turned into. I know it's only 5 days off the med but she's back to her sweet self about 75%. I am blessed that my experience was not even a month long...but losing your child to a medication that no one warns you about even for a day is WRONG. I think I would be more "forgiving" if anyone along the line of me picking up the med had said ANYTHING...but no one said a thing. My prayers are with those who were not as lucky as I was to stop this med so quickly. I hope your children return to their pre singluair selfs quickly and permanently.

Hi, I am a mother of 6. They are 11,9,7,4,and twins 2 1/2. So nothing surprises me as far as kids. I have been through it all. My 7 year old had been taking singulair for allergies and ear pain, for over a year. Did my doctor once ask me about any of the side effect, NO!! This is not ok. My son suffered, decrease appetite, weakness, fatigue, mood swings, irritability, fears of being alone, scary dreams, anger, bone and joint pains. Before he was a loving kid (who had his moments)!!! I had no idea the singulair was causing all these destructive side effects. I just thought this is a phase he is going through, he will soon get over it. Finally I took him to his ped. and we did blood work and x rays. I told her something was wrong with him, he has not been himself over the past 6-8 months. This is one reason why I never suspected his singulair, it did not show up immediately. All of his test came back fine. I just happened to look at the side effects of this medicine. I almost died!!! Every single thing that this poor child has suffered from was on this list. Then more, I found this page and other mothers have had the same experience. I was just amazed that this has happened to so many. I was relieved that my son was normal. He has been off singulair for 6 days now (he doesn't know why I took him off it) . But you would not believe the change. It is AMAZING!!! In only 3 days, I started to see change in his anger. You would not ever in a life time believe that a medication can do this. I have been poisoning my son for a year. I think that Merck should take some of that 4.3 BILLION dollars and do some better research!!!! Concerned citizen you are right on. I have read many pages of this forum and I think you are doing a good job researching this. Maybe Merck should hire you as one of there "experienced personal". It just makes me seriously sick to see that the medical field is not seeing this problem!!!

My 4 year old daughter has been on Singulair daily for approximately 2 months. We started noticing some minor changes in her behavior early on (shyness, separation anxiety, anger, moodiness) but chalked it up to starting a new pre-school and arguing with her older sister. Then about two weeks ago, she started having an obsessive-compulsive type behavior about wiping herself. My first inclination was that she had some type of infection (yeast, UTI, bladder, etc) but all of the tests came back negative. My doctor told us to stop the Singulair, so we have been off for about a week now, but the OCD symptoms haven't lessened. I would say that some of the other behaviors are improving somewhat, but I am not seeing a "whole new kid" effect after being off for one week. Has anyone had a similar experience with OCD type behaviors? I am beside myself with concern! Thanks for any help.

I just got a very condescending private message from a doctor on this site who said that while my articles from Europe are very helpful that I don't know what I am talking about and that I could mislead the public. Then I see how many parents and patients got a condescending attitude from their own doctors.

Well the public has been mislead but it is not my fault. I don't see any experts in this field stepping up to the plate to acknowledge that these side effects exist, have been reported by authorities in other countries, and that these experts are interested in learning why they are happening. This is an extremely widely prescribed medication that involves the lives of millions.

Merck's research director was quoted as saying that they know of no mechanisms by which these side effects could be related to psychiatric adverse drug reactions. That was a flat out LIE. So what if I quoted you a research article from China that was very complicated and yes, could possibly be misinterpreted by somebody? I just needed to give you an example. The only expert so far that had the guts to give you a truthful statement was Dr. J. Douglas Bremner. Thankfully, he corrected a misunderstanding about saying that it was "unclear."

I hope that we will all hang in there and something will be said by somebody, anybody on this site that will make the FDA listen and investigate Singulair (montelukast) all the way back to the very original studies done in test tubes not on people. And, then take a new look at it from the standpoint of what we now know about human genetics. I guess I will keep repeating myself about one size does not fit all.

I would also PRAY that all clinical studies on Singulair (montelukast) would be suspended until the FDA decides why these side effects occur. And that they would issue a statement to doctors to make conservative decisions regarding treatment with Singulair until the results of the investigation have been reported.

I hope that nobody thinks that I am trying to mislead anyone. The answers are either unknown or being hidden by Merck. How would I know the answers? I don't work for Merck. How many other people are out there trying to translate articles in foreign languages to see what's going on? American doctors are calling Merck and being assured that there is nothing to these claims.

I wonder how many experts there are that just don't want to be another Jeffrey Wigand or don't know what is wrong?

I know that I am ranting but somebody should do it.

For those who need some "scientific" documentation to take to their doctors regarding the adverse side effects of Singular - montelukast. This reports from the Netherlands in 2002 does a good job of explaining side effects found in the clinical studies versus those found in post marketing reports. I am disturbed to hear reports that patients are either afraid to talk to their doctors for fear of being ridiculed or their doctors are dismissive of their complaints.

So here is one worth printing for your files.

http://www.lareb.nl/documents/kwb_2002_3_monte.pdf.

Everytime I read these side effects, I am still amazed about how the stories are so similar. My youngest son and I went to the doctor today. I think my son's doctor does a very good job. However, he is still suggesting the Singulair. He checked for updates on Singulair. Since the "FDA" has not sent any information with some of these serious side effects, it is still the green light. That is fine. But, I will not be administering this medication to him or my other child. These stories and my sons' side effects are substantiated enough for me. I think it is a matter of time, and we will all blessed after its findings. I am reading all these side effects again because my youngest son is again sick with diarrhea and puking. This has been happening a lot this year, and he is suppose to be taking the MAP testing. This stresses me since he has missed so much school. Last year, for quite some time he suffered with separation anxiety, and it took my husband and I forever to get him to school. Sometimes when we got him to school, he would not get out of the car. Sometimes we had to go inside with him and negotiate to get him inside the classroom and try to tell him we would be fine. One morning it was two hours, and another morning I finally left the school with him and took him to his father. I was exhausted!!!!!!! The school counselor would try to help too. I just do not think this is my child's disposition......................

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!

Chronic sinus infctions. They started out occuring every so often, nothing to be alarmed about yet right before I stopped taking singulair I was in at the doctors at least every 4 weeks for sinus infections. I was on antibiotics for almost one month before I stopped taking it and it was a factor in my coming down with bronchitis. I have stopped taking the drug when I realized it was making me sick. It's been 8th months and I have been to the doctors for a regualr check up and one infection. It feels great to have figured out why I was so sick. I had undergone CAT scans and saw an ENT and I was about to undergo more tests and see another specialists. I have researched online about possible side effects and infamed sinuses and respiratory infections are listed as side effects. The ironic part was I was taking singulair to prevent the sinus infections which my doctor and I thought were caused by my severe allergies when in reality it was actually making me sick. I cannot describe how much I loath this drug and feel that Merck does not do a proper and good job in making all the possible side effects know. My life health wise was...I don't know how to describe it- I was constantly sick and missing school and work and feeling terrible- I guess the word would be terrible. I strongly reccomend a person who is new to taking this drug to research it and know all of the nasty side effects.