Singulair and headache

Hi, I was on Singulair for two years and I had one additional side effect that I've not seen anyone else mention: allergy-like reactions to antibiotics. Prior to taking Singulair I had a bad reaction to only one antibiotic, doxycycline. I had elevated heart rate and blood pressure and ended up with what I was told is called intracranial hypertension or high blood pressure in the head which is the worst and most severe headache I've ever experienced.

While I was on Singulair I had the same reaction to every antibiotic that I was prescribed and they were all antibiotics that I had taken in the past without any problem. I stopped taking Singulair about a month ago and was able to take an antibiotic again without any problem. Every medical professional I've talked with about it said it was news to them and they've never heard of such a side effect.

This was, of course, in addition to many of the other mental and emotional side effects that other people have posted about: severe anxiety, suicidal thoughts, depression, inability to think coherently. The worst was just before periods. I figured it was wacky hormones after having my son but my periods since stopping stopping Singlulair have been WORLDS different. The first was within a few days of stopping and I had really heavy flow with lots of clots. (I know, TMI... sorry!) The most recent period came with mild PMS instead of the mental near-incapacitation accompanied by paralyzing anxiety and depression that I had been experiencing the past two years and the period has been relatively mild and manageable.

One more side effect I want to mention is intestinal cramping. I have been having increasingly frequent intestinal cramping and pain over the past year and had no idea what was causing it. I missed work and spent long periods of time in the bathroom expecting diarrhea that rarely came. Since stopping Singulair that has stopped as well.

All I can say is that Singulair was clearly not the drug for me. My entire life has been improved in just 3 - 4 weeks since I stopped taking Singulair. That's good considering my entire life was turned upside down over two years of taking it... at least the improvement has been faster than the degradation. Now if I can just get my asthma under control again (no, Singulair did not manage the asthma well to top it all off) I'll be doing beautifully!

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

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

Wow. I am surprised to see how many children are being put on this medication! I am surprised because the label on my bottle says specifically for adults 15 YEARS of age and older... As for my experience with Singulair, I have been taking this medication off and on for about a year now. I was put on it for severe allergies as everything else I tried did not work for me. (Claritin, Allegra, Flonase, Veramyst, etc) The first month or so on Singular I noticed that I would get severe headaches in the afternoon about the same time everyday. I would have to take aspirin just to make it through the every workday. These headaches eventually tapered off even though I will occasionally get a headache. The Singulair definitely helped me with my allergy symptoms and when I would go off, I would usually end up with a cold or sinusitis.

I just wanted to post an update.

I took my son off singulair over a year ago. He was on since he was 2 yrs old and had started with chronic headaches at about 10 yrs old. He also had tantrums(I don't know how else to describe it), was upset and sad and basically disliked himself. He cried all the time. I had always thought it was just him. These symptom had come on slowly over the years.

The first week off this med, it was like he was freaking out and everything was 100x worse. But the headaches almost immediately disappeared.

Other parents were wondering how long it took for his personality to change.or if the kids would remain that way.

It took quite a long time. It was worse for weeks after we took him off. Then it slowly started to improve.

In the last 6-8 months, it's like living with a different child. There's no crying, he's happy, there's no tantrums anymore. Gets a headache maybe once a month instead of daily.

He still has allergies, he still has asthma. But for the first time in years he seems normal. I love that word, normal.

I have had two sons on Singular. My three-year old had drastic behavioral changes about a month after starting to take Singulair. He suddenly had severe separation anxiety, was crying and whining all the time, did not want to be alone at all. Normally he is very happy go lucky and we did not see his bright cheerful smile for weeks. I took him to his pediatric doctor and described the behavior and she immediately said to take him off the Singulair. After two weeks, he was back to his normal, happy self. My older son is 5 and has been on Singulair for over a year. I consulted with his allergist right away after my 3-year-old was having trouble. I wanted to take him off the Singulair and he advised against it, because my 5 year old has more serious asthma and allergies. When he first started he had nightmares, and when I mentioned it to a friend whose son is also on Singulair, she said, oh, give it to him in the morning instead of night and that will help with the nightmares. That did help. Yesterday, I decided to take him off of it. It seems like he's always coughing and congested, he complains often of growing pains in his legs that will make him scream and cry and beg for medicine to make the pain go away. He becomes emotionally uncontrollable - i.e. he will have crying jags and when I try to console him or ask him to stop crying he'll say he can't help it and he'll say, "You don't understand, I can't control it." He has also complained of headaches and I wondered how would a 5-year-old even know what a headache is? I feel very naive and am thankful for sites like this because you will not always get this information from your health care providers and also the drug companies. If you are like me, and you've ended up in the emergency room and also calling 911 because your child is having and asthma attack, you be be so afraid you'll give your kids whatever the doctor prescribes and you'll look at it as the lesser of two evils - do you want to be in the emergency room or can you live with the side effects. It has taken me a while to get smart about this. There has to be a better solution out there.

I am 49 yrs old and was prescribed Singulair for allergy and asthma symptoms. I began taking it 2 weeks ago. I find it extremely effective for both asthma and allergy symptoms. Last week I experienced nausea - this has stopped, so it may or may not have been a 24 hr bug. However, I often have a headache and am generally lethargic and starting to feel depressed. After reading the posts here, I realize these symptoms are most likely associated with Singulair so I am planning to discontinue this drug today.

I have been on Singular for 2 months. I have noticed dizziness and almost passing out. I thought it was my other herbal supplements, but now I am still having the feelings and I will discontinue the Singular! Today I have a headache and just don't feel right in my head, almost like double vision feeling. I'm glad I found this website. I went on Singular for dog allergies, but it is not worth feeling this way!

I am 39 years old. I was prescribed Singulair last month. I have bad allergies and have started to develop some asthma type symptoms. My doctor decided to try me on Singular before giving me an inhaler. I took the Singulair for 2 week and had to quit. After the first day, I developed a headache that would not go away, nausea and very vivid bad dreams. This lasted the entire two weeks that I took Singulair. I thought that after maybe a week, some of the side effects would go away but they didn't. So, I quite taking the stuff. I will never take it again. I am back to my Zyrtec for now.

my granddaughter has been on singulair since she was 5 months old she is now 6yrs old and it does control her asthma, but lately i have noticed a lot of the symptoms posted here. Headache, stomach pains, nightmares, sleepwalking, and the episodes are getting more frequent. When she does this mostly at night it is scary to me especially when she is crying for help and you don't know how to help her. I was searching for something else and was brought to this site, like i was meant to see it and it really scared me. I have already called her doctor and got an appointment for tomorrow. I want her off this medicine as soon as possible.

I have 2 sons with asthma that have both been taken singulair (the oldest for 3 years & his brother for 2). My younger son's asthma got alot better since he was diagnosed & he was recently taken off Singulair thanks also to my husband hearing a report about the moodiness caused. When he was on it he would cry for no reason, get very irrational & seemed to think the world was against him. In just 2 weeks he is happy & cheerful and has told me he thinks it is due to being off singulair. His older brother's asthma has gotten worse over the years & I'm concerned about taking him off but he too has crazy moods. Just tonight he started a new soccer team & got crazy & suddenly didn't even want to participate in something he loves (wanted me to let him quit right then) until we argued enough he reluctantly participated. He then came home complained of a headache (which is also way too frequent) and now has been asleep for hours. Are there any alternatives to this drug? I'm a stressed out mom that doesn't deal well with these mood swings. He is normally a social butterfly & a sweet kid but lately seems more withdrawn, more irritable (especially tonight) & complaining about leg cramps in addition to these frequent headaches. I can't deal with too many more of these evenings & wonder if all these things are possible side effects. I'm glad to see my other son doing well but miss his normally sweet brother! Even his siblings think he is acting crazy :(

I have been on singulair for almost 2 years and i feel that it helps a lot actually when i don't have it my asthma acts up a lot, but it's only mild asthma so it's not too bad but it makes the difference. occasionally get a headache possibly attributed to it or more likely the zrytech however you spell that, but i like the singulair better than anything else and have had no thoughts of suicide or moodiness or anything weird.

I have been on Singulair for about 6 weeks, the first 3 weeks I had a headache all the time, but that finally past. Now my joints hurt all the time, could this be form the singulair

I have been on Singulair for about 6 weeks, the first 3 weeks I had a bad headache and they told me that it would past, and it did. I know that my breathing is better, the only thing now is that my joins hurt all the time
Can this be from Singulair

Thank you to this doctor for posting a response to Singulair problems. He has experienced problems with headache (actually 18% according to the Europeans). He has a patient who has been cutting and had a serious hospitalization possibly due to Singulair.

******

I took my 16 year old child off of singulair 6 weeks ago (3-28-2008). She started taking it 11-17-2003. She became dark, depressed, grades dropped, dropped out of dance and cheerleading, started cutting her legs with razors, stomachaches, headaches, anxiety attacks, trips to the emergency room. 6 months of fluoxetine given by her psychiatrist. Nothing helped her be happy again. Sad and Dark young woman. NOW: She smiles a lot, and is eating diner with the family. No headache or stomachache for a month now. She is sleeping better. Before she said that her mind would not stop thinking. She is taking pictures again and even asked me to order her book called "Understanding Exposure" and is talking about taking a class on digital photography at NMSU branch university to start on her college electives now. She is out more and even has a part time job at an ice cream parlor. Just lately I have stopped checking the trash for waded up tissues with blood (from cutting). Chris, I have had all her medical records sent to her primary Doctor and we are very willing to open them up. You have to have a child suffering to understand where we are coming from. The most dangerous place on earth is standing between a mother and her child. Singulair took our children from us and maybe changed them in some way forever.

Our son was put on Singular almost 2 years ago to help with his "moderate" asthma. It has been the hardest 2 years for our family. My son who was already very senstive became very depressed. He showed no interest in anything. He was always sad and very down on himself. He had awful night terrors/nightmares. He didn't want to go to school or do anything. We continued to sign him up for sports/piano/scouts and it was a battle to get him to go. He always had headaches, which I thought were because of dehydration and made him drink water. We had him seeing a therapist trying to help him with the sleeping problems and the depression. We switched his room with his sister to physically make him closer to us at night. He was anxious and very irritable. If something went wrong, he couldn't handle it and had complete meltdowns. If he didn't eat anything for a while and his blood sugar got low, he was uncontrollable. To add to the problem was he was never hungry so I would have to force him to eat something about every 2-3 hours to prevent the meltdown.

The good news is that he has been off of Singular for over a month now and he is a new kid. He is excited to go to practice and will ask his dad to play catch with him in the yard. He is happier and we have not heard once "this is the worst day ever" which we had heard all the time before. He has not had one headache and seems to have a little bit of his appetite back. He is happy and holding his head high. Now, he still doesn't want to go to school (what 8 year old boy does), but he doesn't fight me when I tell him it is time to go. He does not have the meltdowns or the irritability. He even showed some empathy to my husband last week.

My husband and I are amazed at how different he is. We are also very upset that for almost 2 years we made his life miserable by forcing him to take this drug. I think for kids that are already sensitive to things it heightens everything! I am filing a complaint with the FDA and spreading the news to all my family and friends. I hope this information helps! I know I have learned a lot from reading these posts.

I usually have allergy headaches in the morning which would go away after taking 1 Benadryl w/ Tylenol. About a week ago my doctor started me on Singulair because she was concerned about me taking Tylenol daily. The last few days I've had terrible headaches that linger most of the day. (I've continued to take the Benadryl w/ Tylenol to try to help the headaches, but it's just not working.) Today is day 7 with the Singulair, and the headaches seem to be getting worse. Are headaches common with Singulair?

I am repeating one of my post regarding the Swedish study of the side effects of Singulair. When I read that parents have complained to their doctors about side effects and been dismissed, and told to continue the medication, I truly questions whether these doctors are giving their patients the right to INFORMED CONSENT.

I have been told by doctors before something like this "That is my professional opinion - I stand by it ." And I have said right back-- I understand that is your opinion. But if you don't have the time to tell me what I need to know then I am not giving you my informed consent. I get an entirely different attitude after that point. Because, that is how doctors get sued. Parents/patients didn't understand.

1. Have parents been told the complete reasons why it would be absolutely necessary, just necessary, or desirable to take Singulair and why?
2. Have parents been told what the alternative treatments are and the possible side effects of those treatments?
3. Have parents been given an option of another treatment when they complaint about the side effects of Singulair?
4. Do parents know that headache is a side effect that occurs in 18% of patients? These headache have indicated some serious events in European hospital reports. They are not just sinus headaches.
5. Do parents know that Singulair can cause serious events that require hospitalization as referenced in European hospital reports? These reports have described the event and provided laboratory test results that prove that Singulair was the cause.
6. Singulair in NOT an anti-histamine. Can your doctor fully explain to you how Singulair interacts with the receptors on the mast cell (cell part of the immune system)? Can your doctor fully explain how the mast cell will be changed by this? The mast cell has a number of receptors that interact with each other to tell the mast cell how to function normally; when it's time to die; when it's time to be replaced; and when to tell the bone marrow to send a replacement mast cell. Singular CHANGES the immune system---- good or bad???

So here is the report from Sweden to take to your doctors. Would your doctor give consent for his/her children after reading this? Maybe he/she would BUT at the very least that doctor would be looking for side effects that could mean trouble.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Update: I have spent hours searching scientific data bases for articles on Singulair. So far this is the most direct reference to adverse drug reactions and Singular.

For anyone who wanted to print the article from the Swedish researchers that stated that their study suggested that montelukast (singulair) should be investigated for adverse psychiatric drug reactions, I was able to find a link with open access to the public. So far, this is the only article that I have found. I am still searching through databases. This link should work if you cut and past. I am sure that all doctors would appreciate the opportunity to read it for themselves to see what they think.

PRINT REPORT.

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6904/8/1

Individual case safety reports in children in commonly used drug groups – signal detection Gertrud Brunlöf , Carina Tukukino and Susanna M Wallerstedt Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, SE-413 45 Göteborg, Sweden author email corresponding author email BMC Clinical Pharmacology 2008, 8:1doi:10.1186/1472-6904-8-1 Conclusion In conclusion, the present study indicates that ADRs are reported for commonly used drugs in children. The number of ICSRs varies in different groups of drugs. A possible signal for montelukast and psychiatric adverse drug reactions was found, which should be further explored.

Please don't forget to PRINT the Tables which open on a separate page. Table 2 lists the specific side effects that they found which include anxiety, aggression, night mares, pain, and several others.

A two days off of singulair my son started with a sore throat and headache that didn't go away for 5 days., three days after that started he ran a low grade fever for two days. I've read about others who had the same thing happen, so if your just getting off the singulair you may feel like your getting sick.

I am disheartened but not surprised that so many doctors are dismissing these reports of symptoms that patients have had after taking Singulair. The only reports that I have found to share with you are from Europe and Canada. All of these reports pre-date the recent news stories regarding Singulair and suicide.

In addition to those reports, the most important thing that I have posted is the reference to the fact that Merck itself recognizes that there are genetics differences among patients that are directly linked to the potential efficacy of Singulair (montelukast). I posted a British reports on that subject and a reference to Merck's clinical trial where they studied genetical differences and montelukast.

The best thing that we can do is to try to convince our doctors that this is not politics -- the major does not have to rule. Why do European countries publish frequent reports on all adverse drugs reactions not just those of the majority of the people? One size does not fit all.

The actual incident of headache in all users according to European reports is 18-19%. So when I read that headache, adverse drug reaction to a leukotriene receptor antagonist (Singulair) is then treated by ibuprofen (a Cox-2 inhibitor), which of course gets treated for stomach inflammation or GERD by Nexium or another drug-histamine receptor antagonist, then I wonder what the hell is left to inhibit? So if a patient does not fit the profile of the 80%, do we have to make that patient catatonic (meant figuratively)? I realize that this leaves out all of the receptors that aren't affected by any of these drugs but I am just trying to make a point.

So why does Merck list headache as just one of the side effects in a category of side effects just listed as greater than 1%? And why do so many people believe that there is no scientific proof of any of the complaints that we see here at this site?

Thank you so much for all the information! My son was prescribed Singulair pills this fall. He has been taking them for seasonal allergies and we had no problems. These were the sample chewable kind. Then came the pills... Unfortunately I did not see the news or read the article about the side affects of Singulair. Within 4 days my happy well adjusted 10 year old had serious sleeping problems along with stomach aches. He will wake up screaming and crying and cannot tell me what is wrong. He said he had a nightmare but doesn't remember what it was about.

My husband was away on a business trip when I started him on the medicine. He came back to a very unhappy and sleepy child. I asked my son what he was scared of and he asked me to tell daddy that he does not feel safe while he is out of town. He can't sleep unless he is by one of us. He's not safe. His bedroom is 15' from our bedroom! He loves his doctor and begged that I call Dr. Becky so he can talk to her.

I could not take this anymore and started thinking about what was wrong. I went through all his activities, friends he's played with, school problems, anything! Then it hit me, effects of Singulair!

Wow, what an eye opener. Fortunately my husband did not have him take it this morning. He will not be going back to this medication. Ever!

Thank you for the information once again. I hope everyone's child gets better. Everyone wants a happy well child. No child should have to go through this. They have enough pressure as it is without the meds making things worse.

Maeri

I am Cody Millers mom ,the boy who died from Suicide while on Singulair for 17 days, I just wanted to say one thing to all of you that take the time to post.GO ONE STEP FURTHER CONTACT THE FDA and report to medwatch .The investigation needs evidence like your stories to help make informed decisions about this drug.The poorly orchestrated disclosing campaign that Merck had supposedly set out to accomplish in 2007, has obviously not reached the mass majority of people using this drug .Seeing now how many people did not make the connection to these HIDDEN AND DANGEROUS SIDE EFFECTS.Our child's pharmacy sheet that came with the medicine ,showed none of the updated side effects.They were added in April 2007,I filled the prescription in July 2007.Nothing had been disclosed until we put forth this effort to get the FDA's attention ,by asking the Senate and Congress to look into this matter.Go to your doctor and insist that they report YOUR SIDE EFFECTS to the company and the FDA.It is of the utmost importance.,Kate and Dave M.

I did a post of my side effects last night, and had to question if stop taking the Singulair which did help relieve my really bad sinus headaches I get with the fog, when I woke up this morning to fog and a headache, but the answer is still yes. One thing that I have found that have helped me were some suggestions I got from reading a book called The Sinus Cure: 7 Simple Steps to Relieve Sinusitis and Other Ear, Nose, and Throat Conditions, available from Amazon or bookstores. I also found the Grossan Hydro Pulse Nasal and Sinus Irrigation System a huge help, especially greatly reduces problems I get with phlegm. I don't know if this info helps anybody, but I wanted to pass it on.

My son has been taking singulair on and off since he was 11 years old, he just had his 15th birthday. The past 2 years of his life have been filled with depression and anxiety issues. We have been to countless doctors, hospitals, therapists and now a psychologist. When he is on singulair for long periods of time he would have mood swings, depression, stomach and headache issues. I have asked the questions to all involved with him are you sure that singulair is ok to take with the depression meds? They told me yes. They recently up his dose to 10 mgs and his depression got worse! He has trouble concentrating, sleeping, and feels the world is a bad place. He is a good student, he is in sports and was popular, now he is tormented by these feelings of depression and anxiety. He has been on and off homebound instruction for the past 2 year and I have had to use family leave time from work to help him through this. My husband and I have spent a lot of hours trying to understand what has happened to our son. I have stopped giving him singulair and I hope that in the near future we can take him off his depression meds that he has been on for 1 year. How long will it take till his mind and body are rid of this drug? Why did no one tell me that this drug needs to be examined to why my son has had these very serious problem. Teenage years are hard enough with out the added conditions that my son has had to experience. I want some answers and I will give everything that I have to assure that my son will get better. Please help those who have experience what we have with the answers we are all asking.

My son was recently prescribed Singulair and I refuse to start him on anything that I don't research on the internet first. Thank god I did. I read everyone's symptoms on here and couldn't believe what I was reading. After discussing my research with his doctor, she of course tried to brush it off saying that the internet is not a place where I should be getting my information. That people make things up etc. We all have to understand that Doctors get paid to SELL the product to you ( the human lab rat). Please make sure to research any meds a.k.a. chemicals they want you to put into your body. Take care of your body, eat the right food and take your vitamins/supplements. I can't believe the news today..I'm sooo happy I did not put my son on this EVIL drug! Take care of yourselves and god bless you all.

My 9 year old daughter has been on sigulair since she was 5. She just recently started having trouble with concentration and behavior. She is always sad and cries alot .She is an honor/gt student but just recently has been having trouble with her school work.She has also begun to hurt her brother and talks about how she wishes she was dead.We are really concerned and she began counseling. Her nuerologists says it could be depression but im thinking i should take her off singulair.She has had headaches,stomach pain,depression ,mood swings and weight gain.

I have only been on Singulair for allergies for 4 days. This was added to my Symbicort inhaler (for maintenance) along with a Proventil inhaler (rescue inhaler). About the same time I changed my make-up and facial cleanser. Day 2 of the new meds...Singulair and Proventil I have developed a breakout of hives all around my mouth, jawline, chin, and upper neck under my jawline. I seriously thought it was the makeup and soap until I read some of the posts here.

As for other side effects, only a headache but that seems to be after the Proventil puffs.

I am 30 y/o and only recently found out that I have asthma and severe allergies and probably have my whole life. The last 7 years have been hell, with one "upper respiratory infection" after another.
Thank goodness I found a new doctor who took the time to find out what was really wrong with me, but I am upset that he prescribed the Singulair, as he should be aware of the side effects.

As of tomorrow I am done with this drug and we will see if the hives go away. I do not want to get to the point that some other patients have gotten to, with the stomach pains, moodiness, etc.

I only the last year got the depression and irritable bowel syndrome under control and do not need a relapse.

Thank you to all who post and God bless.

I was given Singulair after a serious bout with asthma several months ago. I only took a few because every time I took them, it seemed I got a terrible headache. I was out of Allegra today and needed to take something for my allergies so I could go to work, so I took a Singulair.My allergies were good all day until I started getting hives. Huge hives the size of a quarter. Since I knew I didn't eat anything different, I came on here to see if that was a side effect and sure enough, it is.

I had a really bad cough and cold, the allergy doctor gave me Singulair and Xyzal. I've never had this bad of a headache, I hurt all over and my ears have lots of pain, I can' wait to stop taking this poison. I will never take this again. Please check out this product before using it as the side effects are many.

My son is 4 1/2 years old and has been on Singulair since he was 2. We have been happy with the improvement we have seen in regards to his asthma. No more breathing treatments have been great. The last couple of years though he has continued to get severe headaches that put him out for at least a day with high fevers. The first time it happened was when he was 2 and he had a mild seizure with spiked fever. I haven't thought about it at all until he was due to get another headache and hasn't. We have missed some doings due to the holidays and walked out schedule. The timing and symptoms are seeming a little to coincidental. We have seen a hematologist and immunologist for his chronic headaches but no one knows why he is having them. He has even been admitted for them. His white blood cell count has been elevated with no known cause as to what his body is fighting. I think we will take him off of the Singulair for at another month and see if he gets anymore headaches.

I have been taking Singulair for two years. Initially I noticed problems with sleeping the entire night. I also would wake with a terrible headache and I was irritable and wanting to actually punch the next dude that looked at me sideways ( I have been bodybuilding for 15 years and already have a ton of testosterone) ( I took the meds at bedtime) The last several months on Singulair I noticed a constricting of the throat and a sore throat. blurred vision and an upset stomach that has developed into what I believe is GERD. Since I have stopped the meds It was only 2 days before I became docile in mood, my vision is no longer blurred and my stomach is healing. I have lost 4 Lbs ( I have always weighed myself daily) I sleep the entire night and my throat is no longer constricted. I am sure for some people this medicine would not be a problem, but for me..as the Frenchman said in the movie "Along came Polly".."NO WAY JOSE!"

SINGULAIR is a prescription medicine approved to help control symptoms of asthma in adults and children 12 months and older.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION About SINGULAIR
SINGULAIR will NOT replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms. Continue to take your other asthma medicines as prescribed and have fast-acting medication available. If your asthma symptoms get worse or you need to increase the use of your fast-acting inhaler, call your doctor at once.

Side effects are generally mild and vary by age, and may include headache, ear infection, sore throat, and upper respiratory infection. Check with your doctor if you are pregnant or nursing. SINGULAIR is available by prescription only.

My 8yo son has been on Singulair for his asthma for about 2 weeks and he has complained of a 'sick tummy' regularly, ending up in tears because he can't do things. We have had a long run of this, perhaps due to the 8 lots of penicillin for tonsillitis, and some tummy bugs going around the schools I work in. The doctor has been suggesting irritable bowel syndrome so we didn't think of the Singulair side effects until it has got so bad that he is not going to school.He has been unusually clingy and almost paranoid about small things that don't usually worry him over the past couple of weeks. We were trying these tablets as he has been on steroid based preventer since he was 3 and we wanted to get him off the cortisone stuff. After reading here he is off the Singulair today and we will report the side effects to the paediatrician.

Not to mention, I had a severe headache and I never ever get headaches.

I've been taking singulair for about 3 weeks.....been experiencing severe aches everywhere.....especially in the legs and hips......had originally blamed it on starting levaquin.....but since reading these comments.....I'm beginning to believe it may be the singulair.....I also have been extremelytired and irritable....not to mention strange dreams.....I will stop both meds for now and try to see if that helps.....thanks to all who have given me a possible reason for the changes that have occurred.....oh by the way......dieting is working....the harder I try....I still can't lose.....wonder if this may be the reason......headache and nause are also a problem every morning....I will write again....if the symptoms disappear after stopping this med.....thanks to all who have written to give me a possible solution

A week ago I made a post describing my negative experience with Singulair. However, since then my doctor and I determined that the side effects were likely due to a recent course of high-dose Prednisone. The two are suspected to have negative interactions, as is described in the product information leaflet.

I have since started taking Singulair once more and have had no problems other than an occassional headache.

Been on it for a week. Doctor prescribed it to me for mild asthma. He said to try it out & see how I do. Feel spaced out, dizzy at times & kind of a flu like sweaty feeling. Have had a headache almost every day. Thats it for me. after seeing all these other comment, I'll try some other form of treatment.

I was prescribed Singulair to help control my asthma. I took 10mg for three days, but it made me incredibly tired. It was hard to get up in the morning and I was randomly falling asleep on my desk at work. I began taking half a pill (5mg) and intitially this was better. I was still tired in the mornings, but by noon it had worn off. However, over the next week additional side effects began to arise and increase in intensity. I could deal with the fever, headache, etc., but the mood swings were horrible. I couldn't stop snapping at people. When I broke out in hives, I knew the Singulair had to go. I have been off of it for two days now and am feeling better. The hives are fading and my mood isn't quite so gloomy. I expect I will return to my normal self by the end of this week.

Incidentally, Singulair did work fantastically well for my asthma. My peak flow average went up forty points and overall the readings were greatly stabilized with only small fluctuations. Unfortunately, the side effects just aren't worth it.

My 6 year old son has had all of these more or less. He has been on Singulair for about 5 months. We took him off last Friday when he started having seizures. It is only now that we are connecting the things he has complained about. He is still going through testing but everytime a test is done it is negative. He is in perfect health. The dr.s are stumped. What happens is, he smells a wierd smell. Then he sees lights. After this he has a bad headache and becomes weak so he lays down. Shortly thereafter he stiffens and starts shaking his arms and legs while clinching his hands. He also grunts and makes a buzzing sound and appears as though he only breathes out. the dr.s say it is not seizures but movement disorder and if it is Singulair it should be out of his system within 3 days... He is still having the seizure type fits and its been a week since we took him off singulair. He is still losing his temper and having horrible dreams as well. Cat scan was normal, EEG was normal, blood work is ok, they want to do an MRI but does this sound familiar to anyone?

I have only been on it for 8 days, but it has been wonderful for me. I suffer from nearly daily migraines. My migraines are brought on by strong smells like smoke, or perfume. The first day I was on Singulair, I went on a field trip to a farming community with my daughter. This is usually enough to have me in bed with an aching headache for a week, but instead I got a mild migraine late that afternoon. My imitrex knocked it right out. The next day, I cleaned house all day, no headache even with cleaning chemicals. Now 8 days later, I haven't had to take any migraine medicine at all. Three nights this week, my neighbor has burnt grass (a major trigger for me) and still no headache. I may get side effects later, but for now, this has been a godsend to me. It has my allergies under control and I can now go out to dinner without fear of smelling smoke, or too much perfume. I can work in my yard again.
If you are having side effects, try something else. I have had terrible side effects from medicines before so I know they do exist. I wish you luck in finding the one that works for you.

I had previously taken singulair for asthma and seemed fine! So fine I stopped taking singulair end of December 2006. Recently, I noticed I needed my inhaler a couple of times a day--I exercise vigorously 5-6 days a week. I asked my GYN to re-prescribe. Started my first 10 mg dose Wednesday evening (!8Apr), Friday afternoon I had a sore throat..pretty severe by day's end--Saturday I had full blown bronchitis (upper respiratory infection) Had to dust off my nebulizer.
Love Merck's disclaimer: Side effects are generally mild and vary by age, and may include headache, ear infection, SORE THROAT, and UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTION. Side effects generally did not stop patients from taking SINGULAIR. IS IT WORTH IT? DOES IT GET BETTER?

I just started taking Singulair for allergy symptoms. I wake up in the middle of the night with a severe headache. I have also had abdominal distress. Also, I have not noticed any relief of my allergy problems. I do not plan on continuing this medication. I have had it with speding money on any medication.

I started about the first of year having asthma type symptoms and was prescribed Singulair. My breathing did improve greatly, however I started having severe IBS symptoms even though I was taking Zelnorm. I also suffered from extreme constipation, pain in my side and back, headaches, backache, pain behind my knees, numbness and tingling in my legs and anxiety. I was on a restricted diet and I treated with my gastroenterologist and had an Endoscopy which was negative.

One evening after taking the Singulair I suffered a severe headache and decided to quit taking the drug. I have been off since March 18th and I feel tremendously better, the side effects have diminished greatly and I have resumed a normal diet and activities.

Oh my gosh. I am so glad I found this website. My four year old son has been on Singulair now for 2 months. By week two, he was having extreme anxiety that was not normal for him. His preschool teacher has been having such horrible behavioral problems for about a month and a half. She is beside herself because this is not like my little boy. He is angry, throws fits, hits, kicks, spits, defies all adult orders. I am ask him why he does it and he says he can't stop. My husband and I am dumbfounded. I will not be giving him the Singulair again and I plan to tell everybody I know about this. He told me day after day that his stomach hurt and he had a headache. I didn't believe him because I thought maybe he felt that way because he had to go to school and he just kept getting in trouble there. I am hoping and praying that he will come back to me soon, because I miss my angel. If other parents read this, please stop the Singulair.

My son, who is 3 years old and 8 months old has been taking singulair for more than a month now and we noticed that he started having some kind of tic disorder. it started with eye widening and blinking then lately he had several unusual jerky movements of the neck and upper extremities. We do not know if this is a type of Hyperkinesia (exaggerated muscular movements) which is one of the side effects written in the manufacturer's drug information sheet. We are very concerned if we should start discontinuing the medication.

Since I have begun Sinulair, I have noticed improvement of my chronic nasal allergy symptoms. For the first time in YEARS, the congestion is finally lessening. However, I have noticed that I'm hyper all the time now. Where I have had sleep issues in the past, they have only been excacerbated by this medication. Has anyone else noticed this effect? I have tried to research it further, but I don't have access to a Physician's Desk Reference. The web isn't giving me the entire list of known side effects. I have only seen the vomiting, diarrhea or headache listed, but have yet to see something regarding insomnia and hyperactivity.

My daughter started singulair 2005 she has been taking it for 2yrs. She was 7 yrs old now 9yrs old. She get headache all the time and she started with her hands making a fist then making her fingers touch and rub her fingers. Now she has stop soing that and her eyes are blinking all the time. And a tic from her eyes she can not stop. I got on line to see if other kids have experience this yes so maybe it is the drug singulair that brought it on. I ask that doctors if this was a tic and she said it probably was, but now I feel that it is singulair.
cat

My 4 yr old daughter was put on the Singulair for allergies, after about 4 days I noticed her moods have changed and she is very sensitive and moody. She also complained of headache one day. I have decided not to give her any more. I tried it for a week, and while it did help her allergies it is not worth the personality change.

My son has asthma and is back on singular and pulmicort we are concerned that the singular is causing anxiety, night terrors as well as he is complaining of headaches, stomach aches and also got the weakness in his arm and the shaking in his legs. We just went to his peditrician recomened us to stop it. In the past when he was on it we only noticed the headache and stomach ache and also that he wasn't as hungry. The new symptoms of the weakness, shaking, and anxiety have only been since we started back on the drug. singular

headache, extreme shaking felt like my sides were coming unglued. i tried taking xanax didnot help. i had digestive upset and diarrea.i seft sick all day lone. i had troble sleeping. the bigest problem was my lace of concentration and retless. i thought i was louseing my mind not being a to concentration.