Get Informed: Singulair
Active Ingredient(s)
Montelukast
What does it do?
This product is primarily used for the treatment of asthma and allergic rhinitis. It works by blocking leukotrienes - important chemicals that are believed to trigger airway constriction and inflammation.
- Last Text Update:
- 2010-Mar-21 9:10 AM
- Last Data Update:
- 2010-Mar-20 9:02 PM
Other Names
- Singulair
- Montelukast
How Safe Is It?
- Your Risk Rating
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- Average Risk Rating
-
- Pregnancy Category:
- B
- Black Box Warning:
- No
Facts & Figures
- Date Approved
- 20 Feb 1998
- Est US Patients*
- 6,306,000
- Generic Available
- No
- OTC Available
- No
User Age Distribution*
< 21
21-39
40-59
60+
Age (Years)
* Estimated number of US people currently taking Singulair or its active ingredient based on population adjusted patient numbers registered with iGuard.org.
Recent alerts for Singulair
Singulair Safety Report
Learn more about iGuard's risk ratings
- Please login or register (it's free) so iGuard can check how Singulair interacts with other drugs and diseases in your profile.
What is Singulair used for?
iGuard is currently tracking more than 42,000 patients that use Singulair (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)). Use the table below to learn why iGuard users take this product; click on any underlined condition to get information on other medications used for treatment.
| Disease / Condition | % | Average Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Asthma | 75% | 
|
| Allergies | 55% | 
|
| Nasal/Sinus Congestion | 25% |
|
| COPD | 7% |
|
| Other | 1% |
|
How well does Singulair work?
iGuard regularly polls our more than 42,000 users taking Singulair (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medications (TSQM) . This feedback is continuously updated in tables below for the benefit of the iGuard community. To request scores for specific patient subgroups, please contact research@iguard.org.
Average Satisfaction Score
(out of 10)
Average Effectiveness Score
(out of 10)
- 82%
- of patients are confident that the good things about Singulair outweigh the bad things.
- 12%
- of patients wish they were told more before they started taking Singulair.
Common Side Effects of Singulair
iGuard regularly polls our more than 42,000 users taking Singulair (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) to monitor the development and frequency of side-effects. This feedback is continuously updated in tables and graphs below for the benefit of the iGuard community.
15% of patients experience side-effects on Singulair
1% of patients experience signifcant side-effects on Singulair
Most Common Side Effects...
-
Mood/Behavior Changes
-
= 10%
Less than 1%: Abdo Pain/Cramps, Drowsiness, Dryness, Eye Irritation, Grogginess/Confusion, Increased Infections, Insomnia, Tinnitus, Tremor, Vision Changes, Vivid Dreams
Global Patient Feedback for Singulair (Montelukast) ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
I love my Singulair. I was taking Claritin before and moved to Singulair a few years back. It's worked wonders for me and I haven't had any side effects that I have noticed. My asthmas was allergy induced and this helps control my allergies more than anything else. I do tend to stop taking it in the winter and then pick it back up in the early spring. My allergies are primarily with everything environmental, so I save some money this way.
27 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-02-02 23:55:36
Question/Comment:
horrible horrible WEIGHT GAIN!!!! i thought it was my advair but it was the singulair! i've gained 50 lbs in ONE YEAR. i've also experienced the other side effects discussed here, lack of energy. i mean extreme lack of energy, irritability... etc.
31 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2009-10-20 14:00:36
Answer/Reply:
Get back to your doc ASAP. That much weight gain, in addition to the other syptoms you've listed, indicate you are either being improperly medicated OR there is another underlying condition.
57 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2009-12-07 08:10:52
Answer/Reply:
you were correct! improperly medicated ...... how fun. Quitting Singulair was not pleasant either but after a few days i started feeling much better! i lost 6 lbs the first week. my mood improved and i am less irritable. my chest pain went away and so did my extreme fatigue. Now i'm just on allegra and my doctors are doubting that i even have asthma, just severe allergies. being misdiagnosed is not fun :( in hindsight i should have done more research on side effects of drugs myself before just listening to the doctor's and taking them.
31 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2009-12-07 09:25:38
Question/Comment:
I have been taking Singular for several years and am surprised to read some of the terrible reactions that people have had. It has worked fabulously for me! I do have insomnia (did before taking medication) so I take it in the morning. If I stop taking Singular my allergies and asthma come back with a vengeance! I love Singular, couldn't live (well) without it!
30 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2009-09-22 09:31:06
Question/Comment:
My doctor (PCP) gave me many months supplies of Singulair 10mg samples and 2-written Rx's of 6-refills each, instructing me to drink 1-tablet per day before bedtime. This is the 1st time ever taking Singulair for Asthma & Allergies (rhinitis), to suppress the excess production of mucus which runs down the throat which later can enter the chest - lungs. I started taking this Medication 03/2009 which did help suppress (minimize) the production of mucus clearing the mucus streaming down my throat which caused cough and scratchie throat, but at a high price. Withing the same week I initiated the Singulair I began to experience, uncontrolled anxiety, feelings of loss-of-control, insomnia, depression, no desire - motivation - energy to do anything, constant thoughts of wanting to die, and feeling highly emotinal, it even reopened painful traumatic events from my past which had already been resolved and put to rest. As I continued taking Singulair daily the symptoms worsened becoming more obvious since it was the only new medication I was taking & nothing had happened in my life to trigger such unexpected series of reactions. From my observation and personal experience Singulair (Montelukast Sodium) not only helps suppress the mucus, but it also supresses the "Endorphins" (which our brain-body produce) completely causing a chemical imbalance which causes neurological problems. I stopped taking the Singulair 1-week ago & I'm going through severe withdrawals and my Endorphins are still not completely back to normal (~50% better) but I have improved partly starting to feel better each day that passes as the withdrawals lessened and my body begins to detoxify from this unnatural chemical, and begins to produce it's natural endorphins which help us feel motivated, happy and balanced chemically. My adivice to anyone taking this medication is to monitor any possible changes in their behavior because this can sneak through gradually & easily be unnoticed, as it happened with me. Good thing that there are medications that are safe, including alternative healing methods such as: meditation in the sun - hypnosis - accupressure - & hermal remedies.
35 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2009-09-12 17:37:02
Question/Comment:
I have been taking singulair for several years now, and my blood pressure is great, almost borderline low, (even considering I'm overweight) My initial reaction to the drug was more extreme insomnia, so I take the drug in the a.m. instead of in the evening, as I have already been suffering from insomnia for over 30 years. I am a fan of taking singulair, it may not be for everyone, however it is definately for me, my asthma and allergies are more under control since taking this drug than they have EVER been. And I was diagnosed at the young age of 4 and am currently 47. Thanks for letting me voice my personal opinion.
48 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2009-08-07 22:14:43
Answer/Reply:
I was put on singular but it made me so sleepy I couldn't wake up and I took it at night,
55 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2009-08-29 02:43:46
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Patient Comments about
Singulair