News about Singulair

ElaineP

ElaineP

Cathlete
OMG!

My son has taken this med for 8 years.
We have noticed his severe mood swings, his lack of interest.
We had him tested for ADD,ADHD. We had him in group therapy for a short time. Just recently he's been discussing suicie with his friends. He gets very depressed.

I just can not believe we were told this drug has no side effects:eek:

He was a very outgoing and happy child. A very easy going baby. We started to accept this behavior because he was a teenager. Now we are second guessing ourselves.

We are taking him off this med. and pray his asthma stays in check.

If you or anyone you know are taking Singulair have you noticed any of these side effects?


Thanks for listening,
Elaine
 
I take Singulair every day during allergy season, have used it for a couple of years, and haven't had any problems with it except for sometimes overly dried out sinuses. I was really shocked by the news reports, but honestly I have had no problems with it.

~ Ann ~
Aim for nothing, and you'll hit it every time!
 
Hi Elaine,

I just heard about this this morning. My eight year old son has taken it for probably 6 years. I can tell you he did not get his dose this morning and I will be discontuing Singular for him. I have not noticed any side effects, but 8 yrs old is pretty young for some of the side effects that were mentioned. But no more for him. I feel it is not worth it. Like you I hope that the asthma does not worsen with out it.

I am sorry to hear about the challenges you are having. Maybe this explains some of it. Good for you for staying in tune with your teenager. You will be in my thoughts. please don't feel that you have to second guess yourself. With the information about Singular that was out you had no reason for concern.


Sincerely,

Kara
 
Here is a link about side effects people have had and experienced while taking Singulair.

http://www.medications.com/se/singulair/suicide

I realize drugs act differently with different people.
The very first blog from today describes my son pretty well, and it was not writen by me or my husband. Pretty scary!

We started seeing most of the effects this past year, when he turned 13. He has always been moody.

Thanks for your kind words Kara.

Elaine
 
Thanks so much for posting about this. My son has been on this medication for a few months and he is 5 years old. I am going to talk to my husband when he gets home about whether we should stop him taking this or just watch him closely for any warning signs. I would have never known about this if you didn't post this. I need to start watching the news. Thanks again!!!
 
All drugs have side effects. One that might be great for me might not be great for you and maybe one opts to take a drug because the benefits outweigh the perhaps unpleasant side effects. It is the duty of every patient (or their families) to research any drug they are about to take and decide accordingly. Often times, side effects are rare and it is up to the patient to decide if it worth the risk. Ask your doctors, talk with your pharmacist, ask a consumer health librarian at your local public library for help on finding information. Be an informed consumer, as much you possibly can.
 
Yes Beavs I do agree with you. But if certain side effects are not publically known, then that leaves the patient,family in the dark.
I think in this case some side effects where not known. The increse use has produced more data.

I know for myself and family I will research a med before taking or giving to my chidren.
 
Our dermatologist wanted to put my son age 3 on this medication. I got the package insert which is a lot of medical mumbo jumbo, BUT listed all of the know side effects and percentages, etc. You should be able to get this information from the company website or your pharmacist. I did not put my son on this medication because I thought his symptoms were not worth the risks of the med at his young age. As a nurse I am telling you I don't take any medication nor does my family unless I read that insert first. That way I know all possible side effects I could and should look for no matter how small. After reading the insert you will probably wonder why the heck you wanted to take in the first place!
But let me also say I am not 100% sure the drug companies report everything like they are supposed to (please don't flame me too much).
 
No flames here--it's a different story when side effects are not reported. It is important to ask questions and make sure all of your doctors are on the page. I've learned this when coordinating my mother's care between a slew of doctors (one would prescribe something the other would tell her absolutely do not take!). If you're not a nurse and don't understand the package inserts you need to ask your pharmacist (I have found they know much more about the drugs than the docs).


What does worry me is that people will look to get on the lawsuit bandwagon which could prevent drugs from coming to market that would save lives or drastically improve them.
 
Beavs,
Totally agree about asking your pharmacist. My DH has them on speed dial because that is what they do, especially for dosages.
Good for you for coordinating your mom's care. Nothing makes me happier when a patient comes in with a responsible(and I am just assuming here Beavs!hehe) adult child to help them with all of the healthcare decisions. It just better for the patient all around.
 
Yes a great idea to contact your pharmacist about the drug and to read the package insert. In the case of singulair the package insert was not updated until Nov. 2007 and many Dr.s and Pharmacist were not given the updated info.

I just had my son's med refilled a week ago and no where on the pharmacy info sheet does it state suicide as a side effect.

Beware not all the info is available or updated.
 
>Yes a great idea to contact your pharmacist about the drug
>and to read the package insert. In the case of singulair the
>package insert was not updated until Nov. 2007 and many Dr.s
>and Pharmacist were not given the updated info.
>
>I just had my son's med refilled a week ago and no where on
>the pharmacy info sheet does it state suicide as a side
>effect.
>
>Beware not all the info is available or updated.

I really need to say something here.

Suicide is not necessarily a side effect of Singulair. In the past six months there have been 3 or 4 cases of a suicide in which the person was also taking Singulair. That is all that is known.

The FDA requires the drug company(Merck) to disclose any POSSIBLE side effects. So, for example, if you take Singulair and then start having acid reflux, Merck would be required to report that too. It doesn't mean that you are getting acid reflux from the Singulair.

At this point it seems that a fair amount of people are drawing awfully big conclusions. Those 3 or 4 people who committed suicide could have done that because of a vast number of reasons that have nothing to do with Singulair.

The only thing that is known is that these 3 or 4 people were taking Singulair and committed suicide. There is no established link at this time. Hence, the FDA's request for more studies.

I can understand anyone's concerns but stopping asthma medicines without first speaking to your doctor can have very dangerous effects, ie., you can die from an asthma attack.

I urge everyone to not jump to conclusions and speak to your doctor about concerns. FWIW, the Singulair package insert has been updated 4 times in the past year. All new side effects/info for Singulair(and all drugs) is available and it is your doctor's responsibility to obtain and know that information. None of the newly listed side effects of Singulair(nervousness, anxiety, etc.) has been kept a secret from anyone.
 
My husband and I decided we would keep our son on Singulair until there is more information and studies done. We will talk to his doctor since he has an appointment coming up soon to update all his precriptions so we will talk to the doctor to see where to go. He is on a lot of meds and hasn't had any bad side effects so we will just keep a watch on him. I know that antidepressants can cause suicidal thoughts in adolescents and are fine in adults. I guess every medicine works differently for everyone and as parents we just have to really keep a close eye on our kids. Thanks again for all the information though. I wouldn't have even known about any of this had it not been for this forum. That is why I love this forum because I learn so much on here!!!
 
Pippia-
I see your point as well. I guess my point was that if you are going to take any medication then you better be sure you know as much as humanly possible about that drug, and weight the risk/benefit carefully. In my experience they only way you will know for sure all the contraindications, side effects, etc. is to read the drug insert. I take Nexium, I will take it for 3 more months for multiple stomach ulcers and GERD. I read every last bit of info on this drug, spoke to a drug rep (at DH office) that brought us samples and a pharmacist. I decided to take it because my suffering and lack of eating, enjoying life and being able to take care of my family totally outweighed side effects listed for Nexium.
I do also hope that drug companies report as they are supposed to , but I don't know much about that part of the FDA. I sincerely hope singulair does not cause suicidial thoughts because alot of people have been helped by taking it.
My last question is for the "is available and it is your dr's responsiblility to obtain and know that information". Are you talking about the drug samples at the office? Because by law it is your pharmacy that is responsible for the drug information, not the physician. The physician, however should have a prudent knowledge of all medication prescribed. I know that when DH prescibes something new that he doesn't have samples of he usually tells the patient the maker of the drug so the patient can get more info if wanted on the website. The great thing about samples is that they do come with the drug insert so you can read all about it!
 
Hi Mikkia--

1. I completely agree about reading the inserts and I agree that the patient has to take responsibility for this. I'm not sure if I said something to make you think that I thought otherwise but I do agree completely. My point about not discontinuing asthma meds was the same point you are making about Nexium. The benefit of those drugs far outweighs(for the most part) the risks(asthma attacks.)

2. Drug companies are required to disclose all side effects that are even mentioned in passing to them. Just as I stated in my example, if you are taking DRUG X and have two nights of insomnia and tell your doctor he is OBLIGATED to tell the drug company and they must then report to the FDA. The way we can all know that this process works is by the subject we are discussing in this thread. The reason we all know about the possible relationship between Singulair and suicidal thoughts is because MERCK reported this information to the FDA.

3. Drug companies give out far more than just samples. They make all information readily available to physicians(and not by just asking them to read the insert.) Plus, drug reps are certainly available to answer any and all questions about their drugs. A drug like Singulair is often prescribed by a specialist so, therefore, the number of drugs that they need to be familiar with is smaller than say, a GP/internist. Specialists often prescribe the same drug over and over, therefore become quite familiar with it's makeup, side effects, contraindications, etc. Doctors have an obligation and responsibility to be educated about the drugs they are prescribing. If I had a doctor who could not tell me the side effects, etc. of any drug that he/she were prescribing and instructed me to read the insert, etc. I would certainly be looking for another doctor.

As an asthma sufferer myself, but not a Singulair user, I feel 100% confident that if I were to ask my doctor about the possible side effects of Singulair he would certainly know. And, as I said before, I do certainly think it is the patients responsibility to ask questions, read the insert, research on the internet, etc.

My overall point though was that, as of this time, suicide is NOT a possible side effect of Singulair. All we know is that 3/4 people who have committed suicide have also been Singulair users. Those 3/4 people could also have been on other meds, have suffered personal tragedies, had psychological imbalances that were undiagnosed, etc. It is completely and thoroughly premature for anyone to think that there is a direct, causal link between Singulair and suicide.
 
Pippia,
do you work in the industry? its always nice to chat with someone that is knowledgable! We are so lucky on this forum to have so many smart people.
I have to be honest(and I don't mean to hijack here at all), up until my son needed some help with allergies I never had taken any type of prescription drug except the pill for a little while(and fyi that package insert will scare the s**t out of you). I never thought about how hard it must be to put your trust in your doctor to prescribe the right med, your pharmacy to fill the right med, the drug company to produce and monitor the med correctly and you the patient to take it on time and in the right amount. This is complicated and I don't think the general public takes it seriously enough.
And ElaineP-I sure hope all goes well with your son. I know it must be terrible to think that a drug that should be helping could be hurting in a whole different way. Praying for you.
 
I think it occurs more often in children than adults. I took it myself and had the freakiest dreams, and I don't need any help in that department as it is. Singulair made my weird dreams seem normal. I have read it can cause all sorts of issues. Also heard that Advair may not be safe for children so watch out for that one too. I have tried just about all of the medicines with no luck for me. Personally, I do not do well with medication - I can't even take children's dosages of most. Therefore, I stay off of asthma medicine except for my inhaler and I use that as needed. I certainly wish your son all the best. Has he tried Allegra? That is only an allergy medicine, but maybe it could help with the asthma by keeping the allergies under control. I can take that one, but not allegra-d. There are some natural remedies out there. When mine is bad, I use a steam thing that I put over my face and breathe for a while and I find that cold rooms help too. You've probably tried all of this, but wanted to mention it anyway in case these are things you may consider trying again. I also watch what I eat and drink too - some things bother me. Things I have not tried but have read about - herbs, acupuncture, etc.
 
Wow. Lots of good discussion here. That is great!

First of all, as a pharmacist I welcome ?s from my patients.I won't be able to answer every question, but I have access to many books and resources that will allow me to get answers. When a drug has specific risks, it is my responsibility to get the information to my patients, so that THEY can make the right decision for themselves or their families.

Ideally, the prescriber would have access to this information, and pass it onto the patient. Realistically, this doesn't always happen. And, if it did happen, my job as a pharmacist is to re-iterate the information to the consumer (patient). We are the final step in the medication process (unless a nurse is administering)...this is a safety feature, for you, the consumer.

Also, if you notice a side effect, that your pharmacist does not see in the product insert from manufactuer, she/he can submit a MedWatch report to FDA concerning that questionable side effect. This is how post-marketing side effects come out. When in the research portion of the drug, it may have been exposed to 5-10,000 patients. Well, when it is approved it is the potiential of being dispensed to 500,000+ patients depending on the population afflicting by that condition. THIS is when many side effects begin to portray itself.

Anywho, your pharmacist is there for you. They will do anything in their power to help you through whatever ? you may have. If your pharmacist seems annoyed or bothered with your ?s, it's time to move to anothter pharmacy,...such as an independently family owned pharmacy. Okay....now I"m gonna get eggs thrown at me.... :D :D

~Melanie~

Jadon born 11/23/05
Justin born 1/17/04
Jory born 4/9/94
 
Hi Melanie! I have to say that I have had really good luck with pharmacists in all different types of places. Our walgreens pharmacist here in town is one of the nicest and smartest people I know. I can call her about any drug and she can rattle the info off the top of her head. That is very good info to put out there about MEDWatch, I completely forgot about it. Do you work in a hospital or retail pharmacy?
 
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