Singulair and good luck

My son is 7 yrs old with allergies and asthma. The Dr. prescribed it and the same day I had talked with a lady which her friends son just committed suicide. They were contributing it to Singular. A quick look up on the internet and I was angry with the pediatrician that the side effect was never discussed with me! After a very reassured conversation I said I would start him with 1/2 dose. I noticed nightmares started right away and I stopped. Asthma got worse decided to star again 3 weeks ago. He started twitching his head, flipping his hair that isn't even long. He was also complaining of stomach aches and not wanting to go to school (very unusual)! He has been off for a week now and is hopefully will not ever have any long term effect! Please follow your instincts and I will let his doctor. know what the side effects were.

I have a 15-yr old. She's been taking singulair since she was 7. These are a few of the things that I have noticed over the last year but ignored because I too, as many of you have, thought it was because she a teenager.

1. Stomachache .. she complained all the time. Thought it was nerves because it was usually before she went to a training session or game.
2. Restlessness.
3. Headaches.
4. Moodiness.
5. Tired. Fatigue. Weak. Even after she gets hours and hours of sleep. Figured it was because her schedule is whacked. We've had fights over her not going to bed at a certain time.
6. Menstrual cycle changed last fall followed by acne when as before she was perfectly normal with clear skin. Recently put her on BC because of her hormonal change. Blood tests showed she was normal. We tried it anyway to regulate her periods. Took her off of it after she had her period for 3 weeks straight. Probably won't put her back on BC since taking Singulair might be the problem.
7. Tired all the time. Falls asleep in class.
8. Lost interest in her favorite sport which she rocks at. Thought it was because of a 2-month down time due to an injury.
9. Several times, have seen signs of depression but when confronted she says no she's fine. Depression is probably from being unhappy with her appearance. Being on the pill made this worse.
10. Doesn't want to go to school. Whereas before not a big deal. Most kids don't like school, but lately, she talks about how much she hates it. Usually excited to start the new school year, this year not so much, more like dreading it and her attitude hasn't change about it.
11. We argued last week and it was the first time she screamed at me and told me she hated me. She's never done this before. Her thoughts and moods have been horrible but they come in spurts.

After reading everyone's experiences, I am taking her off Singulair. I know it's not an overnight cure and will take some time, but I just want my little girl back. I find it strange that this all occurred within the last year even though she's been taking Singulair since 7. Do you suppose it's in teenagers and puberty?

I was put on Singulair two weeks ago and since then I have have experienced everything from hyperactivity and insomnia to flu symptoms and loose bowel movements. I contacted my doctor after 3 days because I was having tingling in my hands and feet, flu symptoms, cramping etc but no fever and otherwise fine...He said the benefits outway the side effects so take half. I continued to take half. The cramping reduced and so did the other physical type side effects, but I started feeling like Superwoman. Instead of sleep I sterilized my house, wrote emails, tended to laundry, etc...and then continued my normal day with a smile and pep that I would not expect. I really had no desire to eat. The thought just made me cringe. After two days of no sleep and hyperactive state I decided I am done. I stopped taking it...and I took my son, 6, off it as well. He had been taking it for 4 years and was presenting with signs of hyperactivity. It has been one week...he turned yellow, became more hyperactive, talked about how the man in his room is gone now. He had struggled with sleep since he started Singulair but there were no side effects at the time that listed bad dreams, hallucinations, hyperactivity etc...It has been one week and we watched our son turn yellow as he withdrew ...he could have been spider man break dancing on the ceiling for the first few days. His teachers and even the bus driver had sent home warnings about his behavior "can't sit still" ...the last 3 days of school he has been on "green" which means great behavior. I do not think anyone should give this drug to kids...and it should not be given in sample forms either to any doctor trusting patient...without a full discussion of these side effects. I feel like I just went thru hell and put my son thru hell.

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.

can someone please tell me how long it took for their child's thought to return to normal? My son has stopped singulair four days ago after reading this website. I had ruled out everything but could not find out what was wrong. After putting in his symptoms and that he took singulair i couldn't believe that I found it matched. He had stopped taking it for a month and had started back up on it. Please respond to a nervous mother of an eight year old who was a happy child who now had thoughts of knifes and scary thoughts

I took my daughter (14yrs old) off of Singulair 2 nights ago after being in the ER. She's been taking this drug for 3 years off and on. We were told she had asthma 3yrs ago and now yesterday after taking the Methacholine challenge test, she doesn't have asthma. Talk about being confused and angry. Over the last three years my daughter changed into a very anxious person, couldn't sleep at nights, very vivid dreams that made her surround herself with pillows thinking her dreams were real, sadness, chest pains, tingling in hands, arms & legs, knee pain (could be sport related?) and a very short fuse. I came across another website and then this one about the side effects of this drug and immediately took her off. She has slept better the last two nights but still has a little chest pain (indigestion), which I hope subsides soon. This has been a terrible stress for her and the whole family and I'm praying being off this drug will help my daughter restore her self confidence and happiness in her life.
A.

I went to my doctor last tues 'coz of shortness of breath. She found nothing & told me maybe i have anxiety. Told me to continue taking Singulair however since taking it last Saturday until now I still have the shortness of breath plus i couldn't sleep at night, i felt that I'm going to cry. After reading some of the experiences in this site I will stop using Singulair tonight & see what happens.

I am a 36 year old woman, and I have taken Singulair for the past 8 months. I got a lung infection over the winter, and the clinic I went to put me on the 10mg Singulair. It helped my lungs and got me over the worst of the infection, but I never anticipated the side-effects. For several months, I attributed what I was feeling to hormones (like severe PMS) and the stress in my life. I started to have thoughts of death, especially at night. I also began to have a hard time leaving my house. I would have panic attacks, worrying that the window was left open, the stove was left on, and god forbid there was a dark cloud in the sky (I became convinced that a terrible storm would come). Several times, I nearly got in a car accident racing to get home after work. Then, I started to obsess over getting sick. I was convinced that I would get some terrible disease and die soon. The fears and anxiety got worse and worse until one day (a rainy day), I quit my job of twelve years. It was a good job. I was happy with my work, and I made more than enough money. I ended up moving across the country back in with my estranged husband, because here I would not have to work. I could stay home all the time, away from germs and storms and anything else bad. That was three months ago. Still on the Singulair, I began to obsess over death. The panic attacks were so severe that they triggered asthma attacks, and not being able to breathe triggered more anxiety. I stopped sleeping at night. In three months, I've slept four nights. I began to have nightmares that made me wake up screaming and violently lashing out. I had to urinate 5 or 6 times every night. I developed severe stomach pain and nausea. And I had leg pain (actually, I hurt everywhere, severe pain). I had headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. Slowly, I began to realize that it might be the medicine. I started to research, and yesterday, I took my last pill. Since then, I have not had one panic attack. I have not had one asthma attack. I slept last night with no bad dreams. I know what's happened now, and I'm so sad that I lost so much of my life because of this drug. I really had a good life...friends, a home, a great job... Now, I'm very tired. My body is very weak and still hurting. I'm shaky. But I believe in time, those effects, too, will go away. I feel like my body has been through a war. I'm grateful that I didn't kill myself. There were a couple of really bad days when the urge to be violent towards myself was overwhelming. One day, I punched a fence, making my knuckles bleed. I think I could've killed myself, and I know it was Singulair. It's going to be better now. Just as a note: what helped me withdraw without any major worsening of asthma was Advair 250/50 twice a day.

My daughter who just turned 6 has been on Singulair for about 3 years now. Her behavior has not always been the best, but with her past medical history ( a preemie) and all the things we have gone through some times its just easier to give in than to fight over it!!! So last week she was suffering with her allergies and asthma and the doctor added a Claritin to be taken once daily. I didn't really think to much about it and thought well if it is going to help her the OKay. That was on Wednesday and by the week end she was literally coming "unglued". She was lying on the floor when she should have been in her seat at the dinner table. When she was in her seat she was doing "back bends" over the chair. We finally come to the conclusion that it had to be the Claritin, I looked up the active ingredient loratadine and knew I had to get her off it immediately. So now I started to investigate the Singulair as well, which I should have done long ago. Today will be the last day she takes Singulair as well. She has complained of her stomach hurting for a long time and I always blamed it on constipation, but it could be the Singulair. I can only pray that she will not have any lasting side affects.

Our 2 yr old son was prescribed Singulair for allergies by his ENT. He did great for a month. then started waking up more often at night, talking in his sleep. Never a fussy child unless he was sick- suddenly whining, protesting, acting out of character. Screaming when he didn't get his way. I threw away the pills the night he woke with a blood-curdling scream climbing the walls in his room- hallucinating that there were bugs crawling in his room. His pupils were dilated, heart was pounding and he was scared to death. A friend warned me early on, told me of her daughters behavior problems from the drug and told me of this website. She is doing great on Allegra. My son was to go off the Singulair in a couple weeks of our stopping the drug anyway, hoping he wont need any further treatment.

Our son, who is now 6 was prescribed Singulair at the age of 3 due to asthma/allergies. He was prescribed this by an ENT/Allergist. I thought our sons mood swings were due to the fact that we were expecting another child. He was always so happy/loving and playful. When the baby arrived 2 months later, his behavior worsened. Again, I put it on the new baby sister in the house. His moods/anger/outbursts increased. He hit, threw things etc. I told the doc about this and he said it was due to his enlarged tonsils, and they were then removed. Well needless to say, his behavior did not change because he was still on the Singulair. I mentioned the possible side effects to his pediatrician and she said it was a possibility, but to keep him on it because he needed it. Well, 3 years later, in March of this year I took him to an allergist that I had seen years ago. He immediately took him off the singulair (and all inhalers). His moods seemed to brighten a bit, but not they are worsening again. Is it possible for the Singulair to have long term damaging effects. I understand kids have tantrums, etc. Kids are kids, I get that. But he punches, kicks, screams, cries etc. My husband are at a loss. We don't know what to do. Oh, and he is now on Veramyst as needed (march-june, Aug-Oct.). Has anyone else experienced long term effects due to Singulair?

My son was on singulair for most of his infancy (11 mos- 22 mos old) we took him off of it when I started staying home with him. He was in daycare and was having breathing issues. We would give him the singulair and Zyrtec every morning. He became a very despondent baby. He would spend the ENTIRE day in the rocking chair at the daycare. After months and months of the teachers telling me this we decided it was best I stay home with him. He came off of the singulair and things got so much better for a while, he began to interact with us and others, not fearful anymore, and slept through the night. However other things have grown to be worse, as he has been developing...every day he seems more difficult to deal with. Now, 5, he is angry, fits of tantrums and rage, can't cope with his emotions, he actually kicked me today during one of these fits. He has been peeing in his room when he is sent there because he has been punished for one of these outbursts. What are the long term after effects of Singlair? Has anyone had this experience? Could the singulair have been given to him too early and now caused some sort of permanent nero or psychiatric condition? PLEASE ADVISE!!!! This Mom is really frightened.

Our 19 month old son was diagnosed with RAD (reactive airway disease) and our pediatrician is very hesitant to call what he has "asthma". His two bouts of wheezing were both associated with viral respiratory infections. However, after this infection and the seasonal allergies he seems to have, the dr. prescribed Singulair (4mg granules) to us to help control our son's wheezing and coughing. After being on it three days, he's not the normal laid bad but energetic boy that we know is ours. He's mean...he's aggressive...and he's biting so much at daycare that they have assigned one person to shadow him all day long. We took him off of it yesterday, so we're now 24 hours singulair free. I'll post any differences we see in a few days, but for now it's our firm belief that Singulair is what is making the difference.

My 11 year old son started singular in March of 2009 for exercise induced asthma. Within weeks he started having symptoms of heartburn - which he had never had before. I brought him back into the dr. mid June- they said wasn't related to singulair and actually increased his does from 5 mg to 10 mg. Since increasing his does, he started experiencing, daily headaches, stomach pain, leg cramps, night sweats w/ shaking & overall FEAR. Last night he was in tears - he kept saying there is something seriously wrong with me - I can't stand feeling this way he was afraid he was going to die and didn't want to go to sleep.

Last night I did my own research and found this board. THANK GOD!
He didn't take his singulair last night & he never will again.

I called his dr. this morning to tell them I think he is having negative side effects from singulair. They actually told he it was "HIGHLY UNLIKELY" his symptoms were related to singulair and NOT TO STOP USING IT. They instead said I should start giving him pepcid. I told them he had stopped it - for good and that we need a plan B for is exercise induced asthma. Looks like my plan B is finding a new Dr. that isn't in bed with Merck.

Has anyone had any experience with a NATURAL approch to controlling exercise induced asthma?

We put our 3 year old son on Singulair 2 weeks ago for allergies. It seemed to be helping him. He is a very mild mannered kid that has never been an aggressive child and never bites or hits. In the last 4 days his mood has changed, and he has bitten 2 kids at school, hit one kid, bit and hit his grandpa, has been waking up with nightmares and has been very clingy to me (his mom). After reading the side effects of Singulair last night we contacted the pharmacist and told him what has happened and he told us to take him off the Singulair immediately and contact our Pediatrician. I am waiting for a phone call back now. I am saddened that a medication for Allergies can cause such a personality change.

I am a 36 year old white male - generally good health. Could use to lose a few pounds but not overweight. I've been taking Singulair for a little over a year and since then (I also take Zyrtec - over the counter and Nasonex) all are for allergies. I since developed acid reflux - went to my pharmacist and she said that most people with this mix of allergy drugs form acid reflux. Anyhow, I am generally a moody person-have always been - too intense and most of the time I am not a go with the flow person-since I've been taking Singulair my mood swings amplified horrifically - I blow up at my wife over stupid assanine stuff - after reading these posts..today is the last time I am going to take Singulair. Wish me luck. I hope the mood swings decrease.

My eight year old son was diagnosed with mild asthma by our GP and was taking Ventolin for a persistent cough. When this didn't relieve the cough the doctor prescribed Singulair. He started the Singulair in March 2009 and within 2 months we realized that his personality had dramatically changed. It has taken us a while to figure out what was going on because eight year old boys are starting to assert themselves more and I think the side effects have been escalating over the last month. He was angry most of the time, very hateful towards his siblings, saying very dark, nasty, hurtful things. He argued every time we asked him to do something and would snap into a screaming inconsolable emotional wreck at the drop of a hat many times a day over trivial or imagined problems. He was having nightmares and bursts of hyperactivity that were overwhelming. He told us he felt frustrated all the time and hated everything. When we tried to calm him he was unreachable. Just yesterday he had his fist clenched and pulled back ready to punch me when I was trying to help him with a computer problem. He was shaking and his face was contorted with rage and he just wasn't my little boy anymore.
It has been devastating for our family and we were ready to take him to a psychologist. He is normally an incredibly considerate, perceptive, loving child, highly intelligent, helpful and fun loving with a great sense of humor.
He has also complained of leg pains and has been wetting the bed again. It was only yesterday that I began reading about other people's side effects and have taken him off Singulair as of last night. Whilst he has still been argumentative today already the aggressive intensity seems to be easing.
I am absolutely mortified that I allowed this to happen to my son and my family and I am so grateful to others for sharing their experiences.
We still need to address his asthma and will make an appointment with a specialist next week, but given his asthma is so mild he should not have ever had to suffer these side effects.
I only hope now that he has not sustained any long term effects and that his younger brother has not been scarred by the truly horrible things that my son has said to him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By: Fed Up

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

I was given Singulair about three months ago. The first few months I hadn't noticed anything extreme as far as side affects. However gradually my moods began to change. I became sullen and agitated at first. I thought perhaps I was coming down with something. Then as time went on I began to hate life. Everything was irritating me. I had unusual outbursts. I began to feel as if I just didn't want to live anymore, but really didn't have any type of justified reason. I even had begun planning things, what I'd leave to my family, how I should go about it, etcetera. My husband even commented a few times that I just didn't seem like myself. I know he had no clue as to just how bad it had become. After an extreme outburst targeted toward my 6 year old grandson I knew something was NOT right. I took myself off the Singulair and am beginning to feel like my old self again. It may work fine for some, but for me, I'm afraid much longer and I may have truly ended my own life.


Good luck with your story.
Keep us posted!

i posted on April 27th, on April 23rd, i stopped taking singulair, so i am here to UPDATE. after i stopped taking this death trap of a medicine, i already am seeing changes. i actually am breathing better then i have the whole time i was taking singulair, i can sleep through the night, and no HORRIBLE nightmares. jsut some normal ones, if any. but i feel like all the problems it has cause on my mental stability are still there, im guessing its going to get worse before it gets better with that. its really hard. now, me and my mom are starting to wonder if i ever had asthma in the first place, or if my dr. some how diagnosed me while i had a slight case of pneumonia. because the first time i was tested i was only breathing 60% of air, and even the nurses said i should be dead, or in an emergency room and she never not once, checked to see how my asthma was for 2 years. i honestly feel like i have been robbed of my life. its so hard to know something so little and simple, can have such a evil effect on you. because if i didn't have asthma i have been taking singulair for 2 years without needing it at all. imagine what that could have done. now im just so scared to sleep, because im scared i wont wake up. everything in my life is suffering and i don't feel like i have the strength to keep living the way ive been, im so scared every second, i am constantly checking my pulse, and now its even worse because i stopped the singulair. i already sent something to the FDA, and all that, but i doubt they'll listen. someone asked me a couple days ago "aren't you glad you at least found out your not alone" and i said "no, no one should ever have to go through what im going through, especially little kids". i feel like no one understands truly how hard this is, because its just an asthma medicine. this killed my mind, my spirit. and i don't know if ill ever be the same care-free person i once was. im constantly scared of everything, i always feel like no one wants to be around me, i just don't know. but not he positive side, im also not as weak, or tired during the day. i can actually bend down or reach up without feeling like a 98 year old women. my body is doing a lot better. its just my mind i really want back. i repost in a couple days, and hopefully everything will be a little better. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE SINGULAIR. i honestly think that, if it doesn't effect you at first it will in the long run. even if its 10 years later, you will start to slowly see something happening. just don't take it. i don't want anyone to feel, the way i do.

J.

April I started Singulair last Thursday night and felt tired and depressed
29th on Friday but thought it was something going on in my life. On
2009 Saturday, I had severe, throbbing headaches all day but took the
Singulair for the third night. Sunday, I again had throbbing head- aches so looked up this web site and thought, "Aha!" I stopped
the medicine but had dull headaches on Monday and felt tired. On
Tuesday, I woke up and had trouble breathing. I went to the doctor
who ended up putting me on a nebulizer, giving me a shot of
steroids and prescribing an inhaler that I'm to use 3 times a day as
needed until the Singular is out of my system. I was only put on
the Singular in the first place because my doctor thought my
hoarseness might be from an allergy. What a nightmare!
I also suffered from apprehensiveness, and also
sleeplessness, and a fever. Never again!

i am really glad i found this site, and got to really understand what may be my problem. its the SINGULAIR, i really believe. i will share my story so no one has to go through what i have been going through. (i just stopped my medicine a day or two ago, so i will repost and see if i start seeing changes in my behavior) well first off i am 19, and i started taking singulair when i was a senior in high school, so about 2 years ago. i didn't see any noticeable changes for awhile, except for probably a year now, a little more or a little less. for this whole time, i have not been sleeping, i wake up 3-4 times a night, fully awake and can never fall back asleep for hours. its almost like my body tries shutting down, but my brain never does, i have the craziest dreams, most of them are me suffocating or not getting enough air, which are really scary. I have been having really bad anxiety, panic attacks, basically i have been just feeling like i am going to die every second of the day. the feeling of being trapt inside my own body. it seems like every month it just gets worse and worse. i cant focus, i don't go to school, i don't work, and i believe its from the side effects of this medicine. i also always feel so tired, and so weak, i cant even look through a clothes rack without my arm aching. i have been having a hard time breathing, which is odd seeing its supposed to help me breathe, i have been sick at least once a month, through this whole time i have been going to my Dr. at least twice a month or more, telling her my symptoms, i even went in their one day crying i was so scared. and she just kept telling me, its probably all in your head, this, that and the other. she even put me on probably 10 different medicines trying to see which one would help. and of course none of them helped anything. I started thinking, and feeling like i was going crazy, what was wrong with me? i wondered constantly. For a couple months now, i figured i had to take it into my own hands to figure out what was wrong, seeing this Dr. doesn't seem to understand me. I looked up every disease or problem imaginable, and had blood tests done, but every thing came back normal. i didn't understand what was going on, every month i just feel worse and worse, lately i have been telling my mom i just want to die, that i cant keep living my life this way, of course i would not do this for the fact that i couldn't do that to my mom or my little sister, or anyone, but it feels like it would be easier then dealing with everything i have been. along with everything else i was/am feeling, i also feel a lot of hate toward myself, i feel like i am not good at anything, and i feel very ugly, sometime i don't even want to leave my house, because i just feel disgusting. Finally, a couple days ago, my little sister which is 10 and really smart i may add, was watching TV and they happened to have a commercial for SINGULAIR. she told me that everything i have been saying that was wrong with me (she hears me complaining a lot about all my problems to my mom) were all the side effects from SINGULAIR. of course i wanted to know more about this even though i have taken this medicine for awhile without any of these problems, i started researching and realized that all of my symptoms happened to be the side effects from singulair. and then i started reading other peoples stories about it, and about linking it to suicides and everything. i told my mom and i told her i wanted to stop the medicine right away, at least just to see if this is what it was all along. i haven't taken it for 3 days now i believe, and i already see a difference, i actually get tired now instead of staying up reading till 5 in the morning, and i haven't been waking up at all during the night. i am pretty angry that my dr. couldn't figure this out, or at least maybe even think about it. for awhile i thought i was honestly going crazy, i lived in fear for so long that something was extremely wrong with me, that i haven't lived my life the way i should of, or wanted to. i never thought that it was just the EXTREME side effects of this medicine. i am so thankful for my little sister listening to all my complaints and all my anger toward myself, and actually putting it together that it would be my medicine that was supposed to make my asthma better. as i said its only been a couple days and i already feel better, i will repost to tell you if im back to my "normal" self after being off this medicine for a longer period of time. i feel so grateful for my little sister, who would have guessed she would tell me what a Dr. couldn't even think about. i really feel that if i get back to my normal self, i really have her to thank for saving my life. <3

BELIEVE WHAT YOU READ!! TAKE YOUR CHILDREN OFF THIS POISON. 3 yrs ago my 7yr old was on this for 6 months. The "bad thoughts" were terrifying this wonderful boy and changed him drastically and FAST. We took him off this and he immediately improved but the emotional harm this garbage did to him still lingers (anxiety mostly). This is so unfair. Is there nothing we can do to warn other parents except for this? I can't believe I let this happen to my beautiful boy.

Thanks for sharing your stories.

My son used a nebulizer 2 to 4 times a day every day from the time he was one and a half years old. When he had just turned three his doctor prescribed Singulair. It was like a wonder drug for us! It took care of his asthma and we didn't have to use the nebulizer any more. He's been on it ever since -- he's 10 now -- he also takes zyrtec and has a rescue inhaler that he uses maybe once a week. About every other year he requires a course of steroids and a week of regular nebulizer use. Also, for the past year he has also required a daily inhaled steroid.
Now, about his mood issues. My son has always been sensitive and intense, moody. The first time I became alarmed was when he was 7, and he told me he wanted to burn his hands on the stove to punish himself for forgetting his homework. I consulted a psychologist who evaluated him and said he was not clinically depressed. Since then he has had periodic "dark" episodes -- especially in the winter. He has said he wants to die. He has had crying jags over things that are upsetting (loss of a pet was the worst) but it seems excessive for him to be saying he "just wants it all to end." He has told me that he is always unhappy and that he hates himself. He has also had problems with moody acting-out with friends. He will brood about hurt feelings until he loses his temper and screams at the friend. I have worked very hard with him on learning to manage his emotions. He hit a friend at school who was teasing him. He accepted his consequences willingly and willingly wrote letters of apology -- he told me he thinks he has anger problems and doesn't want to be this way. And his character is that he is a sweet, caring boy who can't stand to see anyone hurt, but also can't stand to be hurt.
A couple of years ago I asked his allergist if any of the meds he's on are linked with depression. He said no. We have a family history of depression, and I thought my son had gotten the worst combo of all the genes.
Recently, this all got to the point that I decided he needed to see a psychiatrist and quite possibly take medication for depression. Before I made the appointment he had a check-up with his allergist. Going down his list of meds the dr. said, recently Singulair has been linked with depression, have you noticed any moodiness or sadness? My first thought was that I have, but that he's always been like this. My 2nd thought was that he has been on Singulair for most of his life. I said yes and that I'd like to try him off of it.
My son resisted going off of it. He has had enough negative experiences with asthma that he didn't want to risk it, but I insisted. I didn't expect to see any change, but I thought it was important, as I was going to take him to a psychiatrist to consider depression meds, to see how he did off of it for a couple of months.
Less than a week later, he had been in a wonderful mood -- to the point of being silly and giddy all evening -- for 3 days in a row. The kind of mood that I don't see him in often, and when I do I think to myself, "he should be like this more often." One evening he even realized he had forgotten to bring home a homework assignment. I thought, "oh no, here we go, his evening is ruined." But he talked through his options with me, looked a little uncertain, and said, well, okay, I guess I'll have to tell my teacher I don't have it. I'll tell her I'll make it up at lunch if she wants me to. That was it! He didn't mention it again. I didn't say anything about his mood, because I really don't think I can know anything after just a few days -- it could be coincidental. The next day, he said to me that he thinks being off the Singulair is "working." He has now told me that a couple of more times.
I am tentative, but amazed. Even if my son does have a predisposition to be depressed, maybe the Singulair was making everything worse, and things really can improve for him. I am afraid to be to hopeful. At the same time, I feel guilty for giving this medicine to him for 7 years without a second thought.
As an aside, my son has periodically complained of leg pains, that I always told him were growing pains.
I would love any feedback that anyone can give me. So far (these two weeks), his asthma has been controlled with pulmacort, zyrtec and albuterol, so that aspect is okay.

I just came from my Dr. and he prescribed Singular for my allergies. He really convinced me to take it. So it's day 2 and I haven't taken it yet. I told my Dr. that the commercial on T.V. said a list of side effects that out weighed the symptoms of my allergies. This website has totally convinced me that I just threw away $135.00, cause I refuse to take a medication that has so many awful side effects. thanks for everyones input on this medication. and I hope for the best of luck with the people that are having such a difficult time with their medical problems.

My 3 year old has been on Singulair off and on since he was 1. This last time he started in November of 2008 and began getting agitated, extremely moody, and having fits of anger by Christmas. I thought it was a phase until about 2 weeks ago when my son's doctor told me he thought it sounded like side effects of the Singulair. I took my son off the Singulair and it has been absolute anger fits every time he gets upset or does not get his way. These anger fits have lasted anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours (including one that was an hour and half at the doctor's office). The fits consist of screaming at the top of his lungs, biting, kicking, hitting, and yelling rude and crude statements. Once they start he does not know how to get out of the fit. Now that he is off Singulair, I just want to know how long the withdraws will last....Any suggestions of help with the fits or details on how long the withdraw will last would be appreciated.

I am a 49yr old male who has had asthma all his life, Inhalers made me hyper, steroid inhalers caused bleeding in the nose. My asthma was triggered by cold air(I live in the northeast) dogs, cats, molds mites etc etc. Nine years ago I started Singulair. It changed my life for the better. I no longer even carry an inhaler, very few times will I use a pulmo-aid(sp) for fast acting relief from asthma. Sometimes I have leg cramps and some other side effects(very few). Everyone responds differently to medications.
Singulair has had a positive effect on my life. Parents!!..It's hell to see your children go thru sickness. It was hard on my parents as well. Good luck and find the doctor who will be patient with you to help our kids.

My doctor is a good doctor she is a great listener. Medicine is a hit and miss process for one to undergo. Singular worked great to keep the asthma at bay. Yet, there was a down fall that my doctor did not expect. I was having major mood swings. Such as anger, sadness, depression. Once I added Singular, it didn't come until the second month. I know myself quite well I am funny and very loving. This change came like a thief in the night. I woke up one day not standing the sound of my family voices and felt angry. I was crying and feeling sad to the point I was just waiting for the next mood to come. I do know the difference us women have with moods. This was a different degree of a mood swing. I been threw ups and downs so life was not the problem. I notice this change and immediately told my doctor. But, also I was on my rescue inhaler and a steroid inhaler. I believe it became like a combine cocktail of drugs. This combination cause me to feel this way. I got off the steroid that I was taking and Singular. I notice in just two days I am more patient, happy and so is my family. My doctor has me on new meds now and hopefully this well work. Please, as soon as you feel different don't wait seek your doctor's advice immediately. Good luck to all who suffer from Asthma. May there be a cure one day. Thank You, S.

My seven year old son has been on Singulair for a year and half. He would get angry but he's a kid...and I didn't think anything of it. Then the headaches and bad dreams....and then he's always talking about death. One day, I wasn't home when he arrived from school and he met me at the door crying....he thought I was dead. But the muscles cramps really got me. He's to young for cramps and waking up with a charley horse. I took him to the clinic and to the ER twice.. and still the doctors don't know why he's getting muscle cramps. So I said...let me go online to find some answers. Well... you know I'm going to his doctor and I threw his bottle of Singulair away. I'm going to start a journal and chart his progress and I'll get back to y'all.

My 13 year old son started taking singulair Nov 13, 2008 for seasonal allergies. Three weeks later teachers at school recognized a change in behavior that was not typical or noticed prior to the medication. The end of Dec. 2008 loss of appetite and increased mood changes and noticeable aggression toward others and unable to change his feeling even knowing his thoughts & feelings were awful and not typical or right. Jan 13, 2009 we realized it was the med and he stopped taking singulair. Not only is my son still trying to recover from physical effects, he currently is trying to recover emotionally. No longer able to attend school and in a home-bound education program. Would not recommend this drug to anyone. Was taken to the emergency room 3 times within the last month and a half for physical issues and choking sensations & loss of weight. Was admitted to the hospital twice and the hospital admitted him to a psychiatric treatment facility once and currently he is going to a psychologist weekly all within the last month and a half. Prior to taking singulair no major issues.

My 11 month old baby was put on Singulair two days ago to help improve his ashma and severe allergy problems, he used to be a good sleeper (sleeps the entire night since he was 2 months old from 8 pm to 7 am) but last night he woke up at 10:30pm, 1:30 am, 3:45pm, and finally he was done with his sleeping at 6:30 am, also he has experienced nausea and vomit. I notice that his breathing is improving but how long I have to wait to really prove that he is getting any of all the terrible side effects I read in here?

I wrote about a year ago. My 17 year old daughter was suicidal and horribly depressed during the year she was on Singular. Her asthma doctor had seen this is girls her age and took her off it immediately. Turns out it was not even helping the asthma as she improved on only Asthmanex.
She got better after being off Singluar 2 weeks but was never the happy, outgoing girl she had been before she started. She is now suffering again form an episode of major depression.

Are the effects of this drug permanent? She got so much better after she stopped it, it was like I had her back, almost. She never made ti back the whole way.
I filed a post-marketing MedWatch adverse drug report form one year ago. It is the only way we can prove what is going on. I used to be a certified clinical research co-oridinator. The FDA can't know unless we tell them. Please let them know what a dangerous drug this can be.

Has anyone experienced vision problems ? Seeing red and green dots ?

My son is 8 and for the past 3 years has been on Singular for seasonal allergies. He has since been diagnose with asthma and he takes Singular daily. After being on it for 3 weeks he is now getting into trouble in school. The teachers say it was like a light switch being turned on. Completely out of character behavior. My question is this......has anyone experienced hyperactivity behavior on Singular?

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.

I am SO sick at my stomach right now after reading all of these posts. My son is 2yrs old and was put on Singulair right after the new year. We have noticed a horrible change in his behavior....but we attributed it to his age and the fact that he is VERY strong-willed. However, thinking back, he has had some hallucinations. We had a babysitter tell us that when she tried to put him to bed that he cried and told her that there were monsters in the closet. When she picked him up and took him in the kitchen for a drink he kept reaching at the ceiling trying to grab something. Just last night he told me that he saw his Grammy dancing in the living room....my Mom wasn't even there. He has been throwing horrible fits to the point of gagging himself, hitting himself, kicking, hitting, screaming....you name it. At the end of them, I am usually in tears and we are both exhausted. I am not the only one who has experienced this with him....my Mom has too. He is also on Veramyst nose spray....both meds are for allergies. We have taken him off of both and decided to go a more natural route. We have bought local honey, an immune booster from teh health food store, and have him on a really good brand of liquid vitamins. It is hard as a parent to make decisions about your child. It is even worse when you realize that the decision you made has affected your child in a horrible way. I plan on giving him A LOT of attention tonight and giving him a big hug! I just want my fun, playful son back! Good luck to all of you and God Bless!

My son is 7 years old and was put on singulair for his asthma and allergies, my daughter who is 10, had been on it for over 2 years.
My son started experiencing, night terrors, out burst of crying, difficult to make decisions.
Anxiety attacks, panic attacks, did not want to go to school. After seeing his Doctor it was suggested that we pull him off the medicine. We started noticing changes within a few weeks. Please watch your child closely if on this drug. My daughter did not have side effects however we have taken her off this medicine also.
I would really be careful with this drug. Our family was in complete terror, watching your child struggling like this. USE CAUTION, IF YOU DECIDE TO TAKE THIS MEDICINE....

My wife (66) was using salbutamol inhaler for the last 10 years being a bronchial asthmatic. Even prior to that, she was being treated with a combination of theophylline, cortisones . In 2001 she was diagnosed to be suffering from OCD and citalopram 20 mg was prescribed. With significant improvement, the dosage was reduced to citalopram 10 mg, though we lowered the dosage only in December 2007. However, during the last month, when she had to be admitted in the hospital for a stomach virus the doctors prescribed MONTELUKAST SODIUM 10 MG combined with lEVOCETIRIZINE 5 MG. .
Dramatically,montelukast had a dramatic effect in that my wife never used the salbutalmol inhaler for well over 2 months, about which we were very happy.
But the worst was yet to come.
During the last few days, she again showed symptoms of the dreaded OCD once again, and she suffered like anything. On contacting a well known doctor, we were advised to stop MONTELUKAST and asked to continue citalopram (though escitalopram instead of citalopram ) along with clonozepam 5 mg to be tapered down every week for about a month.
I would like to be advised from a doctor whether (a) discontinuance of Montelukast will be able to bring back normalcy from OCD of course with citalopram or escitalopram. and (b) whether montelukast can be abruptly stopped. For the time being, we have reduced the dosage of montelukast from 10 mg to 5 mg.
PLEASE ADVISE US.

the pediatrician prescribed singular for my dd when she was 12yrs old for her asthma. she described it as being safe. that same year dd started having problems in school and seemed depressed. I talked to the doctor about it thinking maybe it had something to do with her adhd medication. the doctor thought maybe it was just normal teen behavior and dd trying to adjust. eventually we took dd to a therapist and things seemed to get a little better. then dd started complaining about stomach pains, she talked about strange dreams at night and would wake up in the middle of the night. Then the tantrums started, wild out of control tantrums. she would scream, throw things, destroy things, she talked about wanting to die, how she hated her life. again I went back to the doctor her adhd medication was adjusted and I also got her back into therapy. therapy was helpful but we continued to deal with the wild tantrums. we kept trying to seek help and answers but to no avail. we were beginning to think dd was suffering from a mental illness. the doctor told us to keep an eye on it and the next step would be maybe putting her on more medication. In the meantime dd became anxious, she had an anxiety attack at school, she would get in arguments with her friends and become very irrational, she continued to be angry at home, she destroyed things in her room and punched a hole in the wall. When I would look in her eye she had the look of a wild animal. my doctor began to think it was merely teen rebellion and we needed to get tougher with her. Never did it ever cross my mind that it could be something with singular till I heard about the study on the news then it all clicked. before singular my dd was an above average student who was liked by teachers and students alike. teachers talked about how well behaved she was and she was a leader. she was very active in various activities at school. Now she has become nervous and suffers from anxiety attacks, she has out of control tantrums and anger. her friends frequently avoid her or her calls because she has become so moody and angry. she frequently complains that her stomach hurts and feels like she's going to be sick. she screams and talks about wanting to die and that we don't love her. till today I had considered this drug to be safe and very useful in controlling her asthma but after doing more research i'm beginning to wonder if it's worth the risk.

Post-marketing reports of neuropsychiatric events associated with montelukast, zafirlukast and zileuton have been reported to FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS). Most of the reports of neuropsychiatric events are associated with montelukast, currently the most commonly prescribed drug that acts through the leukotriene pathway. The clinical details of some reports involving montelukast are consistent with a drug-induced effect. Because of the paucity of reports involving zafirlukast and zileuton, assessment of a drug–induced effect with these is limited. Accordingly, at this time, patients and prescribes should monitor for the possibility of neuropsychiatric events associated with these agents..........................................This is the small print that is missing from some news reports

My son is 11 years old. He has been on Singulair for about six years. Ihave taken him to see a psychologist twice because of his terrible mood swings. He was diagnosed with depression last year. I am very concerned about this drug now. He has also suffered from migraines for two years. I also pulled him out of school and started homeschooling him because of the stress of school was causing three migraines a month. I also have a 19 year old boy who is not on singulair now. He took it for 8 years and was diagnosed with ADHD. He also went through depression as a child. I am making a appointment for my son to go back to his allergy doc tomorrow. Also I am not blaming my sons illness on singulair, but I am terrible concerned that it could have harmed my sons.

I'm so happy that I decided to research this drug. My son, who will be 2 on 1/22/09 was prescribed Singulair today. He has been coughing/wheezing, etc since we moved to a different state, 6 months ago. We have tried all kinds of OTC drugs and nothing would work. We finally brought him to the Dr. today and he says he has allergies (which we kinda knew already). I was happy that the Dr. prescribed something that we could not get OTC..to me, that meant that it was going to be better. I went to pick up the prescription and the pharmacist tried to talk me into a different kind of allergy med for my son. I told her that I wanted to stick with the Singulair, since that is what the Dr. prescribed. She told me, in no uncertain terms, to research this drug! She kept asking, "He's only 2, right?" He's only 2, right?" Her behavior was strange, I thought....it turns out that she was my angel today. I gave my son 1 dosage tonight before bed and he WILL NOT get another. Thank you! On Monday, my first order of business is to go back to the pharmacy and thank my angel....

My son who is 5 years old was on Singulair for 5months. He turned into a total different child. He developed extreme OCD, anxiety, excessive crying, scared at night, and irritability. After researching I found out it was the Singulair causing his symptoms, so I immediately took him off. After just a couple of days his mood lightened. It took a few weeks for the anxiety and OCD to go away, but it did thank God! Although, the main debilitating symptoms went away he still after 5 months is irritable and takes offense to anything and everything. It is like every time I talk to him I say something wrong and it annoys him or makes him mad. Our relationship is completely different now. It is like we are not as close. This was not my son before Singulair. I am heart broken. I read peoples post and most say after taking their children off Singulair all the symptoms went away and their children are back to normal. I feel there is 20% still missing after 5months of being off Singulair. My son is not 100%. I am beginning to feel like he may never be 100%. I feel like it causes some permanent damage. Does anyone else feel the same? Or have a similar situation? Or have still experienced recovery past 5months? I would love to hear your story. THANKS!!

My son is 12 and has been taking Singulair for the last ten months...he has been getting moody and upset for no good reason over the last 3 months and I put it down to "hormones" starting to kick in. He has now gone to feeling very sad and has even told me last night that he has thought about killing himself several times and feels he can't go on, or cope and feels lost and lonely or unwanted and in the way. He is confused and does not understand what is happening to him. I have just realized it may be the Singulair and will be taking him off it immediately. I'm hoping it is this as if it isn't I feel totally helpless as to how to help my child. Please say a prayer for him. He used to be happy go lucky.

My 9 year old son started Singulair 5mg about 8 months ago. Shortly after, he started to occasionally complain of stomach pain and not being hungry. About 2 months ago, they changed the dosage to 10mg. He now has chronic diarrhea and severe weight loss. We stopped the medicine about 2 weeks ago, but he's not "back to normal" yet. He's never had any digestive problems before. The doctor's recommending endoscopes, and we're at our wit's end.

I would like to know who is NOT experiencing side effects from Singulair.
We are not.
My 7 years old started Singulair three months ago because of allergy issues. She had asthma attack every other week, running nose all the time, she was so miserable, she missed many days of school and she couldn't exercise .Since she started to take SIngulair her allergy improved, no more asthma, no more running nose. SIngulair did not change her way to be. She is doing very good in school (she is above the average..) she does piano, ice skating, she is purple belt Tae Know Doe, speak two languages, she is doing great in everything. Of course she has her "bad moments" but which child does not?
I tried homeopathy, but it did not work, she got worst and worst. I was supposed to give SIngulair to my daughter a year ago, I did not because I was afraid of the side effects. But I wished I had started before because I could have avoid so much steroids since she had asthma most of the time. The doctor convinced me to use this medicine when she said " You think SIngulair has side effects, yes sometime it does, but do you know the danger of using steroids so frequently in a little body?" Then I thought I had to give a try. I am glad I did. Of course I keep watching my daughter behavior closely and reading all the possible side effects of this medication. I forgot to say that beside singulair my daughter is also taking Pulmicort, two puffs once a day.