Comments on: FDA Acknowledges Neuropsychiatric Side Effects of Singulair

By: Susan Taylor

Susan Taylor — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:30:50 +0000

I too have been experiencing many of the same symptoms with my 10 year old son using singulair. I can’t express enough the emotions going through me as I’m reading all the posts on-line by parents with similar experiences. My son has been on singulair for years. I’ll be checking with his allergist and pediatrician to determine exactly how long it’s been. Anger, depression, crying, trouble sleeping, outbursts, major behavioral issues. I’ve spoken with his two doctors and a therapist. I did stop giving him the medication several month’s ago, his symptoms got even worse so I put him back on. It seemed to me he was going through a withdrawal. I spoke to his doctor who dismissed it with a “huh.” Nice. She just said I could try taking him off of it again. My fear now is: are the withdrawals real and what can I do about that? Also, how much damage has been done? I’m just so sick about this. It’s been so traumatic.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 01:24:04 +0000

My son started Singulair for extreme allergies which always triggered winter asthma. The Singulair worked like a charm and he was on it for quite a while. Last year he started having severe full-on panic attacks at 8 yrs. old. Most were associated with school but this was place where he had never been anxious before. It was so severe, we placed him in therapy and had to remove him from school and home tutor for part of the year. Eventually, we placed him on Zoloft and worked to integrate him back into all his social activities. We had taken him off all of his medications when it started at the recommendation of our pediatrician. After a year of normalcy, we put him back on the Singulair for allergies. We immediately saw the panic and emotional reactions begin again. Only on the drug for 2-3 weeks, we took him off thinking there might be a link. He was his normal self again within a week or so of going off the medication. We still deal with the anxiety now which I feel is now a lingering effect of the medication. I feel like once your brain has experienced a panic attack, it is hard to retrain it not to react that way. I am so upset at the thought that the medication may have caused this in my son and that we can do nothing now to reverse it.

By: Renata

Renata — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:00:57 +0000

I just found out this weekend about all the dangerous side effects of Singulair and I am desperate!!!
My daughter was prescribed singulair by her doctor for being constantly sick allergy/sinus/asthma and took it for 3 months last year, she changed her behavior dramatically and I couldn’t put my finger on it, thought it was terrible 2s, I was having a baby, my sweet little girl went from being a happy camper to a maniac…crying, hyperactive, tantrums, not sleeping, etc…I took her to so many doctors and couldn’t accept that until the doctor prescribed again and as I gave to her 7 months later, she was much better ( she was of for 7 months ) I thought she was out growing…I gave it again and 3 days later boom, I have another child at home. I cannot believe there is a drug out there doing all this to children and families and the FDA allows it. I read 722 complaints of parents all with pretty much the same symptoms, all devastated like me. This has to stop!

By: tammy

tammy — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:12:44 +0000

Thanks for getting the word about regarding the Parents for Safety website http://www.parentsforsafety.org/17601/10794.html

I think many of us are seeing many side effects subsided very quickly after going off of Singulair. A year later, my son is still experiencing aggression when overhwelmed socially. I have no idea if this is connected to Singulair and there is no way to prove it one way or the other. But many other parents are finding 1) they get their sweet kids back after years of aggressive, inflexible behavior very quickly after coming off of Singulair. 2) they often see some lingering side effects that aren’t nearly as bad as they once were but still cause problems at school, home, with friends, etc related to anxiety, aggression and the like 3) many or most of these symptoms are similar to many other pathologies, disorders like AD/HD, Aspergers, Anxiety, Depression, etc. There’s no way to know whether it’s one of those or long-term side effects from Singulair, and once the symptoms present and stay, what other choices are there. There’s no research, no proof. It’s maddening this is such a frequently prescribed med to our young children!