Can Singulair Cause Depression?
On March 27 the FDA issued a safety alert regarding the asthma medication Singulair (montelukast). The alert was issued in order to inform healthcare professionals and patients about the agency's investigation into the possible link between Singulair use and depression and suicidality.
During clinical trials, depression was not reported as a side effect, however, drug makers are required to keep track of side effects reported to them after drugs go to market. During the past year, Merck & Co, Inc., which manufactures Singular, had received reports of tremor, depression, suicidality and anxiousness. In February of this year, Merck and the FDA began discussing how to disseminate this information to the public and the decision was made to interact face-to-face with prescribers and provide them with patient information leaflets to distribute.
The FDA is also working with Merck to review its study data as well as reviewing postmarketing reports. The FDA estimates that it will take about nine months to complete its investigation and the results will be released to the public once its review is complete.
At this time, it is not known whether there is a causal relationship between Singulair and depression and suicidality. Until further information is available, the FDA recommends that patients should not stop taking Singulair before discussing it with their doctor. It also recommends that healthcare professionals and caregivers should monitor patients taking Singulair for any suicidal thinking and behavior or changes in mood.
Singulair is a leukotriene receptor antagonist used to treat asthma and the symptoms of allergic rhinitis, and to prevent exercise-induced asthma.
The most up-to-date prescribing information for Singular can be found at http://www.singulair.com.
Have you experienced depression or suicidal feelings while using Singulair? Share your experiences below.
Comments
Yes, I have experienced depression. Kind of an “out of sorts” and “blue” feeling. I’ve been procrastinating and have very little energy or interest.
I’ve suffered from depression since I was a small child. During that time I’ve tried most meds with no lasting success. Suicide is not the answer, but somtimes feels very tempting. Surely there must be a med out there that works for someone like me. I’m begining to feel the black hole creep in again an I don’t like it. Help!
since being on singulair i have had severe mood swings. not my usual once in awhile up and down day. i find it harder to get depressed and negative thoughts out of my head. i am more negative! this was NEVER me! now i wonder is it due to taking singulair! i was on accolate before and decided to try singulair and had stuckk to it but now i think i will go back to accolate and see if my mood and thoughts change and i become the old happy Dot again!
mary, depressed thoughts r only temporary. suicide is permanent! never forget that! feelings never stay the same. don’t allow a feeling to control ur behavior! be strong. fight it. never allow the suicidal thought to stay in ur head. immediately replace the thought with a positive one and maybe think about seeing a good therapist. hang in there!
I have been using singulair for several years. I also have been diagnosed with panic disorder, agoraphobia and depression, this was about the same time as they diagnosed me with Asthma. Until this study came out it didn’t occur to me that Singulair had any part in my depression. I am still not convinced.
I have been taking Singulair since 1997. It has made a huge difference to my life-I can now lead a relatively normal existence nearly attack free, whereas before I wheezed all day, every day. I have been diagnosed with depression during the time I have been on it, but the depression was the result of my life situation and as far as I could tell Singulair had nothing to do with it. Life has gotten a lot better for me in the recent past, and I am still on Singulair, so I doubt there is a connection with the prior depression as if Singulair caused depression, I would still be depressed!
Mary, I will pray for you to hang in there. My wife is bipolar and I have been diagnosed with sever depression. I think I know how it feels to think you are starting to get depressed. Now is the time to take action and do something positive. Maybe you can head it off. Also I hope you are seeing a professional, trained therapist. Throw those thoughts of suicide out of your head. Life is precious and I am sure you are also. You may not believe in God, but while I pray, you will be in my thoughts. Hang in there. There are a lot of people out here who care.
I’ve been taking Singulair for around three years. Im interested to see the findings from the study. I am bipolar and wonder if this drug is making it worse.
I have not tried Singular, but have experienced severe depression when i used Nasonex. the first time i used it, i went into a deep downward spiral immediately.
i stopped using it and felt better immediately. i didn’t put two and two together until i used it again, and experienced the same symptoms. I do wrestle with depression and wonder if because i do it makes me more susceptable to this side effect.
Keep your chins up everyone, take each moment a moment at a time, and remember to breathe deeply. Prayer always helps, no matter who you pray to.
I have had depression for many years. I have taken Singulair for a bit over 3 years. When I get suicidal thinking, I have learned to talk it down. It’s part of my illness, but I don’t think Singulair causes the suicidal thinking. I have had such positive rsults with Singulair and the asthma I have had. Personally, I think asthma is an illness that often accompanies depression and anxiety, etc. It will take some real good investigating to figure out if suicide and Singulair are connected.
I have been taking Singulair for almost 2 years. I have NEVER had ANY tendencies to be depressed. I am TOO Blessed to be Depressed I would say! HOWEVER, since my taking singulair I have felt unlike I have EVER felt before….Fatigue, lonely, confused, and just NO will to get out of BED. I haven’t known if it was the problem until I quit taking it for a week n then started back…..A HUGE DIFFERENCE…..
My son took singulair from a very young age, he has now tappered off of it, He sometimes got depressed but that runs in our family so I never thought much about it. However, I have taken him to many specialists about the tremors he has expecially in his hands. Everyone including the neurologists say it has nothing to do with singulair and that he will either grow out of it or learn to live with it. Now after hearing the possible corrilation I am worried for him and for others. I will look further into this.
Tara, depression has no relationship to being blessed or feeling blessed. I have and appreciate many blessings in my life but still have depression. My brain chemistry is such that I have to work very hard at positive lifestyle habits to keep depression at bay and it still rears its ugly head at times.
I do take Singulair and if it is possible that it increases depressive episode or even just makes them a little worse or a little more frequent; I will opt for something else to control my asthma. There are enough challenges in life without the side effect of a medication making it harder. I will talk to my doctor about another medication for my asthma now and if the study shows no relationship in 9 months and the new medication isn’t as effective then I will switch back.
Sleep, eat right, exercise, practice stress management techniques like meditation or yoga, do something fun each day, connect with people, pray, and be strong…depression can be managed and in some cases overcome.
I was dx with bi-polar in 1987,did not have any asthma at the time but did suffer from severe allergies when I was younger. They subsides and have had no problems since last 2 years. Started on Singulair about 1 year ago with good results in regards the to the wheezing without having to use nebulizer or inhalers. But have had much more difficulty in regards to my depressive symptoms. It never dawned on me that that Singulair could have contributed to this. Also noticed a tremor in my left hand 2 months ago and and just chalked it up to pschye meds. Fatique is worse, can’t get out of bed, and really don’t get much accomplished. I have been confused and have had trouble understanding why these latest symptons have been different from my usual episodes of depression in the past, these just never leave. Have not been suicidal but do not have any feelings of joy either. Will definitely be removing Singulair from my daily meds and see if it makes a difference. Part of me hopes this is the answer. Simple for a change.
I am looking forward to learning more about the results and yes, I hope this is part of my problem. I am 72 and have emphysema and asthma. I have been taking Singulair for about 3 - 4 years. The biggest change is the fact that I can hardly drag my body out of bed in the morning. Is it sleep apnea, breathing difficulties Singulair or all of the above???? Has my depression gotten worse from taking this drug? Wish I had the answers.
I appreciate all the comments. Thanks.
I had a depression a few years ago but have been absolutely perfect for over two years with no medications and feeling great. About three months ago I began taking Singulair and have been having a noticeably amount of blues, crying over seemingly nothing, have no energy, sad and wanting to stay in bed. I have been trying to fight myself to stay positive but the gloom has been truly overbearing and I am having a hard time seeing the light at the end. I believe this drug may be causing this as I was fine before I began taking it. Have an appointment next week to review.
I have had asthma all my life. I am 48 years old and have only been on Singulair for 4 months. My whole life is better. I can breathe and exercise like never before. I have had no problems so far and hope and pray the studies prove to be wrong about this medication!
Singulair has been a godsend for my asthma. I think it has also helped with the rhinitis. Now, if I could just totally get rid of this exzema, i’d be in great shape!
I had been treated for depression, but I don’t think it was caused by the Singulair. This medicine has helped my breathing so much, that I am able to do things I wouldn’t have made an effort to in the past.
Could it be a coincidence in these other folks, or maybe since their allergies are better, that maybe the depression symptoms made themselves more noticable? Just guessing, but hope you all can find relief, because None of it, asthma, or depression, is fit to live with!
I had a 5 year old daughter that was on singulair 4mg for over a year. And I will admit that it controlled her asthma GREAT…BUT I also seen my little girl go threw depression, hours of sadness and crying with no reason and she didn’t even know why. Her moods changed from a very sweet little girl to an angry out of control child. After everything came out and we talked to her allergy doctor we decided to take her off of it all together to see if we noticed a change. AND WITHIN ONE WEEK we had our very sweet, happy little girl back. Even her allergy doctor said he was unaware of all of the latest side effects and truely wouldn’t know for about a year what the true side effects are to this medication. I think there is too much rushing to get pills on the market these days and that the FDA needs to put more restrictions on that and less on vitamins. It sure has opened our eyes for anything we ever get from any doctors for our children in the future to take. I think with this medication it may be great for some and some may not have the side effects but I really feel it should not be given to any children at all.
My grandson started on Singular when he was about 5. It has made all the difference in his asthma and allergies. But I have been worried because he he gets anxious, and feels sad alot and has stopped wanting to be with friends very much. He just turned 13 and I thought maybe he was just starting into puberty, but with the new information, I am truly concerned. We do have an appointment to talk to his doctor.
I have an 11 yr old son who started with asthma problems when he was 6. He was started on Singulair about 5 years ago. It relieved his asthmatic symptoms completely which meant no more ER visits in the middle of the night. He was diagnosed with depression 3 yrs ago. Before Singulair he was always happy and smiling, now his moods wax and wane. He gets very depressed,tearful and doesn’t want to be alone, while other times he just sits in his room alone. I am concerned that the Singulair could have brought on his depression which we are treating with medication and counseling. I work for a surgeon and I agree that medications need to be tested for longer periods of time for their potential side effects. I’m somewhat angry at myself for jumping in to him taking the medication at all. I will be talking to his doctor about these concerns!
That Singular might be related to triggering - or worsening - depression is very bad news since I did notice an improvement in my asthma symptoms on the medication, however, my mood has worsened recently, and the lack of energy and anhedonia (loss of interest in fun stuff) is marked. I will immediately look for another asthma alternative. If I my mood improves I will post my comment here.
My 9 year old son used Singulair for about a year and then stopped in December. At about the time he stopped using Singulair, he became very depressed and developed an eating disorder. Has anyone seen a similar scenario?
A report from the Netherlands discusses depression. The report stated that in three cases the onset of the depression after taking Singulair was from 3-14 days.
Discussion and conclusion
Lareb received four reports of depressive symptoms in patients using montelukast.Possible confounding includes that asthma itself has been associated with the development of depression . Inhalated corticosteroids can also exert effects on the central nervous system. Fluticason in combination with salmeterol which is used by patients A, B and D, is associated with hyperactivity and irritability whereas budesonide, which is used by patient C also has been associated with depression .
The latency of montelukast-induced depressive symptoms varies from 3-14 days.
In three of the cases a positive dechallenge was seen. The fact that the patients (except for one) did not suffer from depressive symptoms before they started montelukast, the short latency, and recovery after withdrawal of the drug all strengthen our hypothesis that depressive symptoms are an ADR
related to the use of montelukast.
Ahttp://www.lareb.nl/documents/kwb_2006_4_montel.pdf
ccording to the Marketing Authorisation Holder of montelukast, depression will be added to the product information.
For those people that seem to be depressed on Singulair, try Zyflo cr. It is probably even more potent in severe asthma. It works differently than Singulair
CRITICAL THERAPEUTICS’ ZYFLO® RECEIVES DISTINCT CLASSIFICATION UNDER MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Lexington, Mass., May 25, 2006 – Critical Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRTX) today announced that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has created a unique Formulary Key Drug Type (FKDT) category for the Company’s asthma drug, ZYFLO® (zileuton tablets), under guidelines developed specifically for the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D). This new category reflects the CMS’ adoption of the United States Pharmacopeias’ (USP) 2007 Model Guidelines. Under the new FKDT, ZYFLO is now categorized as a “Synthesis Inhibitor” based on its pharmacologic distinction from other anti-leukotriene compounds, including Merck’s Singulair®, which are grouped together in a category known as “Receptor Antagonists.” ZYFLO is the only 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) inhibitor approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration
I have been taking Singulair for about a year now and have noticed a marked difference in my personality and mood. I never connected the dots that it might be related to the Singulair until I heard it on the radio 2 weeks ago. My doctor and I have blamed it on my low thyroid, which is fixed now and I have blamed it on menopause. Everytime I have seen my doctor in the last year I have told him about my depression. I used to be one of the happiest, most up-beat, joyful persons you would ever meet. I was the one always going around cheering everyone else up. Now I feel like a huge dark cloud is hanging over me. I am not really sad deep in my heart, but this heavy gloom tries to envelope me everyday and steal my joy. Since hearing about the possibility of this being a side-effect of Singulair, I have tried to get off of it two times. My athsma gets so bad that I hurry and take it again. I dont know which I want to live with, the depression or the athsma.
I wish there was something else that would control the athsma just as well. I know I have to do something though. Before I drive myself and my family crazy!
Singulair made me crazy…there is no doubt in my mind whatsoever. While taking Singulair (daily for 2 years), I had pronounced mood swings, was depressed and suicidal. I was having very strange thoughts about death and physical trauma and had never felt that way before. Not long after I stopped using Singulair, these symptoms went away completely. I will never take Singulair again. There is no doubt in my mind that Singulair is the culprit of those symptoms.
Our 16 year old son has been on Singulair for almost a year now (various enviornmental allergies). After hearing about it the side effects on the news a few weeks ago, we decided that it wasn’t worth the risk and took him off. Plus the last nine months he has expressed that he hasn’t felt quite right mentally. He is confused and unsure of things and has low energy. After two days of being off Singulair he became very congested for about three days. That got him depressed. We are going to talk with his ENT and get him on something else, as hearing this on the news and reading these comments almost convinces me that the Singulair is affecting his moods.
I have been taking singulair for about 8 years. In combination with advair and zyrtec D, my asthma has improved drastically! I couldn’t do anything without wheezing and literally slept with a rescue inhaler under my pillow and used it several times per night.
I am currently taking mesd for depression and anxiety but this is due to personal issues and pre-menopause. I am very greatful for what sigulair has done for me… I now work out at a gym 2 times per week and everynight at home on my treadmill for 4 miles. Since December, I have lost 15 lbs and 25 inches… and for the last few summers I have been able to getback into roadbiking and long distance walking which I could never have done this without singulair!!!
My child was on singulair for nearly 4 years. Over the years he has become more irritable and angry. Two years ago he developed an eating disorder at age 9. we have no way to know if this triggered/contributed to that. We’ve been off singulair for 2 weeks but have replaced it with single puff of pulmicort at night.
My 9 year old daughter has been on singulair for over a year.6 months after she started taking it she was put on meds for ADHD and just in the last month on lexapro for depression. I just made an apointment to see our doctor today to change both of us to another alergy/asthma med.
I have to agree with Audrey about the ““out of sorts” and “blue” feeling. I’ve been procrastinating and have very little energy or interest” but never made any connection with Singulair until today when reading about something else i found info on this.
Im not sure if its due to singular or not but lately I have been really down and in a funk. Does singulars depression symptoms kick in right away or a few months after use. Ive never been so down. Im not motivated to do anything my energy levels are really low and I have alot on my plate which adds to the depression when its not accomplished. I have no record of ever having depression, anxiety or any disorder. At the same time I am so thankful to be able to breath again. In january I nearly died. I was intubated for 3 days and was in ICU for 5 when my lungs stopped working from a major asthma attack. I used to use my inhaler 6-10 times a day and since singular this past january I picked it up one time only. As I continue to take singulair Ill post updates on my mood changes to see if it continues or not.
Right before I read “about” i asked my doctor why is my depression comming and going. I explained to her that I was caught up on my bills, my relationship was fine, and the kids are doing well. I said I should be the happiest person in the world, yet i’m not. The doctor gave me something for depression then I read this. Thanks for the warning because I believe it could only be the singular that is causing my depression.
i have been taking singular since january of this year and i have had severe mood swings ever since. my doctor today told me that she just heard about depression being linked with singulair. it sounded funny but it’s a huge possibility. im getting real depressed these days and im not the usual out-going josh anymore.. im going to either take a break from singulair or see my doctor soon. i’ll post if there are positive results.
I started taking Sinulair a year ago. After 6 months I noticed a changed in my moods, anger and patience level. I was losing my upbeat attitude towards life. I stopped a month ago and my breathing has worsened but my moods are back to my up beat self again.
What is a alternative asthma medication?? I f anyone knows please help. Thanks
WOW!!!! This blew my mind. I also have always delt with depression and far back as my memory goes. I am 32. I have several Bi Polar next to kin. I have not been diagnosed with it. I also see life as a blessing. I started taking singulair two years ago right after the birth of my second child. Depression got worse and worse. I thought I was having post partum and moody do to lack of sleep with my infant. My is 2 1/2 has been sleeping through the night for about two years. I am now dealing with deeper depression, anxiety, no motivation, I feel confused and want to sleep alot. I am easily agitated and no sex drive. Not my normal I am usually very active. I started seeing a therapist 3 weeks ago because I felt I had no control over my life anymore and Im always feeling down. I thought I was going crazy. I read these articles today and now I am concerned this medication is contributing to my depression and anxiety. My therapist suggested that I stop taking this medicine. I take it for allergies. It worked great for allergies but not worth what I going through currently. At this point I do not blame my singulair on my depression and anxiety but I am very egor to see if my symptoms improve. I will be praying for all of us. May God Bless!!
I will be trying something else for my allergies.
Hi, I have been on singulair for about 2 years now. I have always been depressed for most of my life but the past 2 years have been hell. I have noticed that it was getting worse and worse and didn’t have any energy, cried alot, ect. I have stopped taking it now for about 1 month since I heard the news and i don’t know if it’s related or not but i’m happy now. I’m not as depressed and have way more energy. I think that speaks for itself really! I can’t wait to see what they find out.
I’ve been taking singulair for a long time and I have been depressed and suicidal for just as long. I never considered a correlation between the two but it would answer a lot of questions.
I had been given a prescription for Singular several months ago and had not taken it on a regular basis until my asthma got so bad that I was having to use my relief inhaler several times a day. A couple of months ago I remembered that I still had my prescription and decided to start taking it on a daily basis. The depression started very gradual and I didn’t realize how depressed I was getting until I started having thoughts of giving up on life. I felt like crying all the time, and the thoughts of suicide started occuring more and more. A friend mentioned to me that she had heard that Singular was suspected of causing depression and suicidal thoughts. I googled Singular + depression and read about other reports of similar symptoms so I decided to stop taking Singular. Within two days, I starting feeling better emotionally, but my asthma got worse. It has been two weeks since I completely quit taking Singular, I feel so much better and my thoughts of giving up on life have completely gone. This is really scary, I pray that no one will give up on life because they are experiencing depression as a side effect of taking Singular.
For those above who felt better mentally after stoping Singulair, how long did it take for the depression to leave and the mood ro improve?
I have been taking Singulair for extended periods of time (2 months), and sporadically. I was put on Singulair before I moved to South Korea as a precaution against the intense pollution here.
As soon as I moved to Korea, I began noticing changes in my behavior. I was becoming overly anxious, and would have intense mood swings.
To complicate the issue further, South Korea has an intense night life. So, occasionally, I would have intense mood swings while drinking.
However, after hearing the reports I connected the dots. Not only am I taking a medicine unsupervised, but I am also in a completely new environment. A new environment always comes with a certain amount of stressed, and since I moved to South Korea basically right after college. So, I do not think this help.
When I heard about these reports, I connected the dots myself. Then, I called up all my family and close friends. They admit that I have some trouble with anger, but so does my father (and that may be a learned behavior).
But, I am by no means depressed nor do I suffer from rapid mood swings. They say I am generally a normal happy fun loving guy.
However, I did not think something was seriously wrong until I blew up at a coworker at friend. Actually, I blew up at more than just one coworker or friend.
I am an English teacher, and my caring students noticed a significant difference in my behavior this past Monday. They said I “looked” different. I didn’t look sick. I didn’t snap at them. I just “looked” different.
All of this happened after I took Singulair for a week or so then abruptly stopped.
Considering the point that I am at my life right now (23 yrs old), I realize that it is a stressful time. First time to be on your own. First time for almost about everything.
So, I think Singulair might compound all these feelings.
There is one other drug that I can say I had a bad reaction to several times: Accutane. I can safely say that I was out of control while on Accutane during a stressful situations.
I think I have finally realized that I am someone that reacts badly (emotionally) to some medicines and I have to monitor there effects on me.
I am definitely contacting my doctor on Monday (American time). The medicine has not adversely affected my experience abroad. I have had a blast here, and I have met some great people However, I have had more than my share of health issues this year. I had a bad bout of pneumonia for about a month. So, I will just consider this another one of life’s strange turns.
I started using singulair at the beginning of September, 2007. Since then, my behavior has changed, I have severe mood swings, I have horrific nightmares, I suffer from depression, and I have suicidal thoughts. Just yesterday I stopped taking singulair after my doctor mentioned the side effects. I am just 14, and it really upset me that I was unaware of the side effects. I am ready to get my life back now.
My son was on singulair for 3.5 yrs,yes his behavoir changed, yes he was depressed,yes he was hospitalised at age 12 for 10 days for depression,yes it was the singulair,6 weeks off singulair he is back to his old happy self.How did this happen to innocent precious children???????????????
I have never suffered from depression previously. Everything is going well in my life — home, work, friends. Over the course of the 5 weeks I’ve been taking Singulair, I noticed my mood spirally down and my anger sprially up, to the point that last week I called in sick to work one day because I simply couldn’t get myself out of bed. My doctor put me on singulair because my allergies sometimes have an asthma-like component. And Singulair was great for those symptoms. I didn’t realize the depression connection, and when I found out, stopped the med. After just 3 days, I’m feeling better already.
How long have you been on Singulair? My daughter is 15 and has been on it for 3 years. We are trying to figure out if some of her “emotionalness” is due to this medication or just “normal” teenage stuff.
I was on singulair for only a short period of time. Not long after I began taking the medication I became very depressed. My family and I went on vacation right after I started taking the medication and I was so depressed that I just sat around and did not want to participate in anything. I knew that wasn’t my normal behavior because I am normally outgoing. When I returned from vacation I went back to my family doctor and at the time he said depression was not a known side effect however he was willing to prescribe me something else for my allergies and within a short period of time I was back to normal. I am glad to see this is becoming known now.
I have been taking singulair for years with zero side effects, but recently I’ve been feeling symptoms of depression: no pleasure out of life, feeling like everything is one long useless slog. It may be that I’m having a reaction to events in my life, but I also wonder if (a) menopause is a factor, and (b) if my reaction to singular has changed as I’ve hit menopause.
I was taking Singulair for about 3 years, I went off of it about 2-3 months ago and have had feeling of depression,and anxiety and have no interest in much at all. I totally have not felt myself since stopping the Singulair. All my friends say I am not myself, I am actually contemplating on starting the Singulair, because when I was on it, it actually helped tremendously with my allergies and asthma. Has anyone else experienced these effects after going off of the Singulair?
Hello….i just wanted to weigh in on the depression issue with this med. My son was on it, for over a year, he is almost 4 now. He was always a funny happy kid. Recently he had started becoming irrational, hitting himself, saying he was very angry, we were seriously wondering what was wrong with him. I then happened to be in the allergist office for myself when i saw the postings on this med. We talked and decided to take him off and see how he was….All i have to say is…i feel like i have my son back. Within 4 days of being off the med he is happy again and full of life. No more hitting himself and hidding in corners crying! As my alergist said, if you suspect, simply go off for it for a week, it takes 3 days to fully exit the system then see the results.
I was on Singulair for at least 3 years and thought that I would get off it cause I thought my asthma was geting better. I was wrong,geting off Singulair can make your asthma Worse,and cause worse wheezing!I’m geting back on Singulair right away,it controls wheezing and asthma!If you have asthma I would not stop taking this medication for wheezing,unless your dr.tells you too, not to take it!I haven’t had any reactions from this medication,accept wheezing when I got off of it and that was it.I haven’t been depressed at all being on only Singulair,it could be when you mix it with other medications.I really don’t know.I would watch what kind of asthma medications to take as alot have many side effects,do read about the side effects before taking medications.My opinion Asthma is past on from others that have had to of had in the family like grandparents ect.It is a disease that we really need a cure for especially since so many people have it, same goes for all other diseases.Its time to find cures! Its 2008 and time for a new President and a Change in this World for the Better!
To Bill(23)
I thought I was going crazy this weekend…whenever I forget to take my singulair(been on it for almost 3 yrs now)I would have bouts of depression & mood swings,etc. but yesterday I had it real bad with suicidal thougts (with being 2 days off it) I resume taking it again last night & today I feel some what better. For my well being I will stop taking singulair all together. I did issue a complaint today w/the FDA.
My daughter was an emotional wreck for 6 years and i never attributed it to her taking singulair. She stopped taking it and became a different person, she was my sweet little girl that I thought had turned into a demon. She recently began taking it again and within a few days turned into a screaming, raging crazy person. She has stopped taking it and we have an appt. with her doctor to find another alternative. This is a REAL problem, it does aleviate her asthma symptoms better than anything else, but it has a definate Jeykell and Hyde aspect.
My normally energetic and upbeat wife started taking Singulair for itchy eyes a couple of years ago. She became depressed, unhappy and moody and very difficult. I saw the article a couple of months ago on the new warning and asked her if she ever felt happy or normal anymore. “no.” I asked if she had suicidal thoughts. “yes.” She stopped taking the drug immediately and within a week was back to her normal self. Her doctor had NEVER discussed this important side-effect. This makes me very angry at everyone involved. I hope the manufacturer considers the legal consequences of keeping this product on the market without a severe and obvious warning. If you or anyone you care about are taking this stuff and think you might have any of these symptoms, you need to talk to your doctor immediately.
I have very mild asthma. I had a surgery and was started on Singulair because it had been shown to soften scar tissue during healing from surgery. Singulair helped both the scar healing and the asthma. Within months of starting on the Singulair I was hospitalized for the first time in my life with suicidal depression. I was treated for the depression and continued on Singulair for years. I stopped the Singulair for a period of months due to financial reasons. I felt better during this time period but restarted the Singulair as soon as I could. When I read about the linkage of suicidal depression to Singulair I stopped taking the Singulair. Since I permanently stopped the Singulair I have not had any more suicidal thoughts, I have been taken off of anti-depressive medicine and I feel like my old self. Who would have thought that a prescription to treat asthma would cause suicidal depression? I greatly appreciate the news of the linkage of the Singulair to depression; stopping the Singulair has made a huge improvement in my life!
I’ve been emotionally stable for years now, but have had very bad bouts of depression in the past. As a result, I monitor my mood fairly closely for signs of a downturn. I was recently prescribed Singulair for asthma. After about a week, I started feeling depressed - not just feeling down or blue, but specifically the feelings I get when I am depressed - absolutely worthless and irrationally guilt-ridden. Then I read the warning on the insert. Yikes! So, I’m stopping for the time being, and I’ll see if my mood goes back up. If so, I’m going to stay away from the Singulair.
I’m taking Singulair for asthma. Prior to discovering I have asthma, the dose of Welbutrin I was on was working very effectively. When dx’d with asthma I was put on prednisone for many weeks which I believe caused the spiraling downward in mood. I’ve been off prednisone for only a few days but immediately started Singulair (because the oral prednisone, and albuteraol and qvar inhalers were not working). I feel lethargic and depressed. Q!@$%.
I’ve been on Singulair since November 2008. It was a wonder drug given to me for allergic skin rashes. I began to question what was going on when I had countless disturbing dreams, swollen calves and unexplained weight gained and most disturbing deep depression, anxiety and aggresiveness.
I do not struggle with depression at all. The months I’ve been on this drug I’ve felt hopeless, angry and nearly wanted to quit my job. I googled the side effects of Singulair. I was shocked at what others has experienced and how similar the issues are. I am stopping it today to see if the issue end or persist.
I keep reading on sites like this that depression was not reported as a side effect in the clinical trials.
However, depression WAS reported in patients taking montelukast in the clinical trials.
This is a link to the FDA Medical Review for Singulair: http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/nda/98/020829s000_Singular_Medr.pdf
On page 78 of the document (p. 84 of the PDF)is a table listing reasons why participants dropped out of the clinical trials. One patient in the montelukast group (out of 795) in this part of the clinical trials is listed with depression as an adverse experience and the notation reads “discontinued due to adverse experiences considered drug related by the investigator.”
On page 80 on the document, which is page 86 of the PDF: Depression was identified in patients taking Montelukast in the clinical trials at a slightly higher rate than placebo (0.6% vs. 0.4%).
Maybe this information seems statistically insignificant, and maybe it does not prove that Singulair causes depression, but the fact remains that people taking montelukast in the clinical trials reported depression and this information is not being conveyed to the public.
The proof that Singulair causes depression is all the children (and adults)- including MY son - who developed symptoms of depression while taking Singulair that resolved when treatment with Singulair was discontinued.
I AM NOTCING THAT MY HUSBAND WHO HAS BEEN TAKING SINGULAIR FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND HALF IS BECOMING VERY DEPRESSED. HE HAS BEEN TAKING ZOLOFT FOR A LONG TIME AND WAS DOING FINE UNTIL HE HAS STARTED TAKING SINGULAIR FOR HIS ALLERGIES.I AM WONDERING IF THE TWO MEDICINES TOGETHER COULD BRING DEPRESSION ON. I DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THESE SIDE EFFECTS UNTIL I WAS CHECKING INTO IT MYSELF. THE DOCTOR WHO PRESCRIBED THIS MEDICINE DID NOT TELL HIM ANYTHING SUCH. I AM TRULY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ALL THE DATA THAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN .
I’ve had my bouts with depression and take paxil for anxiety. I was put on singulair and felt fine for a while, then that ‘blue’ feeling crept in. It’s as if I just dwelled on negative thoughts, and I saw no end to my misery. I took myself off and began to feel normal again. I’m going to talk to my doctor about a replacement med. If not for my faith I think I would have killed myself. DO NOT take singulair if you already have anxiety or depression. If you take it and feel like the joy in life is sucked out of you, stop taking it.
I’ve had my bouts with depression and take paxil for anxiety. I was put on singulair and felt fine for a while, then that ‘blue’ feeling crept in. It’s as if I just dwelled on negative thoughts, and I saw no end to my misery. I took myself off and began to feel normal again. I’m going to talk to my doctor about a replacement med. If not for my faith I think I would have killed myself. DO NOT take singulair if you already have anxiety or depression. If you take it and feel like the joy in life is sucked out of you, stop taking it.
I didn’t put two and two together until I saw something on the news about the link between depression and singulair. I was on singulair because of my asthma and about a year ago, I stopped taking it because it was just far too expensive for me to keep taking. I never had depression before taking singulair but during the two years that I was taking it, I did feel ‘out of sorts’ and depressed quite often and had relationship troubles. I haven’t felt that way since I came off of singulair (other than the typical changes of mood that almost everyone goes through)… there’s definitely something there…
I took sigulair for years. We saw something on tv about depression and my husband said, That’s you”! I still kept taking it but in the back of my mind it could be. I stopped taking it about a month ago. My leg cramps gone! My stress and pressure gone! My heart racing gone! Every ache I had in my body is gone! If your on this medication get off of it now!
i recently started taking singulair within the past week. since then, i have been suffering from wild depression. it was almost immediate. at first i assumed it was nothing; a change in the weather, or maybe just not a good time for me. but it occured to me that there could be someting else involved so i looked it up online. low and behold, i find this article, and many others, all saying that singulair has this effect on people. looks like it’s time i call my doctor (who, by the way, never told me about this possible side-effect)!
Yeah. I too felt a sort of “Blue” mood when on it. In fact those were the exact words I used when I was trying to figure out what was wrong with me/what it was I was feeling. I was reasoning on different things that could explain my feeling a little down and nothing was really wrong/out of the ordinary–it’s just the singulair.
I experienced this immediately a couple of years ago but assumed it was the advair I was taking. Then the report came out that it was what I least expected, the singulair.
Not to be a conspiracy theorist but I think these companies have the masses coming and going and hope to diagnose people as bipolar or anything to get more meds in and more money from people.
Our 15 year old daughter has been on Singulair for about 7 years. She has always been shy, but looking back, I realize her that her natural timidity had become extreme anxiety about the time she started on the Singulair. Over the past two years, she has suffered panic attacks, sleep problems, hand tremors, and unexplained bouts of agitation. About a month ago, she told her she was having suicidal thoughts and we had her admitted to a psychiatic facility for two weeks. When she was discharged, the FIRST thing she said was that she was not going to take Singulair ever again–she was convinced the Singulair was the underlying cause of her depression and suicidal thoughts. Imagine our shock when just two weeks later we hear about the new FDA warnings on Singulair and neuropsychiatric events! She now seems to be suffering from withdrawal symptoms but we are hoping that once the Singulair is out of her system her feelings will begin to improve. She’s been through hell and to think it might be due to the medicine we’ve been giving her all this time is horrifying.