Singulair - Midland, TX

My son is 10 and has been taking singulair for asthma and allergies since he was 6. I never noticed any side effects. If his asthma symtoms are controlled, I take him off of it during the summers when there are not so many allergens in the air to bother him.

I use singulair and I like it. I use it with zyrtec. The only sideeffects I've had were the dry nose. But using vaseline on a qtip works great to fight that.

My son (also 4)is on it and it has helped tremendously!! I too had heard about all that stuff in the news and asked my pediatrician. They would not be prescibing it if any of that had been proven. I too take it and have for a long time and have not had any side effects. Trust your doctor if not change and get a second opintion.

My daughter was on singulair and she had no side effects, her Ped. put her on it to help with her seasonal asthma, honestly I did not see and difference in mood swings or anything, she was on 5 mgs. Hope this helps!

My daughter, who is also 4 and asthmatic, is on Singulair 6 months out of the year. Her asthma is also allergy and exercise induced. Her Dr. put her on it during the times that she is most affected by her allergies. Before the Singulair, she had two massive asthma attacks. Since the Singulair, she has had none. I have seen absolutely no side effects and feel that the medicine has helped her tremendously during the season. She isn't on Albuterol anymore, but Xopenex instead. She has hardly used the Xopenex since she started taking Singulair. Hope this helps.

Personally, I love Singulair - we've used it for my kids season allergies for a few years and it clears them up great. It needs to be taken at night and I have been told that it can cause bad dreams but for me, that was a price we're willing to pay for the work it does. Good luck in your decision.

My daughter was quite young when it was prescribed after she got her tubes. She had TERRIBLE mood swings and started having night terrors. I decided that the perpetually runny nose was better than putting her through that roller coaster ride. Interestingly enough, after a few months her symptoms let up and she has been quite healthy. I am vigilant with an immune support herb preparation and floradix children's vitamins.

Every kid is going to react differently to medications. Give it a try but if you notice adverse side effects...don't let your doctor talk you into thinking you are imagining things. Get a second opinion.

Hello T.;

O.K. I had really bad asthma until I was in the 7th grade!
Doctors told my mother the only thing she could do was to
move me to Arizona!! That I could never play ball or do any really strenous excerise!
This one doctor that told her that took an X-ray of my
back and after studing that he came up with the Arizona
suggestion!
Well, Mom took the X-ray from him and on the way home she
saw a Chiropracters sign,did a U-turn and we went into the
office! He studied the X-ray and then started treatments
on me, after two months of treatments, three times a week for 3 weeks, twice a week for 3 weeks and then once a week
for two weeks, I started the 7th grade and tackle football.
I played football, ran track, played basketball all the way
thru the Army! Never having one single asthma attack!
I would like to give you an example, when your son is having
an attack, take two fingers and start at the top of his
spine and slowly run them down his spine, you will hit a
sore spot and he will say ouch! Or something that shows you
that you have hit a tender spot!
I'm not prescribing, I'm just relaying my own history to you!
Good Luck
B. C.

My son has been on singulair for 1 and half years he is 3. there have been no side effects. At first he was a little tired which alot of meds cause and given a few days he grew out of that. Everybody is different and you can not base your child off of anyone eles experience. The best you can do is give it to him and after 7 days if he is acting overly tired or what ever eles then worry about side effects. Dr's go to school and have a continued education in these products all you have to do is discuss yo0ur concerns if you find there to be a problem according to your childs behavior. Trust your Dr until given a reason not to! Sometimes internet can steer you in the wrong direction and at other times it can be helpful!

My kids (11 and 6) have been on it for years, it has been a great help with no side effects at all for them

My brother, now 19, as suffered with asthma for as long as I can remember. I called him day before yesterday to ask him if he took Singular because of the exact reasons you have concern. Fortunately he has only taken it a few times and I told him NEVER to take it again.

IMO, your quote "The side effects that really concern me are mood changes, depression, nightmares, and suicidal thoughts." is way more potential problem that I would want my 4 year old to go through. Consider researching natural remedies, chiropratic adjustment, removing carpet in your home, rehoming any pets, etc BEFORE putting your baby on pharmasuticals. I know the drug companies say their products/drugs are safe, but consider what they have to loose if they tell you they are not safe...

I would NOT put any of my 3 on Singular.

God bless!

T.,

I DO NOT like singulair. My son was on it when he was 4. He was on it for a few months. I noticed a few mood changes along with a few other bodily changes. He lost control of his BM's and everything. I took him back to the Dr. but he said that it couldn't of been the singulair. It was only while he was on the singulair that this was happening. It went on for about two weeks. I was up for 12 hours straight trying to find anything on this med that I could. I did find a website of blogs in regards to singulair and a lot of people went through the same thing. I decided to take him off of it and low and behold, a week later he was fine. Hasn't had an accident since. I do believe I've posted on here before about it asking opinions of other mom's on the situation. If I find the link I posted about the web site I'll send you a private message with it! :)

My almost 4 yo nephew has been taking it for about 2 years with none of those side effects. I would say give it a try, and if you notice changes in his behavior/mood, then you can always take him off of it.

My son was on breathing treatments for years. He is 8 now. He was also using Singulair. I hated the amount of meds was on. I took him for 2nd and 3rd opinions and come to find out after all those years of albuterol and saline treatments he NEVER had asthma. He is what is now being labeled as a "wheezer." So I would be sure that the treatments are 100% necessary first. Now that he has come off of the treatments, he doens't even use allergy medicine. But to your original question about the affects of the singulair, he never exhibited any of the symtoms that you mentioned. I hope that helps and everything works out for you child.

My 16 month old is on abuterol, singulair, and pulmicort. I haven't noticed anything bad. He is finally able to breathe without wheezing. They will probably reduced some of his meds once it is under control. Also, try to reduce as many allergens from your home. (cats, carpet, no humidifier,) Also, she is old enough to have a allergy test done if you choose to. Don't let her play outside if it really windy. I think overall risk vs. benefit is ok. Kids die from asthma. I would be more worried what would happen if she wasn't on this medication than on. Good luck.

My son was on Singular for one week. He was moody, hyper and mouthy. He had the hardest time sleeping and he said his heart was beating really fast. Some kids I understand actually do really well on this drug. You just need to monitor him and see what you can live with or not. I chose to get off the meds and put my son on a soy diet. He was also 3. I don't like to excessively medicate my son.

My son is on singular and has been for years. His DR. took him off of it b/c of the possible side effectys of the meds after 2 tens up North committed suicide while on Singular.
It was later determined that these kids had problems and their Singular usage has nothing to do with their suicides and they probably were going to do it anyway.
MY son's Dr. put him back on Singular and he is fine.
If you choose you put your son on it , watch how he behaves and keep an eye on him.

My son has been on singular since he was 2 allergy induced asthma also he did have breathing treatments for a while but now just singular and zyrtec when the allergy season is really bad i have not had any problems with these side affects good luck J.

T.,
My son has been on it since he was 1yrs old, he is now 4 we have had no problems with the medication. Since he has been on it we have used the albuterol only once. We haven't had any side affects. Give it a try if it does'nt work for you at least you can say you tried it.
J.

My daughter has been on Singulair for 7+ years, and NEVER had any of those side effects.

Personally I think the albuterol will give more side effects. I have been on that on and off as needed for my asthma, as has my daughter. It will give a sorta tingly feeling all over, almost dissy like and can cause him to be hyper. The tingly feeling will go away after just a few minutes, but sadly the hyper seemed to stick around a little bit longer.

Anyhow, from our experiences you have nothing to worry about.

My son is five and has been taking Singulair for two years with no side effects at all. He takes a daily dose of 4mg and I usually give it to him in the evening. It doesn't keep him awake or anything.

A.

My oldest son had no problem on Singulair. My younger son had emotional problems, irritable and depressed. Both were around 10yrs when they took it. So, it kind of depends on the child. If you want to try it, go ahead, and just keep your eye out for side effects. Do not hesitate to take your son off of it if you see any.

For me, it gave me head-aches, and didn't help enough to make a difference.

Maybe just stick with the albuterol for now.

My son was diagnosed with asthma when he was about 15 months old. He was in and out of the hospital 5 times before his 5th birthday due to asthma and his stays were never less than 5 days. Shortly before he turned 5 he was put on Singulair. He is now 10 1/2 and he has done WONDERFULLY with it. He has only been hospitalized one time since and that was because he got the flu. Singulair has made a HUGE difference for him. I would suggest that you give it to your child at night as it can cause drowsiness. My son just takes his every night at bedtime. It really has been a blessing for him and he knows it makes a difference. We have had no side affects (other than the drowsiness) from this.

Our son did not experience any of these side effects. If he did, we did not even notice.

Hi Tammy,

try googling information on how using probiotics can alleviate symtoms of allergies/asthma naturally.

good luck,
L. b.

I've been taking it for about a year now to control my allergies. Best stuff I ever tried. As for side effects. While each person is different you have to remember that every drug has potential side effects. Including Tylenol. As for worrying about suicidal thoughts in a 4 year old, I think you will notice the other effects, if any, before you would need to worry about that one. In my experience it's a very mild drug and I never noticed any effects other than feeling better.

Good luck!
Jen
http://www.mommysjoy.com

Hello, my son and myself take singular. We have not had any problems and we both are very atlethic.

Hi T.,

You are a good mom for seeking out answers about asthma and for wanting to help your child. You sound like a very concerned parent that just wants the truth so that you can make the best decision for your child. I have asthma and my daughter has asthma so I hope my words of wisdom will be helpful to you. First and foremost, asthma is serious and you need to take it seriously and treat it. If treated, most children and adults can live very happy, normal lives.

First and foremost, I would suggest trying to find out what it is that is triggering your child's asthma. You mentioned allergens, but is it specifically induced by pets, dust, molds, pollens, foods, etc.? If you can find out what is triggering it, you can take steps to helping to eliminate the cause in his environment. Make sure you also have a good doctor that specializes in asthma so that your child can get regular pulmonary function tests. This will help to determine if he is making any progress or not.

Albuterol is great and can literally save a person's life, but it does absolutely nothing for long-term or preventative treatment.

The drug that helped me more than anything, though, was singulair. It took about a month for me to realize how much it helped, but for me, it was a wonder drug! My lung function went from around 40% to 85%. You expressed concern about the side effects. In my humble opinion, singulair is probably the ONLY drug I have ever taken that did NOT give me any negative side effects. The side effects you listed in your post have not been proven to be linked to singulair. In March of 2008, the FDA decided to review data that raised concerns about a possible link between singulair and suicide, after a couple of teenagers committed suicide. In January of 2009, the FDA announced they have yet to find any conclusive evidence of a link. I'm not saying he should or shouldn't take the drug, but I do think it's important for you to make an informed decision.

What you do NOT want to do (and I speak from experience) is blindly think that everything is just fine and not be informed on this subject. Children that grow up with asthma do not know what it is like to breathe normally. They can think they are fine and not have any visible signs of an asthma attack, but underneath the surface, they may have tons of inflammation that will eventually lead to scarring of the lungs (emphysema) if left untreated. At age 25, I found out I only had 40% of my lung function. My parents had great intentions, but they wanted to go with a more "natural" approach. I now get regular treatment and my lung function is better, but it will never be 100%. This is due to years of not getting proper treatment that led to the scarring.

Asthma should not change his life, but he is only 4 and is depending on you to help him. With proper help, he can be a "normal" kid and live a "normal" life, but you've got the help him get there! If it's not singulair, then find what works for him!

I hope this helps you and I wish you the best of luck!

My 3yo daughter and 7yo son both take Singulair. The 7yo has been taking Singulair since he was 2yo. We have had none of the side effects you listed. We have, however, seen a big improvement in the allergies.

Have you ever considered getting your son adjusted? Kids are real responsive to chiropractic and/or osteopathic care. Usually it only takes a couple of visits before you'll notice a HUGE difference... and it's ALL natural - no side effects or long term complications. Go to www.icpa4kids.org and you can have all your questions answered - and find a doctor near you. It probably can get him to the point where he needs less or NO meds at all!! What a great thing!

Hi T.,
My daughter was 2yrs old when she was given Singulair (she is now 7). Eventhough she tested negative for allergies then the Doctor still gave her Singulair. She would get frequent ear infections. She was averaging about two ear infections a month. I finally had enough took her to her Pediatrician and he stopped the medication. In my opinion it made her more harm than good.

Good luck,
E.

Hi T.,
my son was on this when he was about 2 1/2. At that time he seemed so sad and lethargic. He didn't do anything hardly but lay around- which we thought was so strange for such a young kid with no real problems that we could figure. I stay home with him, he is healthy, we are in a happy marriage. IF he would have gone to daycare for even one day I would have been convinced that someone had abused him in some way because that is how he acted to me. It was very sad.
We stopped giving him the Med. because his infections seemed to get a little better. About a year ago my mom called and told me that she read that singulair was giving kids suicidal thoughts and depression. I immediately started crying because it made perfect sense to me. He is so much happier and energetic and pleasent to be around. I don't know if that is what was causing it or not, but i would NEVER try this with him again.

Hi T.,
I am a health counselor specializing in women and family health.
I have my own business, kathleentisdale.com and can help you to cure your child's asthma through good nutrition.
As a mother of 4, no child needs to be taking all those medications at such a young age. Yes, you need to be concerned about the side effects for a young growing child.
Please check out my web sight and send me your information and I will give you a free session.
Good luck, K.

Hi there,

My husband and I have both taken singulair before.. me for allergies and him for asthma. Neither of us noticed any of the above side effects. It worked really well. A friend of mine was on it and needed to stop because it caused her to get thrush in her throat so watch out for that side effect too