Singulair and joint pain

I have been taking Singulair for 10+ years. My asthma is controlled. Up until this drug assisted with Pulmicort my asthma was very difficult to control. I am 53 and healthy otherwise.

I have experienced problems with my knees in recent years as arthritic pain and tearing a meniscus. However, this joint pain continues. Similar problems anyone?

MY APOLOGIES TO ALL FOR AN ERROR IN MY PRIOR POST. WHEN I CUT AND PASTED THE INFORMATION FROM MERCK'S WEBSITE NOT ALL OF IT APPEARED IN MY POST FOR SOME REASON. THE CORRECTED INFORMATION IS BELOW. CHECK THEIR WEBSITE FOR YOURSELVES TO VERIFY THIS.

THIS IS FROM THE PATIENT INFORMATION:

"What are the possible side effects of SINGULAIR?

The side effects of SINGULAIR are usually mild, and generally did not cause patients to stop taking their medicine. The side effects in patients treated with SINGULAIR were similar in type and frequency to side
effects in patients who were given a placebo (a pill containing no medicine).
The most common side effects with SINGULAIR include:
• stomach pain
• stomach or intestinal upset
• heartburn
• tiredness
• fever
• stuffy nose
• cough
• flu
• upper respiratory infection
• dizziness
• headache
• rash

Less common side effects that have happened with SINGULAIR include:
• increased bleeding tendency
• allergic reactions
• behavior and mood related changes
• drowsiness, pins and needles/numbness, seizures (convulsions or fits)
• palpitations
• nose bleed
• diarrhea, indigestion, inflammation of the pancreas, nausea, vomiting
• hepatitis
• bruising
• joint pain, muscle aches and muscle cramps
• swelling

Rarely, asthmatic patients taking SINGULAIR have experienced Rarely, asthmatic patients taking SINGULAIR have experienced a condition that includes certain symptoms that do not go away or that get worse. These occur usually, but not always, in patients who were taking steroid pills by mouth for asthma and those steroids were being slowly lowered or stopped.
Although SINGULAIR has not been shown to cause this condition, you must tell your doctor right away if you get one or more of these symptoms:
• a feeling of pins and needles or numbness of arms or legs
• a flu-like illness
• rash
• severe inflammation (pain and swelling) of the sinuses (sinusitis)
These are not all the possible side effects of SINGULAIR. For more information ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Talk to your doctor if you think you have side effects from taking SINGULAIR."

d27gayle POSTED INCORRECT INFORMATION ABOUT THE SIDE EFFECTS OF SINGULAIR. I JUST COPIED THIS FROM MERCK'S SINGULAIR WEBSITE. THIS IS THE CORRECT AND UPDATED INFORMATION. THIS INFORMATION DOES LIST DEPRESSION AND SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR AS SIDE EFFECTS.

IF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SHARE INFORMATION ON THIS SITE, PLEASE MAKE SURE IT IS CORRECT BEFORE POSTING!!!!!!!!!

What are the possible side effects of SINGULAIR?
The side effects of SINGULAIR are usually mild, and generally did not cause patients to stop taking their medicine. The side effects in patients treated with SINGULAIR were similar in type and frequency to side effects in patients who were given a placebo (a pill containing no medicine).
The most common side effects with SINGULAIR include:
• stomach pain
• stomach or intestinal upset
• heartburn
• tiredness
• fever
• stuffy nose
• cough
• flu
• upper respiratory infection
dizziness
• headache
• rash

Less common side effects that have happened with SINGULAIR include:
• increased bleeding tendency
• allergic reactions
• behavior and mood related changes
• drowsiness, pins and needles/numbness, seizures (convulsions or fits)
• palpitations
• nose bleed
• diarrhea, indigestion, inflammation of the pancreas, nausea, vomiting
• hepatitis
• bruising
• joint pain, muscle aches and muscle cramps
• swelling

Rarely, asthmatic patients taking SINGULAIR have experienced a condition that includes certain
symptoms that do not go away or that get worse. These occur usually, but not always, in patients who
were taking steroid pills by mouth for asthma and those steroids were being slowly lowered or stopped.
Although SINGULAIR has not been shown to cause this condition, you must tell your doctor right
away if you get one or more of these symptoms:
• a feeling of pins and needles or numbness of arms or legs
• a flu-like illness
• rash
• severe inflammation (pain and swelling) of the sinuses (sinusitis)

These are not all the possible side effects of SINGULAIR. For more information ask your doctor or pharmacist. Talk to your doctor if you think you have side effects from taking SINGULAIR.

I aged ten years in a month. My legs lost any muscular power and I needed help to get up our 3 steps to the front door. My eyes are sore and my balance is also affected. What I do not know is how long am I going to be affected like this. I began to think that I was starting with either motor
neurone disease or Parkinson's disease.
Muscle weakness, loss of balance, bad dreams,anxiety, irritability.joint pain.sore itchy eyes and difficulty focusing on printed pages.
A., Yorkshire, England.I am 69 years old and prior to Singulaire I was pretty fit for my age.

negative -aches all over, joint pain, lack of energy and motivation, positive -nil asthma, greatly improved sinuses, less head congestion, was told this was the best drug for asthma, polyps-sinus, aspirin allergy. Have been taking singulair for two months, concerned have also noticed feelings of anger/mild depression. Am female 50yrs, breast ca 3 years ago taking femera for 8 months. Am worried whether to continue singulair aches are killing me but could be side effects of femera to scared to go off it. Want to live and have quality of live, have 13 year old, I need to be fit for parental duties/work.

I've been on Singulair for more than a few years now. I'm 43, with exercise and allergy induced asthma.....but mild. I also have VERY bad allergies. Talk about being allergic to EVERYTHING outside....that's me. I also suffer from migraines and depression. I've been on every antidepressant out there....still depressed. Now I know why...Singulair. I've tried tons of migraine meds....and I'm wondering if some of my side effects are really from Singulair. I'm moody, I don't care about other people's feelings like I used to, I snap at my kids like crazy,I cry at the drop of a hat....at stupid stuff. And now I'm thinking that my joint pain in my hips is from Singulair. But Singulair was my miracle drug for my asthma and a huge help to my Allegra D for my allergies. I'm asking the doc for an alturnative drug. As soon as I get it I'm off Singulair. ADIOS!

Hi,

I just found this site, as I am looking for an explanation for the extreme joint pain that I am having, along with swollen ankles/feet. I have been dealing with some type of chronic contact dermatitis that no one has been able to solve, since last July. I have been on numerous steroids, then on Cyclosporine, for several months, which can play havoc with your kidneys. I also started taking Singulair for the itching, which is one of the few things that has really helped. Since November, I was taking Singulair on and off. But, as I recall, I began taking it daily since around late January. Around late February, I began having joint pain, which still continues, and lately, is becoming excruciating! When it first began, I blamed it on the Cyclosporine and kidney breakdown. But, since I have been off that, the pain has continued to worsen. Then I thought it may have something to do with the Doxepin, which I also take at night for the itching. I stopped taking that two nights ago, but the pain continues to worsen.

Now, from what I am reading, these blogs make me believe it could be the Singulair. Can anyone tell me how long it takes for the pain to go away once you stop taking the Singulair????? I will gladly stop taking it if this pain will go away. In fact I will be thrilled, because I was suppose to begin testing next weak for possible Lupus, because it doesn't seem that the Physicians who prescribe Singulair, are well aware of these issues.

I would appreciate anyone who can give information as to how long it takes for the side effects to subside. Thank you!!!
(In pain in Boca Raton, FL)

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

I took Singular for less than a month and went to my doctor because I had broken out in a rash and had so much joint pain I could barely get out of a chair or walk. Because Singulair was the only new medication I had been on in the last month, she discontinued its use and I began to improve. Unfortunately I had to spend an entire summer on steroids to totally get rid of the symptoms.

This is the beginning of day four with no Singulair. I can still breathe, but I switched from one puff of Advair per day to two. I decided to look Advair up as well and was dismayed to find similar negative experiences with THAT drug. Hopefully for me eliminating one is enough, because I know that I need something to be able to breathe. So far yesterday was the best day emotionally, I felt a sense of calm several times throughout the day, and didn't need to be occupied with busywork to distract myself from my own thoughts. I don't have stomach pains anymore, which like most of the other symptoms I never attributed to Singulair, my head and heart just feel much "lighter" if that makes any sense. I don't feel sad, or anxious, or suicidal. I feel like I have some focus back, not completely, but a lot more than last week! I also feel like I am better equipped to handle upsetting information instead of feeling overwhelmingly sad about everything. I had my boyfriend read some of these posts yesterday, because he has been trying to accomodate my behavior for a while now, and he pointed out not only some of the obvious side effects, but there was a post about hand and joint pain, and I was constantly asking him rub my hands. I hope that sharing will help others if they are feeling anything similar, and if it's possible to stop Singulair and still breathe okay that they should try it. It is a synthetic chemical and none of us really know exactly what the short-term and long-term effects of any of these medications really are. I mean, Thalidomide was great for pregnant women who suffered from morning sickness in the '50's. Vioxx I'm sure helped many people with painful arthritis. It's only later do we find out the negatives to taking these drugs. I hate that illegal drugs are so very frowned upon in this society but "medicine" from your "doctor"is okay. Doctors nowadays I think are overwhelmed with their caseload and they read the same pamphlets that are handled out to us, laypeople, and recommend these pills to us. Drug company representatives spend a trememdous amount of money on free lunches and mugs and mouse pads and of course, if it's passed by the FDA it must be a-ok! so why not? Many patients come in ASKING for a particular drug because it is advertised on TV!!! Hard alcohol and cigarette commercials are banned, right? So how it is ok to peddle pills to us? I so many times wanted to ask my doctor about Lunesta because I couldn't sleep, and Cymbalta because "depression hurts everywhere AND everyone" and I was in so much psychological and physical pain but something told me that I didn't want to keep adding to the list, I wanted to be healthy enough someday to take some medications away! So I suffered with insomnia and debilitating depression hoping someday I could get better on my own. I wonder how many other people out there on medications who have complete faith in our healthcare system are doing more harm to themselves than good?

My son is now 17. He has been on singulair for about 7 years now. We have been dealing with emotional problems with him for almost as long. Thinking back on his history, he manifested many behavioral problems almost since the start beginning with reports from his teachers that he was having meltdowns in class back in elementary school. He is very bright, but was having lots trouble with his school work. Finally we had to pull him out of 9th grade (2 years ago) because he could not function in a "normal" school environment. He has been in therapeutic boarding schools ever since. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think Singulair might be the culprit. I called the school (2,000 miles away) and had him stop taking Singulair Saturday, March 29. He has exhibited many of the symptoms - depression, anxiety, mood changes, suicidal tendencies, itchy skin, joint pain. No one treating him ever recommended to take him off Singulair. I am hoping that he will start seeing immediate changes. We have spent a small fortune to keep him safe and protect him from himself over the last two years -- not to mention the personal toll this has taken on our family. I am going to see how he is within the next couple of weeks and I plan to report everything to the FDA. I am horrified that this drug was in my son's system for 7 years. I hope it hasn't caused any permanent damage.

Our daughter has been on Singulair for four years that we can recall and are in the process of obtaining medical records to find out for sure.

She was diagnosed with A.D.H.D. when she was first starting school and allergies in the first grade. She was on liquid Claritan-D up until she started Singulair (4 or 5 Yrs ago).

Since she began taking the Singulair along with her A.D.H.D. meds. she has become very depressed, anxious, and sometimes extremely angry for no apparent reason.

Her elementary school career thus far has pretty much been a total waste because she does not pay attention or is outright defiant. And She has started stealing from other students.

We elected to try natural treatment for the A.D.H.D. with limited success and now we know why! The Singulair is counteracting the treatment! I would bet my last dollar that she will improve without the continued use of Singulair!

Before she started taking the Singulair she was always an outgoing kid that loved life unconditionally and now she is always down in the dumps and struggles through the school day and it is putting pressure on us as parents because the school gives her detention for not completing work or acting out in class etc.

She frequently complains of tummy aches and headaches or joint pain.

I feel really horrified as a parent because I argued with her just this morning and made her take the Singulair before school!

Even if taking her off this med. changes her future it won't erase the memories of her childhood school years that should have been some of the happiest times in her life and are now just painful ones she will try to forget!

We all need to find other parents in our own towns and get together a group and contact a lawyers office and file class action suits against the monsters who created this mess!

MY finance is 34 years old and has been on singular for several years. At first we thought she was going through PMS. However there was no relation to her cycle and her severe mood swings. She has had sinus infection after sinus infection and her leg pain is so bad she can't walk at times. All over joint pain she doesn't have arthritis, headaches and severe stomach problems. In her case the cure is worse than the asthma.

My 2 yr old was prescribed Singulair yesterday for nasal allergies. He has taken Claritin and Zyrtec in the past with no side effects but they were not very effective on the allergies. I gave him his first dose of the Singulair last night at bedtime just as prescribed. He had a fitfully night, but I thought it might just be that it was keeping him awake. I didn't think about reading the side effects before I gave it to him. This morning he was irritable and did not want to stand up to get out of his crib. I left him with my husband while I went out for a short while and when I returned home found that he was still not standing or walking. We could tell that it was his left leg and then realized it was his left ankle specifically that was bothering him. I then decided to read the side effects in the packet and realized that muscle/joint pain is a serious side effect. His doctor told us to not give him any more and to come in to see them this afternoon. He is very irritable and lethargic some and just not himself - all of this after one pill. I'm just glad we realized it so soon. I will certainly not allow any of my kids to take this drug or any like it.

I am 43 (female) and have been on Singulair for a couple of months now and the benefits have been AMAZING! I have chronic generalized eczema and pronounced facial flushing which led to swelling and Rosacea. Since starting Singulair (with a Zantac and Reactine) my skin is almost always cool (it's been YEARS). The benefits for me have been as great as what the steroids do for my skin. I can tolerate more triggers and the freedom and self-esteem boost is unquestionably life changing.

But recently I started to bruise, over every-little-thing -- even a blood pressure cup created a ring of broken blood vessels. Then about 3 - 4 weeks ago I started getting deep lower leg pain, and cramping in my calves and arches. This grew more regular, and my hips joined in and I am now rarely without the pain and deep aches. Then the weakness started, it was most pronounced in my dominant hand, I can hardly write or hold a pen now. Typing is difficult now as my hands and forearms are so weak. Yesterday I couldn't pinch my fingers to pick up a potatoe chip! My arches are curled with aches, I am weak all over and getting really uncoordinated. Going up the stairs is a chore, going down is just wacky -- it's harder than going up I am so wobbly and my knees want to give out. It's getting so pronounced that I realized that this must due to something I'm taking and the only thing I'm taking new is Singulair so I decided to Google "Singulair Side Effects" and the first link I clicked was Carrie's post, which I replied too. Then I realized there was more and have been reading all the other posts.

I am grateful that it is just side effects and nothing more sinister. This weekend the accumulated symptoms had me a bit frightened. I was washing my hands and it felt like I sprained my fingers doing it. The ligaments just sort of let go and things began bending the wrong way. It happened when I bent over to put something in the dishwasher, it was like the rib cage lost it's shape for a moment (I don't know how else to describe it). THAT felt bizarre and got my attention. Not being able to pinch my fingers to pick up a chip was the final clue that something is going wrong here. I will stop taking the Singulair now. It's a shame this happened, it was really doing it's job for me. The price of the side effects is too high though.

Took the medication for 1 month. Have never felt the same since I stopped it. Sharp pulsating pains in arms and hands. Joint pain. Blood pressure problem, anxiety problem, swollen glands (anyone else?), headaches, pains in legs.

Maybe coincidence..maybe not. Scares the hell outta me. Im a 35 year old male. Took it to control not so serious asthma.

Anyone else feel the same?

I take singulair each morning. In addition to the singulair, I also must take Advair 250/50. Since starting these medications (at the same time), I have been having lower back pains (lower back joint pains?). Recently, I also have had JOINT pains in my hips and knees. I feel tired and worn out even if I have had plenty of sleep. I also find myself gaining weight as a result of eating much more. I don't know which one of the drugs is causing these symptoms, but I am worried. My asthma has been pretty bad since October, and I am worried I might not do well without the meds. I still need to use my albuterol inhaler occasionally, too. Is joint pain associated with either the Advair or Singulair? Also, when I take ibuprofen to alleviate the pain, it either is not working or the pain is so severe it seems to not be working.

I have been on singulair for about about 3 months now (if not more). For the past 2 months I have had a muscle spasm in my left upper eye lid and just in the past few days a mild case of tinnitus has flared up. I have always had joint pain due to scoliosis in my lower lumbar area so I never really attributed singulair to any joint pain. My doctor wants to send me for blood tests because of the eye twitching due to how long it has been going on for. I see a lot of the same symptoms in me that I have read on here. During the first week of use I developed hives all over my legs, belly and the bend of my arms. At night I would take a singulair tablet and an extra allergy pill to attempt a full nights sleep. I requested to be put on this drug to help with sleeping at night. I would have asthma flare ups almost nightly and my other meds (diskus 500/50) was not doing the trick. As of tonight, I am going to stop taking Singulair. I have never in my life had so many problems with a drug like I have with this one.

I have been taking Singulair for a long time but never connected my restless night sleeps to the drug, nor the recurring joint pain. On the positive side, I almost never get heartburn any longer. I had trouble with heartburn 2 or 3 times a week, now not more than once a month. I am going to quit.

Its amazing how you people blame a 7 year old crying on Singulair, or claim it causes joint pain. what B.S.

I;ve been taking it and my asthma has almost ceased to exist. i don't even need my inhaler, not even during exercise. it's worked wonders.

Wow. My wife has been on singulair now for a year. The first 4 months didn't seem to be that bad but she has been having all kind of issues for the past 8 months. She has also experienced a weight gain issue. One so bad that her doctor has checked her thyroid twice now. We are also now seeing a rheumatologist because of her joint pain. None of the doctors can seem to find out what is wrong. She has also been experiencing bad headaches, dizziness, mental confusion and a very bad muscle twitch. After reading all of these entries we have decided to bring this to the attention of our doctor. I agree with saintmarrowind that it is best to let doctors decide but sometimes doctors don't have all the facts. I think the number of people having similar issues on this might be an issue. If it happens to work for you then great but my wife is close to having a mental breakdown she is feeling so bad.

I took singulair for 5 years while I was in college. From ages 18-23. I had violent mood swings and anxiety (which I attributed to the stress of school, but very uncharacteristic for me), I had vivid night mares, hyperactivity, and worst of all extreme joint pain with tingling in extremities. I am now 26 and I still suffer from joint pain, tingling extremities and night mares, my mood swings and anxieties are lessened but are still present and I make a concious effort to quell them. My hands, knees, wrists, fingers, spine and hip make me feel like and octegenarian (an 80 year old). The pain is so great that I must eat 800mg or more of ibuprofen a day. I am too young to have these issues and I have cared for my joints well with lots of low impact excercising and glucosamine chondroiten. I am glad that I found this site, it explains my severe pain for the past 7 years. I am going to talk to my doctor first and then my lawyer. Class action law suit here I come!!

I am experiencing 75% of all of the "less frequently" reported symptoms including in ability to sleep, agitation, diarhea, muscle pain, restlessness, palpitations, upper respiratory problems, major joint pain. I'm terriefied that I have a few of the report to your doctor right away symptoms which include a flu like illness ( I couldn't figure out why it felt like I kept coming down with the flu for six weeks) swelling of my sinuses and pins and needles in my feet and numbness in my arms. I will never, ever take this drug again! It's 1:20 AM and I feel like I should go to the ER after realizing that what I'm feeling is due to singulair, but I'm trying to hold off and just see my doctor in the morning.

I am 69 years old.
I have been taking Singulair for about 4 or 5 years for Asthma along with 2 inhalers.
I have developed a severe rash and itching on my legs several years ago and sleeplessness off and on. I have Osteo-Arthritis but the joint pain has gotten worse.
I have also had headaches, ribcage pain and periodic inside shaking.
My doctor took me off of Singulair and 1 inhaler on 10/11/06 and put me on Spiriva -Handihaler a powder inhaler and remained on Qvar inhaler.

The itching and rash seems to be going away -- maybe too early to tell. Sleeping is better -- never had real horrible nightmares or dreams.
Singulair has worked for my breathing and night time wheezing for many years

If you need to breath with asthma ~~ I wish you well with Singulair. It certainly does not produce all side effects for everyone -- just be carefull.
Annie

I have been taking Singulair on an off for about 2 years, a month here, a month there because I get so cranky and agitated - also I can't sleep well. The chronic bronchitis does improve. However, this last round of 2 months of taking 10mg I have experienced joint pain in my fingers and extreme spaciness - I am losing everything, can't remember what I'm doing.

Anyone else with the "spaciness"?

I have been on singulair for about a year and a 1/2, I started it after sinus surgery for polyps. My sinuses are bad again and I have asthma off and on when the sinus problems flair up. I don't know that the sinulair is doing anything but was told that it would help with the feelings of getting sick with colds and such just before my menstral cycle. It has helped with that! However, my hair has been really thinning over the past year, I was wondering if anyone has experianced this as a side effect to singulair? Also a lot of joint pain in my hips. I have also been really moody and anxious, could be from the drug.