Singulair

Singulair is a prescription medication used to treat the symptoms of asthma and itchy, stuffy, or runny nose caused by allergies. It is also used to prevent bronchospasm (difficulty breathing) during exercise. Singulair belongs to a group of drugs called leukotriene inhibitors which work by blocking leukotrienes, natural substances responsible for swelling in the airways, and tightening of muscles of airways, as well as nasal symptoms caused by allergies.

This medication comes as tablet, chewable tablet, and granule forms to be taken by mouth. It is usually taken once daily, with or without food. It should be taken in the evening if treating asthma, or 2 hours before exercise if treating difficulty breathing caused by exercise.

Common side effects of Singulair include cough, fever, headache, and sore throat.

Singulair is a prescription medication used to treat symptoms of asthma and itchy, stuffy, or runny nose caused by allergies. t is also used to prevent bronchospasm (difficulty breathing) during exercise.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

• Merck & Co., Inc.

The most common side effects of Singulair include:

• upper respiratory infection
• fever
• headache
• sore throat
• cough
• stomach pain
• diarrhea
• earache or ear infection
• flu
• runny nose
• sinus infection

Other side effects of Singulair include:

• increased bleeding tendency, low blood platelet count
• allergic reactions [including swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and/or throat (which may cause trouble breathing or swallowing), hives and itching]
• dizziness, drowsiness, pins and needles/numbness, seizures (convulsions or fits)
• palpitations
• nose bleed, stuffy nose
• diarrhea, heartburn, indigestion, inflammation of the pancreas, nausea, stomach or intestinal upset, vomiting
• hepatitis
• bruising, rash, severe skin reactions (erythema multiforme) that may occur without warning
• joint pain, muscle aches and muscle cramps
• tiredness, swelling

Singulair may cause serious side effects. See "Drug Precautions". 

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of Singulair. For more information ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• Seizure medicines (carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin)
• Rifamycin antibiotics (rifabutin, rifampin, rifapentine)

This is not a complete list of Singulair drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Do not take Singulair if you are allergic to any of its ingredients.

Singulair may cause serious side effects.

• Behavior and mood-related changes. Tell your doctor right away if you have mood-related changes.
• Increase in certain white blood cells (eosinophils) and possible inflamed blood vessels throughout the body (systemic vasculitis). Rarely, this can happen in people with asthma who take Singulair. This usually, but not always, happens in people who also take a steroid medicine by mouth that is being stopped or the dose is being lowered. 

If you have asthma and aspirin makes your asthma symptoms worse, continue to avoid taking aspirin or other medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) while taking montelukast.

Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Singulair, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving Singulair.

Before receiving Singulair, tell your healthcare provider if you:

• are allergic to aspirin
• have phenylketonuria. Singulair chewable tablets contain aspartame, a source of phenylalanine

Tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Singulair falls into category B. There are no well-done studies that have been done in humans with Singulair. But in animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication, and the babies did not show any medical issues related to this medication.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Singulair is excreted in human breast milk or if it will harm your nursing baby.

For anyone who takes Singulair:

• Take Singulair exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider will tell you how much Singulair to take, and when to take it.
• Do not stop taking Singulair or change when you take it without talking with your healthcare provider.
• You can take Singulair with food or without food. 
• If you or your child misses a dose of Singulair, just take the next dose at your regular time. Do not take 2 doses at the same time.
• If you take too much Singulair, call your healthcare provider or a Poison Control Center right away.

For adults and children 12 months of age and older with asthma:

• Take Singulair one time each day, in the evening. Continue to take Singulair every day for as long as your healthcare provider prescribes it, even if you have no asthma symptoms.
• Tell your healthcare provider right away if your asthma symptoms get worse, or if you need to use your rescue inhaler medicine more often for asthma attacks.
• Do not take Singulair if you need relief right away from a sudden asthma attack. If you get an asthma attack, you should follow the instructions your healthcare provider gave you for treating asthma attacks.
• Always have your rescue inhaler medicine with you for asthma attacks.
• Do not stop taking or lower the dose of your other asthma medicines unless your healthcare provider tells you to.

For people 6 years of age and older for the prevention of exercise-induced asthma:

• Take Singulair at least 2 hours before exercise.
• Always have your rescue inhaler medicine with you for asthma attacks.
• If you take Singulair every day for chronic asthma or allergic rhinitis, do not take another dose to prevent exercise-induced asthma. Talk to your healthcare provider about your treatment for exercise-induced asthma.
• Do not take 2 doses of Singulair within 24 hours (1 day).

For adults and children 2 years of age and older with seasonal allergic rhinitis, or for adults and children 6 months of age and older with perennial allergic rhinitis:

• Give montelukast oral granules to your child exactly as instructed by your healthcare provider.
• Do not open the packet until ready to use.
• Take Singulair 1 time each day, at about the same time each day.

Singulair 4-mg oral granules can be given:

• right in the mouth; or
• dissolved in 1 teaspoonful (5 mL) of cold or room temperature baby formula or breast milk; or
• mixed with 1 spoonful of one of the following soft foods at cold or room temperature: applesauce, mashed carrots, rice, or ice cream.

Give the child all of the mixture right away, within 15 minutes.

Do not store any leftover Singulair mixture (oral granules mixed with food, baby formula, or breast milk) for use at a later time. Throw away any unused portion.

Do not mix Singulair oral granules with any liquid drink other than baby formula or breast milk. Your child may drink other liquids after swallowing the mixture.

Take Singulair exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose of Singulair prescribed for you or your child's condition is based on age:

• 6 to 23 months: one packet of 4-mg oral granules.
• 2 to 5 years: one 4-mg chewable tablet or one packet of 4-mg oral granules.
• 6 to 14 years: one 5-mg chewable tablet.
• 15 years and older: one 10-mg tablet.

If you take too much Singulair, call your local Poison Control Center or seek emergency medical attention right away.

• Store Singulair at 59°F to 86°F (15°C to 30°C).
• Keep Singulair in the container it comes in.
• Keep Singulair in a dry place and away from light.