| Key to ratings for singulair: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
| Rating | Reason | Side Effects | Comments | Sex | Age | Time Taken | Date Added | |
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| 5 | asthma | none | It has been a godsend for us to have my 9 yr old daughter's asthma controlled. No more middle of night trips to ER and endless oral steroids/inhalors. Fortunately no adverse reaction of any kind. It would be very unfortunate for us to have this med unavailable. | F | 9 | 4 months | 9/10/2009 | 3 | Asthma | excessive/rapid weight gain, thirst (especially in afternoon), some anxiety, trouble focusing on tasks | I am so relieved to have found this web site. I saw an article in the news today and did some research. My daughter has gained an unexplained 10 pounds in less than a year (without gaining much in height like you would expect for that kind of weight gain in a child) & she is a very healthy eater for her age. She eats virtually no trans fats, drinks no fruit juice/soda, swims twice a week, plays basketball, softball, etc...I can't believe that Singulair could be responsible. The worst part is she worries about being heavy & I keep telling her she will grow out of it. It could also explain her anxiety and trouble focusing (which I attributed to her age). I'm going to take her off today & see what happens. Her asthma is not completely under control anyway and we are seeing the doctor in a few weeks for more options. How scary. | F | 9 | 18 months | 3/27/2008 | 3 | allergies, borderline asthma, | After about a week or 2 of regular singulair, my son often notices mood changes, like crying easily. He also gets painful pins-and needles in his feet. When ever we stop it, the symptoms improve. At least 3 different docs have told us he should take it regularly to help prevent his frequent sinus infections. We tried every other day for several weeks, as well as every day, but one side-effect or the other returns after it gets built up in his system. | A thought came to me--the kids chewable singulair has phenalanaline in it (nutrasweet/aspartame). I wonder if some of the side-effects kids have are due to the nutrasweet, which turns to wood alcohol and formaldehyde as it's digested. I try to avoid it as much as possible, but it is impossible as it's in everything. Kids who get aspartame from other sources as well may be more likely to have more extreme side-effects. Or, kids who are sensitive to aspartame are maybe more likely to have trouble with Singulair. It's just an educated guess. My son does well with nasacort. I also have him inhale hot water with tea tree oil, and put tea tree oil in the vaporizer when we use it. I think we will continue trying to find a rotation with Singulair that gives the benefits w/o the side-effects. Avoid Zyrtec--now that is a really evil drug! It made my son wake up crying every night after only a week. When in doubt, resort to the old tried-and-true classics: chlor pheniramine maleate and | M | 9 | 1.5 years | 2/17/2009 | 2 | Asthma | Loss of appetite, mood swings. Spaced out and unfocused. Greatly affecting schoolwork. Depressed and cries alot. | F | 9 | 11 months | 1/29/2009 | 2 | fall allergies | inconsolable crying spells, violent tantrums, extreme frustration | My 9 year old son was on it for 8 days and yesterday it was reported to me that he had a crying spell on the bus to school, tantrums and crying spells in school, then came home from school crying inconsolably and had several violent tantrums and was extremely irritable at home. He has autism, but never displayed this kind of behavior before. I thought he might be coming down with something so I took him to the doctor today and was informed to immediately stop giving him the Singulair. He was otherwise healthy. Since he was only on it 8 days, I'm hoping for him to have it out of his system in the next day or so and be back to what our 'normal' is. Thanks for the feedback on this website! | M | 9 | 8 days | 10/28/2008 | 1 | ALLERGIES | I am the mother of a 9 year old who has been taking this medication for 3 months. His behavior has changed drastically. Agression, depression and recently anxiety and compulsive behaviors. I could not sleep tonight and found these entries. I have never felt compelled to look up a prescription but I was desperate as to what might be causing my son to change so much in such a short time. PLEASE DO NOT PUT YOUR CHILDREN ON THIS MEDICATION. I read so many entries from parents whose children ended up at the psychologist and who suffered for years. Each entry is such a mirror of the others and what I have seen in my son. | DO NOT GIVE TO YOUR CHILDREN. | M | 9 | 3 months | 6/22/2007 | 1 | asthma and severe allergies | severe abdominal pain,headaches,lack of concentration ,agressiveness,low self esteem,spacey,tics,suicidal thoughts and depression. | My daughter had been taking singulair for 3 yrs .She suffers from severe allergies and exercise induced asthma. Singulair seemed to be fine at first but when she started acting out I never thoght about connecting the two.She began having trouble with attention and was becoming a little monster! Things went from mild to full blown rebellion over the course of a year.She began hitting,bitting,and lying over every thing. She went from having a quite demeanor to having a sarcastic,smarthmouth attitude. I thought it was pretween thing,she is 9 yrs old.She is a GT/straight A student since first grade. And all of a sudden started having trouble with simple homework and complained about not being able to concentrate.Her average went from A to D over a 6 week period. We had a parent teacher conference,where teacher expressed concerns over her behavior and concentration. Her pediatrician referred her to a nuerologist and he determined she was having mild seizures. Not known wether it wa | F | 9 | 3 years | 4/10/2008 | 1 | allergies | repeated upper respiratory infections, repeated bouts of pneumonia, strep throat, and bronchitus; emotional over-reactions and aggressive tendencies | I put my 9 year-old son on Singulair to help with seasonal allergies. He took the 5mg dosage. He contracted bronchitus within weeks, then he got pneumonia, then bronchitus, then strep, then pneumonia, etc. Finally, I saw a commercial that listed frequent upper respiratory infections as one common side-effect of Singulair. I took my son off it immediately, and he became a different child. He is happier with fewer mood swings and very little illness to report at all. We give him Claritin D for his seasonal allergies, and he tolerates this medicine with no noticeable side-effects. We give him vitamin C and Zinc, and he is very healthy now. I also took Singulair for asthma for awhile before my son did. I went off it when my son did, and I also had fewer upper respiratory infections. I had never made the connection before. I thought we were both having the infections because we had poor immune systems. I was 44 years old, and I also took Singulair for 1 year. Both of us have bee | M | 9 | 1 years | 1/18/2009 | 1 | asthmatic | horrendous moodiness, aggression, can't walk far, bike, run etc. Disinterested, inability to sleep and confusion to name some. Also toilet accidents which, in our 9yr old, stopped at 3yr old. Where has our lively sunny boy gone? Have stopped meds on Friday night after another humdinger at bed-time. How long does it take to be out of system as Sunday night was worse? | M | 9 | 4 months | 3/5/2007 | 1 | asthma | sudden negative change in mood and behavior. grand mal seizure | M | 9 | 6 weeks | 6/8/2006 | 1 | Seasonal asthma | Depression, anxiety, unable to cope with school, fear of being alone, body tics, deep sadness | My son has taken 5mg Singulair for five months. We put his increasing depression down to the shock caused by three severe asthma attacks in five weeks, he had never had an attack before. Slowly his anxiety became depression, last week the doctor said he needed a psychiatrist. Previous to Singulair he was happy, now he just cries and wants to be at home. I am shocked by the change. Last week took him off Singulair, he has improved already, though has a long way to go. Thank you for this site. I will get a full blood test tomorrow. | M | 9 | 5 months | 1/28/2007 | 1 | Asthma & Allergies | Hallucinations (visualized things like skeletons coming out of the walls, etc., & voices), Morbid or "Bad Thoughts" OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), very violent thoughts of hurting people or animals, facial ticks, frequent urination, bad dreams, severe headaches, depression, aggression, deep sadness for NO reason, constant confessions, worrying about things that hadn't happened, thoughts of death, became antisocial (couldn't make friends anymore)..... you name it! | THIS IS POISON! BEWARE! My 9 yr. old son was diagnosed with Morbid OCD after he had been taking Singulair for a short time. It started off slowly then got worse and worse as time went on. I took him to specialists, had every test imaginable done on him. I was told he had a severe thought disorder. The doctors tried to put him on antipsychotics, antidepressants, etc. I refused. I REFUSED to believe that my emotionally healthy, sweet and loving son could "develop" this disorder for no reason and so quickly. Unfortunately for my sweet boy, he lived through this nightmare for almost 2 years. It has scarred him so emotionally there are no words. I had taken him off the Singulair a few months ago and his OCD had started to go away then it was just gone. (I still didn't associate it with his OCD) About a month ago his asthma and allergies got bad again and his doctor told me I really needed to put him back on Singular. I did. I noticed signs of his OCD within a couple/few days and b | M | 9 | 2 years | 4/10/2007 | 1 | asthma | caused seizure and confusion | F | 89 | 10/2/2007 | 3 | Allergies and asthma | stomach ache when taken at night | M | 8 | 1 years | 11/13/2008 | 3 | asthma | extreme weight gain,mood changes | my daughter has been on singulair for a year and while it has helped to control her asthma i am considering taking her off of it. Just like others have stated she has gained a lot of weight especially in her mid section. Her stomach is huge like a pregnant person. I am also worried about her frequent mood changes. Weight gain should really be added to the list of side effects. | F | 8 | 1 years | 1/30/2009 | 3 | Chronic allergic rhinitis | I have been getting so frustrated with my 8 yr old son's highly emotional behaivor. Over the last month he worries about everything and cries easily. He has always been a little sensitive, but this is on a whole new level. To the point where I was getting very worried about him. He has bad dreams every night and has been wetting the bed nearly every night. I told my mom about these symptoms and she suggested it was the Singulair. I wasn't convinced but decided to look it up online anyway. I am so glad I found this site. Some of the side effects the mothers here listed sound exactly like my son. I will never give him this medicine again. THANK YOU | The Singulair did seem to help his symptoms. But, as so many others have mentioned, the side effects are not worth the minimal improvement. | M | 8 | 4 months | 12/20/2007 | 2 | asthma/allergies | mood swings; unhappy; headaches and stomach aches; 25-30 lb. weight gain in under 2 years | Oh my goodness! I am sitting here crying because my daughter has been on Singulair for a year and a half along with albuterol and nasonex. My sweet loveable child has turned into a monster! On top of it, wouldn't a doctor question a 25-30 lb. weight gain in less than two years in a child?? NOW I KNOW THE REASON FOR HER BEHAVIOR!! Guess what? I took my child to an allergist and discovered that she was highly allergic to the cat we had gotten. Her pediatrician felt the cat had nothing to do with it. Boy was she wrong!! Why did I not know about all these side effects? I can only hope that in time my happy-go-lucky child will return and pray that puberty does not arrive before she is 9 yrs old. | F | 8 | 1 days | 9/23/2007 | 1 | Asthma | psychotic thoughts, seeing and hearing things not there. Severely depressed, facial ticks, crying for long periods of time and not know why, worried all the time, severe nightmares, unable to distinguish between imagined thoughts and real events, they just started to blur together, paranoid (thinking people were talking about him and looking at him, even following him. | The only thing I can implore is to any parent who cares about their child - Never give this medicine to your son or daughter. It has taken away almost 2 years of our lives from us. I am having a hard time forgiving myself for not figuring it out sooner. I have taken my poor son off of this medicine about 4 wks ago and he is about 95% better. Shame on you Merck! I filed a complaint with Merck and the FDA. This should be taken off the market yesterday. | M | 8 | 1.75 years | 4/24/2007 | 1 | congestion | moderate to severe itching over torso, legs, back and arms. | F | 8 | 3 days | 3/25/2005 | 1 | For asthma during cold/flu season | My son took this for 4 months, until we realized our son had become someone he and I both didn't know. He was moody, angry, had trouble concentrating (which had NEVER been a problem before), felt sad A LOT and didn't know why, had trouble sleeping (had never been a problem before, even as a newborn), nightmares every night...overall very unhappy and sad about being unhappy because he didn't know why he felt the way he did. Cannot believe I didn't figure it out sooner. He stopped taking it over 2 weeks ago....and I am happy to report he is sleeping like a baby, laughing again and being more positive about everything in general! I have my son back! | It's unfortunate that more doctors do not mention the possibility of these kinds of negative side effects. They don't really know how a medication might effect our children. Since no one, including myself, is going to allow drug testing on our children, Rx companies only know side effects for adults! | M | 8 | 4 months | 2/24/2006 | 1 | allergies | Dr. prescribed sigulair for my son after I discountinued Allegra due to horrible mood changes. My son had been off all meds for 3 days and back to normal when we started singulair. He's been on singuair for 5 days and IT'S BACK. The mood swings are horrible..he cries all the time..is very aggressive and angry..this is NOT my son. | We will throw this prescription away just like allegra. I feel horrible for not doing the research after the allegra I should have known better. Dr.'s need to be educated on what COULD happen with children like mine!! | M | 8 | 5 days | 9/24/2007 | 1 | fluid on ears, difficulty breathing | My son changed completely in the course of one week of this medicine. He has been hyper, unfocused, and full of fear and anxiety (nightmares, other fears). He has had intense stomach pain as well. He has dissolved into tears in situations he would have normally handled with ease. He's off the medicine and will not go back on it again. | M | 8 | 9 days | 4/10/2008 | 1 | grandaughter took for allergy | she became more moody, and demanding, grades dropped at school, ate constantly, more difficult to deal with and argumentative, less willing to do school work | I am calling her doctor, she will not be taking this medicine after today. | F | 8 | 90 days | 3/5/2008 | 1 | Seasonal allergies | Increased weight gain,Moody, aggressive,depressed,etc.... | My 8 year old son has been taking Singulair for quite some time now. I never made the connection to all the problems I have been having with him, until a friend of the family sent me this link. I read in horror the stories from other parents, the symptoms that their children were having mirrored that of my son. I was having such a terrible time controlling him, I didn't know what to do. He has been doing horrible in school, and is even worse at home. Without even consulting his Dr. I threw away his prescription of Singulair and Flonase.It has been about a week now, and I am slowly seeing some changes...for the better. His allergies are starting to come back full force, but I have no idea what to put him on now.I have been researching other allergy medicine web sites only to find that the side effects for many others are the same ( Zyrtec, Claritan, Benadryl) as well as many others. I hate to see him suffer but I have no idea what to put him on now. If anyone has any suggestions please | M | 8 | 4/24/2008 | 1 | chronic sinus and ear infections | My 8 year old daughter was prescribed singulair 3 different times. The first two times she had severe headaches and we discontinued after two weeks. This last time we took it for 1 | and 1/2 months (after the doctor became angry that we had not kept her on it before.)We have now been to the ER for stomach pain and swollen abdomen 4office visits and 6days off school. She is having night terrors, clingy, cries from fear at bedtime will not let me out of her sight,also 1UTI.I have not slept in 3 weeks and the scary part is that it has been 3 weeks since she has had a dose. I found a post saying their son saw red stripes and yellow dots in one eye and it blew me away. That cannot be a coincidence.My child was happy and secure before she took singulair and now she is terrified and tormented daily by thoughts she cannot get out of her head. She says people are trying to kill her when she sleeps. She is now sleep deprived with dark circles under her eyes. I still have not seen information on how long it will take to get out of her system. | F | 8 | 45 days | 2/2/2009 | 1 | Allergies Ear Problems | Breating Tics, Eye Tics, Problems Focusing in School, hyperactivity, restlessness, agressiveness. | My son was prescribed Singulair a few years ago. I wish I had found this site sooner. Over the last two years he has been experiencing body tics, eye tics and now breathing tics to the point where he hyperventilates himself. He has trouble listening and staying on focus in school. Despite his issues he still does well in school but every progress report is about not paying attention in class or going to fast. He also is at times misbehaved and agressive. | M | 8 | 2 years | 5/8/2008 | 1 | allergies | My daughter is 8. She's normally a very loving, caring, obedient child. For the last 4 weeks she's started lying about things with very elaborate stories for things that wouldn't even get her in trouble. She started getting defiant, and diliberately disobeying right after I told her not do something. Today she got in trouble for taking her school scissors and carving lines into her desk. When asked why she did it, she says she doesn't know. She just remembers picking up the scissors and the next thing she remembers is the teacher yelling at her for carving lines into the desk. | I have been trying to think of what could have changed in her life in the last 4 weeks to make sure a completely different child. It finally hit me! She's been taking Singulair for about 5 weeks - that's the only thing that has changed! So Googled the side effects and found this site. I'm calling the dr tomorrow morning first thing. | F | 8 | 5 weeks | 3/9/2009 | 1 | allergies/asthma | Headaches, severe stomach ache, bloody nose, agressive, emotional, mood swings | My 8 year old son has been on this for aprox. 5 weeks, and I now feel so guilty for accusing him of over acting and just wanting attention! This is horrible medication and I can't believe our Dr.'s don't give us these warnings. | M | 8 | 5 weeks | 9/13/2009 | 1 | asthma/allergies | Severe stomach aches, headaches, bloody nose, mood swings, loss of appitite | My 8 yr old son has been taking this horrible medication for approx. 4 wks and when he started complaining of the stomach ache and headaches I told him he was over reacting, I feel so guilty for not listening to him. Why don't our Dr.'s tell us about these side affects. | M | 8 | 4 weeks | 9/13/2009 | 3 | asthma/allergies | extreme constipation, serious dry mouth, could not sleep more than 15 minutes at a time without drinking water. | The first two or three days on singulair I thought it was a wonder drug. Suddenly I realized that I was hardly sleeping and when I did sleep it was for short times. The constipation kept me feeling full and uncomfortable. I had leg cramps at night. I stopped taking it about a week ago and I am my normal self again. I sometimes wonder if a smaller dose (i.e. 5mg. a day) would be better for me. But I am not sure that I am willing to try it. | F | 73 | 2 weeks | 11/11/2007 | 1 | Asthma | Depression, loss of mental clarity, memory problems, inability to focus and concentrate, huge weight gain, bloated, look pregnant, heartburn, severe shortness of breath, lethargy, lack of interest in anything | The mental and emotional suffering - not overstated - makes singulair not worth any possible benefit. I had to leave my work because of severe shortness of breath. Have been seeing a psychiatrist who has me on antidepressants and something to keep me awake during the day. Another doctor has me on something to control the restless-leg syndrome that another singulair patient mentions. My weight gain probably contributes to my depression, and my distended abdomen probably interferes with my breathing. The 5 years I've been on singulair have been miserable. I am so thankful to have found this site. Today is April 3, 2008, and last night is the last time I will take singulair. I can't wait to see how I will be next week, next month. | F | 73 | 5 years | 4/3/2008 | 1 | i am 73 and have taken it forever | I started noticing unusual depression thoughts of suicide and so unlike my personality I feel so much better since stopping it, I think it might be a dangerous drug. | M | 73 | 8 days | 4/15/2008 | 1 | asthma, COPD | Depression, weight gain (40 lbs. in 4 months), restless leg syndrome, mental fogginess | I wrote on April 3, 2008, and mentioned that the previous night would be my last dose. It's now a little over 3 months later, and I have lost 20 pounds and don't need the antidepressant, restless leg, and "wake-up" meds. Am desperate to find something now to help my breathing, but I'll NEVER take singulaire again. | F | 73 | 5 years | 7/15/2008 | 2 | allergic rhinitis | dizziness, dryness | M | 72 | 90 days | 11/24/2008 | 1 | allergies | Had severe acid reflux. Had no idea it was linked to this medication. | Took this medication for 3 years and I stopped taking it because of the cost and noticed within a week the acid reflux was gone. I had been taking 40mg of protonix twice a day and it did not even help. I had never had any problem in all my life, not even gas or burping. This was a horror!! | F | 72 | 3 days | 3/30/2008 | 5 | cold/cough/sneeze | Singulair really helps!! | F | 7 | 30 days | 12/11/2007 | 4 | Allergies/ asthma | My 7 year old son was able to breathe and not have to use his inhaler as much which was wonderful, but his behavior suffered. He had mood swings, very irritable and aggressive. | After going to this website and on-line I am going to discontinue singular and try another drug to help him. It there were no side effects with behavior he would still be taking it because it is the best medicine that we have found so far to help with his allergies and asthma. | M | 7 | 45 days | 9/18/2009 | 3 | mild asthma | moodiness, easily frustrated, crying spells, upset stomache | Thank you, I would have never connected the symptoms to singular. Although it has helped with the addition of Qvar to help control his asthma, I will now make an appointment with his pediatrition to stop singular and look into something else. He has been very emotional and has even started crying at school. He is having difficulty with school work and has always been in higher learning classes. I thought his moods were just a phase! I hope he does well without it, it does worry me to take him off the maintanence. He has been on it for almost two years.Has any one had any experiences with another allergy medicine? | M | 7 | 2 years | 4/30/2008 | 3 | Asthma | Didn't think any until recently. I think it is causing my daughter to have anxiety. | My daughter has been on it for close to 2 years, last year she started pulling out her hair and eyelashes, that stopped and now she cries and has loose bowels in the morning - exactly like an anxiety attack. She stopped using it last night. I hope to see a difference soon. | F | 7 | 2 years | 6/1/2007 | 2 | my 7 yr. old daughter | she is a high energy child who started experiencing very bad asthma and allergies at around 1 1/2 yrs. she was taking prednisone once a month for about 6 mos. and the dr. suggested singulair along with as needed albuterol and pulmecort inhalers. heavy medicine for a small toddler. she has been an intense child with mood swings, temper tantrums and extremely challenging for me. we tried herbs, which help, naturopath medicine and currently do vitamins as well. all of these things have helped, however i wonder, now that i am reading this, if singulair has created some of these symptoms. she often whistles and makes sounds obsessively. much of this is normal, but she is a bit more intense than most of our friends children when it comes to being stubborn and difficult. she has trouble focusing and listening to my words, like i have to repeat EVERYTHING 10 times, and my other daughter is not at all like that. i know this may sound totally normal, however, i spend alot of time with my | F | 7 | 7/31/2007 | 2 | control asthma | lack of focus in school, frequent urination, nightmares, emotional outbursts | My daughter is 7 years old and was on this medication for 4 years for quite severe asthma. Along with steroid puffers she took singulair. The medicine did help control her asthma, but the side effects were consistent as well. Stumbling across this website, I asked her Pediatrician about the side effects (he stated none were proven). Against the doctors’ instruction, we decided to take her off Singulair. We changed our environment as well (taking all carpet from our home and replacing with hardwood throughout and adding a hepa filtration system). With these changes my daughters asthma remains to be controlled (next step is to take her off the steroid inhaler and have her med. free). The best part is; her mood has become much better, her grades in school increased from a "C" average to an "A" average. She now loves to read, she is more of a peaceful child and she is happier. Sure it cost us to upgrade/improve our environment (in which we needed a loan) but it was worth the money spent to see these improvements with our daughter. Our loan is now paid off and our daughter is a much better person for it - without Singulair. | F | 7 | 3 years | 4/28/2009 | 1 | Daughter's Asthma/ Allergies | It took a few months to occur to me that the nightly headaches my 7 year old was experiencing might be caused by the Singulair. We've noticed that her disposition has become increasingly poor - she has episodes of emotional meltdowns, has lost interest in doing almost anything (her afterschool activities/ sports, and school in general), she wakes up at night complaining of nightmares, wakes up in the morning complaining that she is already tired. She is fidgety and has experienced daytime wetting accidents. | My daughter has mild to moderate asthma caused by seasonal allergies. When Claritin wasnt controlling the breathing problems, the ped. suggested this. We were not verbally warned of any of the above side effects, and whether to discontinue use if they occurred. Only after I suggested it to the ped today did he agree she should stop taking it. Daughter was taking this for approximately 3-4 mos. | F | 7 | 4 months | 4/21/2009 | 1 | Asthma | Irritability, rage, difficulty controlling emotions | My child was prescribed Singulair by our GP and ever since, she has been nothing but erratic, depressed and overwhelming. Sudden outbursts, excessive crying, screaming, biting herself ... she even said she was so angry she wanted to kill herself (this is a 7 year old child -- I never could imagine her saying anything like this). After reading up a little on the internet today, there is not way I am going to give this drug to her anymore. | F | 7 | 3 weeks | 6/1/2009 | 1 | seasonal allergies | My son was on and off Singular for several years for his seasonal allergies. We finally realized that he has always been a very strong willed child, but whenever he was taking Sin gular he became very aggressive. We refused to put him on this medication again. It did help his allergies, but was not worth the side effects! When I told our pediatrician he was not aware of this side effect. He went and checked his medicine book and found that increased aggressiveness WAS a side effect. | Would not give to children | M | 7 | 2 years | 9/5/2009 | 1 | allergies | My 7 year old was prescribed this for severe allergies. He complained of headaches constantly. He was very emotional. He was always an excellent student and his teacher said he was having trouble focusing. | I would not recommend this medication for children! | M | 7 | 5 days | 6/17/2009 | 1 | allergies | Irritability, hallucinations, depression | It also did not work for my daughter's allergy symptoms. I feel so bad for giving this to her. Every day her mood has gotten a little worse, and she just feels like every thing bad happens to her. She woke us up in the middle of the night screaming b/c she thought there was a man in her room. | F | 7 | 3 weeks | 10/1/2009 | 1 | Seasonal Allergies | Severe Depression and Agression | My son was on this medication for six months before I finally made the connection between the drug and his behavior change. He became very depressed, nearly suicidal, often telling us that he wished he had never been born, wanted us to kill him, and that he didn't want to live anymore. He was also very aggressive toward his younger siblings. All of these behaviors were way out of character for him--typically a very compassionate and joyful individual. Within two weeks of being off the drug we had our normal, happy, loving boy back. NEVER EVER, EVER give this drug to a child. When I related our experience to the allergist he was not surprised, has seen it before (argh!) and said that my son can't take Singulair, Zyrtec (He had similar results with Zyrtec), or Claritin. Be very cautious of drugs, parents! | M | 7 | 6 months | 9/18/2009 | 1 | Allergy induced migraines | My daughter was having 2-3 severe migraines a week at the age of 6. It turnes out she had a chronic sinus infection. After 2 rounds of antibiotics, the dr prescribed singulair. I honestly did not recognize that she was experiencing side effects from Singulair until now. She has gained almost 20 lbs since December, which is strange since she hardly eats!!! That is what prompted me to look it up, but I am sooo glad that i did because now I realize so many more! She has changed from a very happy, sunny child into a withdrawn,depressed child. She is very sensitive about the slightest thing, and says that no one ever wants to play with her, even though her teacher says that she is the one that refuses to interect. She has also recently experienced stomach aches, leg and ankle pain, and headaches. She also seems to have to urinate ALL the time. | Although I am sure that Singulair works great for some people, I really would not recommend it for a child. Although I do not want my child to suffer with migraines again, we will drop Singulair TONIGHT. Chiropractic care seems to be a wonderful alternative for many "Tried and True" medicines. I really am grateful for this site, and I am so angry and sad that soooo many other families have had to suffer through this while just trying to eliminate another problem. | F | 7 | 10 days | 9/18/2007 | 1 | mild asthma | depression, inconsolable crying, bad thoughts, self-hate, paranoia, anxiety, lack of eye contact, obsessive thoughts, low self-esteem, and fear | PLEASE REPORT YOUR SIDE EFFECTS TO THE FDA - THAT DRUG SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN TO CHILDREN!! Here's my statement to FDA Medwatch on the fda.gov website: My 7 year old daughter was prescribed Singulair for asthma, 5mg once daily. After two weeks on the drug she began experiencing sudden and severe side effects - including depression, inconsolable crying, bad thoughts, self-hate, paranoia, anxiety, lack of eye contact, obsessive thoughts, low self-esteem, and fear. We stopped the Singulair after three days of these side effects. Now it's been 4 days since stopping the drug and she's slowly recovering. Furthermore, her Pediatrician agrees that Singulair is to blame for her sudden state. This shouldn't happen to a child; this drug shouldn't be prescribed to children at all. This has been a horrible experience for my daughter and my family. | F | 7 | 2 weeks | 1/12/2008 | 1 | allergies/asthma | hallucinations,sadness,sleeplessness,trouble concentrating,memory problems,vision changes | my 7 year old was prescribed singulair for allergies/asthma 3 wks ago and as far as al/as symptoms,it has helped. she will no longer be taking this med because of scary side effects. first, she thought she saw me "fall through the couch" as well as many other strange things.then when she went to her violin lesson, she couldn't even remember the name of the instrument, then her eyes started burning and getting "glurry" as she said. I took her to the dr. and he did an eye exam to find that her vision has gone from 20/20, a month and a half ago, to 20/60 at this visit with no explanation. At this visit we also found that she had a very bad throat infection- she has complained of sore throat since she was put on singulair-the dr said it would go away w/time-now it's an infection that must be treated w/antibiotics.She has also said her heart pounds too fast and too hard and that she stays awake all night. I DO NOT think children should be prescribed this medication!!!!! | F | 7 | 3 weeks | 10/20/2007 | 1 | Asthma | My 7 year old daughter was prescribed Singulair for asthma, 5mg once daily. After one week on the drug she began waking up in the middle of the night, and after 2 weeks she began experiencing sudden and severe side effects - including depression, inconsolable crying, bad thoughts, paranoia, anxiety, obsessive thoughts (obsessed with food’s expiration dates), low self-esteem, and fear. When asked why she cries and says the things she says, she cannot explain it. I spoke to the pediatrician about this symptoms and he had never heard of them and dismissed my concerns, he even said it would be the first time this happened to someone in Latin America; he also questioned my “internet sources” when I told him I had done research on the internet and explained what I found out about the drug. We stopped the Singulair after a month of taking it. Now it's been 7 days since stopping the drug and she's slowly recovering. Furthermore, her new Pediatrician agrees that Singulair | This shouldn't happen to a child; this drug shouldn't be prescribed to children at all. This has been a horrible experience for my daughter and my family. | F | 7 | 30 days | 4/2/2008 | 1 | asthma | extreme irritability,violent temper tantrums,tics,extreme sensitivity,terrible nightmares,anger | My son was taking this drug for years and sadly I never had any idea that this could be the root of our problems. We even had him seeing a therapist to try and help with the behavior and anger. He has been off for 5 days and already I have seen a drastic change in his personality and behavior. I feel as though he was a sweet boy trapped in an angry body for years just trying to get out. Had NO idea Singulair produced these side effects. Not a drug that should be prescibed to children. The changes in the last week are truly very remarkable. | M | 7 | 4 days | 4/2/2008 | 1 | Very mild asthma | My daughter became so easily to become very angry toward anything - herself, family members, slight criticism or even most neutral suggections. She was 5+ taking Singulair for 3-4 months in total. She has not been taking any more one year. But her problem has not been changed. She is otherwise mostly a happy healthy girl. | The mood problem didn't seem to go away long after stopping the medicine. We too felt being forced by the doctor to use it on our child. | F | 7 | 4 months | 2/26/2009 | 1 | allergies | loss of concentration, anxious,nightmares, wired. | My 7year old daughter started taking this for a sinus infection/allergies. We had the most trying week of her young life; not listening,distracted, stole something,anxious, jealous. Just not herself, my sister suggested this site. I finally put it together and we stopped the meds immediately yesterday. Last night she had a terrible nightmare, screaming and crying. She said that she didn't know why she couldn't stop replaying these awful thoughts. I am so angry, aren't doctors supposed to be educated about the meds they're prescribing before they freely prescribe? | F | 7 | 3 weeks | 11/20/2008 | 1 | asthma | My son has been on Singulair for years. However, recently, they changed his dose from 4mg to 5 mg and we noticed an obvious behavioral change. He has thoughts that prompt him to be brutally honest...telling me I am fat and ugly. He has also had homicidal thoughts toward my husband and I which are followed by self-condemning thoughts. He is a very loving child and this is completely out of character for him.Looking back, we feel horrible in that he has experienced night terrors, extreme thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, and skin dryness. We just put all of this together when the behavioral symptoms started. My husband, thankfully, remembered the news story. We have stopped taking the medication and are 2 weeks out, but still experiencing many strange thought processes. We have even contacted a child psychologist who has encouraged us to try and "normalize" the situation as much as possible. We may have to seek further help if we don't see improvement soon. | M | 7 | 5 years | 1/19/2009 | 1 | Allergies & Asthma | Mood changes, defiance, anger, hopelessness, crying at drop of a hat, throwing things, stomach ache | My 7 yr old son has been on Singulair for 2 mos and also daily Zyrtec. He was taken off of Qvair for similar side effects. He has been unbearable for the past month. Acting out, hitting, crying, throwing things, all completely unlike him. I have been accused by my family that I have caused his change in personality because of all the yelling, time-outs, taking away video games. When he told me that he has lost all hope over improving his 1 C+, I thought there is something more going on with him. His pediatrician told me to stop all Singulair and continue on Albuteral and Zyrtec since his mood swings appear to be a side effect of the Singulair. | M | 7 | 2 months | 12/29/2008 | 1 | ASTHMA | BAD MOOD SWINGS, WOULDN'T SLEEP, ALWAYS HUNGRY, BAD DEPRESSION | WORKED GREAT FOR ASTHMA SYMPTONS BUT TERRIBLE SIDE EFFECTS I WILL NEVER PUT MY CHILD ON THIS AGAIN | F | 7 | 6 months | 12/2/2007 | 1 | daughter was for asthma | after 2 years she has started having petit-mal seizures, and is very moody, depressed, unlike any normal 7 year old. | I would strictly advise parents to research this medicine before giving it to their child. | F | 7 | 2 years | 12/14/2004 | 1 | for asthmas related to allergies | we gave this drug to my seven year old son and, like all the other, found it to be a miracle cure for asthma and allegies. However, like many of the others that wrote, he became angry, irrational and mean -- a complete and scary personality change. He also had nose bleeds and leg aches, which I had dismissed entirely and now believe to be related to the drug. Thank God I found this site and others like it to help me see the real problem. After just a few days off the drug, he is back to his old, sweet self. | This drug should be exposed and banned-- it absolutely should not be administered to children without proper explanation of possible side effects. The drug company web-site does not mention anything. | M | 7 | 21 days | 2/18/2006 | 1 | asthma allergies sinus infections | night terrors, more sinus infections, severe leg pain, agressive behavior | F | 7 | 3 days | 3/22/2006 | 5 | Mild asthma | None | Taking 40 mg daily for past 5 years | M | 67 | 5 years | 7/31/2007 | 1 | asthma & seasonal allergies | Insomnia, leg cramps, restlessness, inability to focus | I will never take this medication ever again. I would also strongly discourage anyone I know from taking it. | F | 67 | 30 days | 7/14/2009 | 5 | allergies/chronic sinus infections | none | I plan to drop my use of Singulair because of all the current negative reviews about it. I also take flonase and allegra (generic of both) and I hope these two drugs will "hold" my allergies in check. | F | 66 | 5 years | 4/1/2008 | 1 | Allergies and asthma | Difficulty sleeping, bad muscle cramps, mood swings, very irritable, depressed. | Though it helped with allergies and improved my breathing a little it was not much better than a generic allergy pill and definitely not worth taking in light of the side effects. | M | 66 | 5 months | 8/1/2007 | 1 | ENT specialist doctor said to | itching, unsteady walking, shaky heart, dizzy, eyes dry and blurry, heartburn, less sleep, exercise causes nauseous feeling from teeth to chest, thirsty/urination changes, some mood changes, random breathing difficulty fine motor control especially fingers, concentration, hallucinations (smelling things not there), shortness of breath, yada yada | many many side effects. had to stop almost all current supplements and rx. some effects possibly due to interactions with other rx same doc prescribed with singulair. - going back to family doctor and getting off singulair and others the ENT prescribed. specialist did too much too fast without regard to age, other conditions, and my TOTAL health. | M | 66 | 14 days | 5/6/2007 | 5 | asthma | I have been very sleepyin the daytime since taking this medicine. I wonder if that can be a side effect. I have taken it for two months. | F | 65 | 40 days | 9/12/2004 | 4 | for asthma | insomnia. This is a real problem. Also 20# weight gain. I have been the same weight for the last 45 yrs (except when pregnant), but now gained weight even though I am eating less and excersize more. Fat around belly. | It does help my asthma--- thus my rating. I would like to know if any adult female has experienced bone loss since taking Singulair? | F | 65 | 3 days | 12/18/2007 | 5 | for severe asthma | None that I know of.Am tired during the day but not sure if that is due to Singulair. Will taking it at night decrease its effectiveness during the day? | I take Pulmicort every morning but was using Maxair, the rescue inhaler, as often as 12 times EVERY DAY and sometimes more often. Since taking Singulair for the past few years, I use the rescue inhaler maybe once a month, often less! Singulair has greatly improved my life. | F | 64 | 4 years | 3/13/2006 | 2 | Allergic asthma, chronic rhinitis | Restlessness and irritability, mood change (frequent feelings of anger), nausea, mild swelling of lips and tongue, sudden fatigue/sleepiness. | Began taking Sigulair because of allergy induced bronchitis and chronic rhinitis. Also took Asmanex. Within a couple of days the bronchitis cleared up, breathing improved and the nasal symptoms improved. Stopped coughing and sneezing, reduced itchy eyes and nose. Almost immediately I experienced nausea and mild swelling of lips and tongue. After a week I began to notice sleepiness, fatigue, and irritability. Stopped taking the Asmanex. After two or three weeks I noticed that I felt a pervasive sense of anger and sometimes sudden rage in addition to the other symptoms. I am rarely angry and almost never rageful. I have decided to stop taking Singulair even though it has really helped me. | F | 64 | 4 weeks | 3/4/2007 | 1 | sinus infections/allergies | Since starting 4 months ago, my shoulders and upper body muscles have become so terribly painful that I can barely turn over in bed. I also have a dry cough. | I do think it helped with my allergies | F | 64 | 4 months | 2/24/2007 | 1 | Chronis sinusitis and Asthma | sadness,mood swings | I thought the enveloping sadness and sudden mood swings were a sign of aging until reading an article from a Canadian medical research team that indicated that those same symptoms were often side effects of Singulair. | F | 64 | 1 years | 3/31/2008 | 1 | Allergic rhinitis | Shortly after starting this drug, I developed a rash on my arms and legs. My eyelids became puffy and felt as if a rash had developed on the inside. I attributed the problems to my working in the yard, so I focused on taking the Singulair more regularly, as my NP had advised when she gave me samples. I also began to feel mildly nauseated. My problems got really bad on Mother's Day and the next day when I had to leave work because of the nausea. I finally realized that taking Singulair was the only real medication change I had made in the past month, so I called my allergist to ask if the rash and nausea could be side effects. They said yes, told me to stop taking it, and to take an antihistamine. I still feel miserable. | F | 64 | 30 days | 5/14/2009 | 5 | Asthma | none | You have to make sure you follow directions and take every night. | F | 63 | 15 months | 12/8/2002 | 4 | excercise induced asthma | extreme fatigue,unexplained depression, mood swings | M | 63 | 6 months | 7/3/2006 | 1 | sinus infection | I take very few medications, but my doctor suggested I try taking singular for a few days (before putting me on antibiotics) to help relieve my sinus infection and runny nose. It did help with my breathing. However after taking this medication for just 2 days by the second day I was experiencing joint pain and anxiety. I then decided to go on line to find out with others have experienced and now I know I was not just imagining these side effects. No more singular for me. | F | 63 | 2 days | 10/21/2007 | 2 | Asthma | Severe pain in left arm and hand, followed by numbness. | I was admitted to the hospital two weeks ago with severe asthma. Singulair was among the medications I was given. After a week, I experienced acute pain in my lower arm and hand, followed by numbness. I discontinued my Albuterol nebulizer treatments, but the pain and numbness continued. This left me taking Advair and Singulair. I didn't take either today and there has been no pain, just mild numbness. I'm scheduled for a test on Monday, but couldn't take the pain until then. I'm not sure if the Singulair helped the asthma all that much as I was on so many medications while in the hospital. | F | 61 | 14 days | 10/21/2006 | 1 | seasonal allergies "Beware" | After taking just one pill in the evening I awoke to numbness in my right side and a feeling of pins and needles.After 4 days I still have numbness in the palm of my hand the fatty part of my upper arm , stomach and thigh all on the right side.Fatty tissue area.Anyone else had this problem? Dr. told me to take 25 mg of Benadril every 4 hours for a day......I hope that this helps !!!!!!!!! | F | 61 | 1 days | 11/23/2005 | 1 | inflamed airway | Anger,racing thoughts of paranoia, began to feel as I did when first diagnosed with depression which had been under control, but the Singulair seemed to be overriding the Wellbutrin. I also withdrew from my husband and did not "want to be bothered." All side effects went away with 36 hours of stopping Singulair. | F | 61 | 4 days | 6/2/2008 | 2 | respiratory allergy | This week started seeing, hearing things. Little things. A glance at a thing and I see it wrong, clearly but wrong. A name written down, the time, the sentence someone said I heard completely wrong. She spoke, I heard her voice but the words were not what she said. It was clear too. Am also tired, distracted, just wonkie. | Not that good for allergy but can breathe through my nose. Still feels congested, ears still congested. Eyes and ears itch still. Still had to use inhaler during a cold. No sinus infections, though. A blessing but not enough to be on another planet. I am quitting singulair. Going to get allergy shots and use the steroid spray. | F | 60 | 60 days | 9/24/2005 | 1 | Asthma | rapid heartbeat, aniexty, great feelings of depression, just wanted to stop my day and sleep. Hard to concentrate, and get motivated. Feeling flush faced, with rapid breathing, dry mouth. Lots of constipation. Feeling of wanting to hurt someone by saying something mean spirited that could not be taken back. Would not take again if someone paid me. I started by taking in the morning with my other meds and had no affects, when I switched to evenings , the side affects started. Can hardly wait for my system to flush the medicine out of my system. Have called my doctor to complain . Would not recommend to anyone who may have previous episodes of depression. | F | 60 | 30 days | 5/30/2007 | 1 | Asthma | Depression,anxiety,mood changes,fatigue | I took singular for 10 years and suffered major depression, anxiety. All these years I though it was from menepause or or just a family illness. I have been off Singulair since 3-28-08 and I feel like a new woman, the weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I can see the light. It is awful to think I have suffered for 10 years. | F | 60 | 10 days | 4/19/2008 | 1 | Asthma | Depression, mood swings, anxiety over things that I wouldn't normally be anxious about. | I considered my self a very well rounded person until I started having severe depression upon waking each day. I have Lupus and take many drugs so I had no reason to blame the Singulair. I actually thought my "sadness" was due to low blood sugar and have been trying uselessly for 2 years to balance protein with depression. I finally did some thinking and realized that the Singulair was started at the same time my depression started. I found your site and can't thank you enough. Just awful to think you are the only one out there having problems. Have stopped the Singulair and symptoms already better. | M | 60 | 2 years | 1/24/2008 | 1 | Chronic Cough | Hair Loss, Rapid Weight Gain, High Cholesterol, Muscle Tension, Rashes. | I came to this site to find out if my son's recent health issues were due to the RX he's taking. It appears they are indeed the culprit. Our 20 yr old son developed a chronic cough in April 2007. Many meds were tried to relieve the cough. Todate, no meds have given him relief. For the past 18 months he has been on Singulair. For the past 12 months he's also been on Astelin and Nasacort. In the past year his total cholesterol reached 257 (up from the previous 180's), he's gained over 30 lbs (despite dieting), has had significant hair loss, neck/jaw tension, headaches and some hives. The mfg drug side effects sheet didn't list any of these items; however, after reading previous comments I feel the meds he's currently on (particularly Singulair and Astelin may be the culprits. We plan on having our son stop these meds immediately and revisit his allergist for a consult. We are now considering acupunture and a holistic medicine to his chronic cough. The medical profession has failed him terribly. | F | 60 | 18 months | 11/14/2009 | 5 | Cough | My 6 year old son has a chronic cough at nighttime and during athletics. My pediatrician put him on the mediaction for this. After taking the medication for the week trial, he awoke every night crying with night terrors. I spoke to the pediatircian about this symptom and she had never heard of this and dismissed my concerns; acting as if night terrors were not that big of a deal, that my son wouldn't remember it anyway in the morning. However after reading the Singular pamplet, the side effects are listed on the pamplet stating 'night terrors'. My son has also complained about headaches more often now, and is more sleepy during the daytime. However his night terrors have stopped after 1 month of taking the medication and his cough is gone. | After weighing the medication side effects and his cough, I have decided to discontinue the medication. I can't see having my child take a medication that has altered his mental and physical state to cure a non life threatening cough. I wish that my pediatrician would not have been so quick to pull out the prescripion tablet without knowing all the facts about the medication she approved for my son. | M | 6 | 45 days | 12/29/2007 | 4 | asthma, severe cough, runny nose | My 6 yr.old daughter has been on this med.(child dose) for less than 30 days. Singulair has been terrific for her asthma and cough. She no longer coughs at night or wakes in the morning coughing up mucus to the point of vomiting. However, after reading this web site I might have found the answers to some new troubles. A couple of weeks ago she started having to use the bathroom constantly. A few nights ago she started waking every hour having to use the bathroom. This is not her. She has never had an accident nor woke at night to go to the bathroom. She has gained 3 pounds in 4 weeks without eating much at all. She is now having accidents at home and school and is up all night going to the bathroom. I took her to the doctor and she said probably a urinary infection-no worries. Nothing about side effects! Is anybody else seeing any increased urination with their child? The medicine works great for her asthma and cough but the side effects are to great to keep her on it. | I can't have her up all night going 'potty' and having acidents at school-she was so embarrased. I am going to take her off it tonight and hopefully see a difference within a night or two. The weight gain and bathroom issue are to much for her (and me) to deal with for the sake of no more coughing and runny nose. By the way, the label on my daughters bottle states that it is for children ages 2-14. I rated the medicine a 4 because for the actual asthma and cough it works great but it has to many side effects for children. This medicine needs to be re-evaluated for kids. If anybody else has seen the same side effects in their child please let me know, thanks! | F | 6 | 30 days | 11/30/2007 | 4 | asthma/allergies | My daughter was diagnosed with Asthma last year after years of carrying and inhaler and running to the ER. We actually felt relief at being able to prevent her attacks. The doctor has her own predisone and singulair. We haven't noticed any real side affects and it dose seem to help keep her allergies in check which can trigger major attacks for her. After reading here though I am wondering if it s what causes her to lack of focus. am upset about learning it has aspertame in it as my husband and other children are allergic to it and we avoid it and other false sweeteners so we do not have attack from it. Our insurance recently wanted to not pay for this medicine, which we fought to get back, now I wonder if these were not the reason. | I will be talking to my doctor,who is wonderful, about this medicines. | F | 6 | 1 years | 3/25/2009 | 4 | night time cough,seasonal allergies | none that i can specifically link to the drug | my 6 yr old has been taking this for 3 yrs now. the first 2 yrs only during allergy season & for the past year, through out the year. it works wonderfully, but on reading about all the side effects, i wonder if her occasional complaints of leg pain and nightmares have anything to do with it. i am considering stopping this and seeing if there are any visible behavioral and physical changes. | F | 6 | 3 years | 9/15/2006 | 3 | Asthma and Allergies | Severe headeaches at times, bad nightmares | My 6 yr. old daughter has been taking this for 2 1/2 years now and I have mentioned the headaches to the doctor and asked him about Singulair and he said it probably will get better, and to keep her on it. She still has headaches at times and bad nightmares. My 5 year old son was prescribed this 4 days ago and has broke out in hives, so now I think I will take them both off of it and see how they do. Thank you all for your information. | F | 6 | 2.5 years | 1/8/2007 | 3 | asthma and allergies | Bad headaches, bad nightmares, and crys about things all the time | Singulair may be helping her asthma and allergies some, but I don't think these side effects are worth it. | F | 6 | 3 years | 1/8/2007 | 3 | asthma | anger, hallucinations, illusions, paranoia | My 6 year old nephew was prescribed this drug to take for 1.5 weeks. He has completed the course for about 1 week now. His behaviour is very concerning, as he is rude and very aggressive and says hateful things. He is also very afraid of sleeping alone, and complains of having nightmares every night of monsters chasing him. Tonight he was crying and holding himself on the floor, saying he felt bugs biting him. There were no bugs or any bites. He also became very afraid of moths, claiming that they were coming to bite him. I am not sure if this is due to Singulair as he has been off of it for about 1 week, but thought to mention my experience. | M | 6 | 1.5 weeks | 6/25/2008 | 2 | son - asthma | very aggressive behaviour, violent tantrums, screaming, night terrors, unreasonable, argumentative, drowsy | It did control his asthma attacks but since we started it in October 2007, our sweet and humourous little boy turned into a monster. He screams for no reason, refuses to wake up and get ready for school in the mornings, argues all the time, gets into a rage over the smallest of things, hates leaving the house and is always upset. I kept wondering what changed in the last year - and then I remembered that that is when we put him on Singulair. I have been researching it on the internet and I found this and other similar reviews from other parents. I will take him off the drug TONIGHT. I hope I get my sweet boy back. | M | 6 | 1 years | 12/8/2008 | 2 | allergies, acute asthma, croup | Coughing, post nasal drip, constant runny nose | My son was put on singular for asthma and allergies. While on singular, all he did was cough. There were times when he would goto bed and cough for 2 1/2 hrs. before falling asleep. Sometimes this would develop into croup, which required a nebulizer! Now he is off the singular and has NOT coughed in three weeks. My 3 1/2 yr. old son was on it too for the same reasons and had horrible mood swings. He is NO longer on singular either! | M | 6 | 2 years | 10/17/2007 | 2 | Asthma/Allergies | My six year old daughter has been on and off this medicine for the past 4 years, in this time I have noticed her calm pleasant demenor go to something I have never seen. Just recently she seems to be doing awful in school, not wanting to do her work, hitting others for no reason, and lashing out as it she hates the world. I have stopped this medication and will consult with her allergist. My hopes are that while quitting this will bring back my sweet girl, other parents can find another alternative to this medicine before having to find out the hard way the affects it can have on a child. | F | 6 | 4 years | 10/29/2008 | 2 | Asthma | I have thought this is a wonder drug for the past 2 years, but just found this site and realized that the side effects listed have been happening to my son. Over the past two years he has not been able to concentrate and listen very well, has had episodes of mood swings, an itchy penis, dry skin. He seemed to be growing out of these things, so I thought it was a maturity issue, but the Dr. just increased his dose and it all the side effects came back in full force. I took him off of it for 5 days and noticed all the side effects went away. Use caution and test this medicine. | M | 6 | 2 years | 10/5/2006 | 2 | asthma | Our six year old daughter started taking singulair (pediatric dose, of course) last monday and subsequently for another 3 nights. First night, "bad dream", her words, followed by a night spent coughing. Second night nightmares with more coughing. Third night nightmares and what I would only call hallucinations where she woke up and held her hands apart about two feet and clearly stated over and over again that she could not hold "the thing" while getting more and more frustrated and crying. Fell asleep finally only to wake up a few hours later with the worse coughing fit ever that lasted well over 1 hour and was repeated several times that night. Same thing on the fourth night. Enough! Talked to my pharmacist who suggested that I stop giving her Singulair and just continue with her regular asthma medicine, which is what I did. Next appointment with the asthma specialist is in September. I'll keep reading everyone's comments to see if I will start her on it ag | F | 6 | 4 days | 5/8/2007 | 2 | Allergies/possible Asthma | Severe Rash outbreak, and excessive weight gain, retention of water, and lack of motivation, with slight aggression, skin tone pale | I am distrubed that children a being prescriped this medication to help them adapt to envirnmental changes, or "possible" asthma. The side effects to this medication are not worth the gain. My son is starting to come back to his normal self, he gained over 25 pounds, but I am still looking at alternatives to help him get throught his outdoor allergies. | M | 6 | 15 months | 11/14/2007 | 1 | Seasonal Allergies | My 6 year old daughter took Singulair for seasonal allergies. It helped. However, she had bouts of crying and seemed depressed. She also seemed obsessed with "gloomy" thoughts about death and dying. She also complained about "stomacheaches" and seemed to lose interest in school. Additionally, she seemed to "freak herself out" by looking over her shoulder in the evenings as if something or someone were scaring her. | Overall, this medication helped with seasonal allergies. I assume it works for asthma as well. After reading the posts on this website, I stopped the medication. I feel guilty for not knowing about the other "severe" side effects this medication can cause. However, there are no warnings given when this drug is prescribed. The makers of this medication should be strung up by their "you know whats". | F | 6 | 30 days | 10/26/2006 | 1 | mild asthma / allergies | irritability, anxiety, poor appetite, muscle soreness, nightmares, hallucinations, quick to tears, restlessness, dilated pupils, bruising, behavior problems in school | BEWARE of this drug in children. Symptoms of side effects are not always obvious. This drug caused harm to my child physically and emotionally for 3 years. Merck should be forced to make parents and physicians more aware of the side effects and the rate of occurence. After discontinuation, it took 2 weeks to see the dramatic improvements. | M | 6 | 3 years | 4/21/2007 | 1 | childhood asthma | My son took singulair once a day and also receives injections to prevent allergy related asthma attacks. Over a year after taking this medicine my first grader told me that he was sad sometimes and he didn't know why. He said that he had been feeling sad off and on since kindergarten--this is when he had his first attack and started medication. Also my son would wake up crying at night or even whimper in his sleep but I thought that it was just nightmares. After stopping the singular two weeks ago, my son immediately felt better and stopped crying at night. What makes these side effects so terrifying is that it is happening in young children who sometimes have difficulty expressing their feelings or even identifying their emotions. It breaks my heart that my son suffered with bouts of sadness for over a year without me knowing it. If your child must be on singular please be sure to communicate with them to make sure that they are not suffering from short periods of depression. | Be very cautious. I was unable to find any information on the drug company's website regarding depression. My son's specialist said that she had not heard of this and also that she was unaware of any medical studies regarding night crying and depression in children while on this drug. This website was my only resource and it has helped my son's quality of life. | M | 6 | 1.5 years | 3/8/2007 | 1 | 6 year old for asthma/allergies | Night terrors. Wakes up 40 minutes after going to sleep and screams. Inconsolable for 10-20 minutes. Irritable, cannot concentrate. Everything seems to be more difficult for him. Major change of personality. | Singulair should not be prescribed for children under 10. It seems that its side effects have a greater propensity to effect children than adults. I have read every posting here and I have highlighted every one of the entries for children under 10. Night terrors, insomnia, irratic behavior of every type, change of personality and lack of bowel control are mentioned in every entry. How can doctors prescribe this to children? Anyone reading this, please tell your doctor about this. FDA and Merck will not do anything. The most immediate point of control is the doctor. If they fail to warn and there is damage to your child, your legal remedy at first is the doctor. Because of federal law preemption, Merck has some protection....at first. Best thing to do is contact your doctor immediately. I am thinking of a suit against Merck. Sometimes being a lawyer is a very very good thing. | M | 6 | 4 weeks | 11/25/2007 |
| Key to
ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
