Montelukast - any other dcs on this?

[weblette]

We've finally got an asthma diagnosis for ds2 (age 4) after numerous wheezing attacks and courses of prednisolone. The asthma nurse has put him on montelukast and I wondered what other children's experiences of it were. Has it made a difference? Thanks!

[aDad]

Bumping. Am also interested as dd1's been prescribed this recently.

(In our case, I'm not convinced she really needs it but that's a long story and i don't want to hijack the thread!)

[TheMadHouse]

We were precribes for recurrant viral wheeze, but had really bad side effects turned by three year old in to a looney, with uncontroler rage and thirst [hmm} It seems as though we were quite unusually in that though. He also had really bad nightmares.

[TinkerBellesMum]

Tink is on Montelukast, not sure if it has helped because they put her on quite intensive treatment all at once which has helped so I'm not sure what to put it down to. She's on 4 puffs of blue twice a day, 2 (100) puffs of brown (4x what she was on before her last attack) twice a day and the Montelukast. She's now only having an attack every two months as opposed to every month.

She calls them her special sweeties and knows she can't have one till she's taken her inhalers so she takes her inhalers really nicely so she can have her sweetie!

[tissy]

MadHouse my dd was just the same- she was completely hyper on the stuff. Chucked out the packet after a couple of doses. I asked the paed if we should keep trying in the hope she would settle, and he said no!

[Saturn74]

DS2 can't take them as they make him very hyper.
He also had very vivid nightmares and night sweats whilst on them, and an unquenchable thirst.

They contain aspartame, so perhaps that accounts for some of the side-effects.

[TinkerBellesMum]

Funny people saying about hyper kids, Tink is totally the other way. She will happily sleep from 1pm, wake up for tea and go to bed between 7:30 and 8 (like we could keep her up any longer) and will sleep a good 12 hours. Doctor said it's a cross between her asthma and the medication.

[weblette]

Thanks for the warnings! Since he's already manic with the prednisolone and salbutamol doses he's had to have lately, it's good to know what to keep an eye out for. He's taking it in conjunction with the maximum does of becotide - if it doesn't work we're off to the consultant so fingers crossed!

[Saturn74]

I hope he does OK on it, weblette, and that he gets lots better.

DS2 sees the consultant for his asthma, and he is trying to find an alternative to montelukast for him - something that doesn't contain sweeteners.

We've got an appointment next week, so hopefully he'll have come up with something.

If so, will post here in case it helps anyone else.

[PrettyCandles]

Dd's been taking montelukast for about 10 days now, and so far I haven't seen any effect on her. She only has the brown inhaler, which controls the coughing attacks, but only has a small effect on her catarrh. The GP thinks that the montelukast should do the job. I hope.

[katsh]

My dd was on montelukast all through last year. She has been able to reduce her medication down and doesn't need them at all. I had been told of the side effects but she was fine, and they made a massive difference to her night time coughing. Hope things go well for you.

[wissyssis]

My 6yr old DS has been on this for a while now, for night time coughing. He also has 1 puff of a beige puffer twice a day. His Asthma has been well controlled on this.
He had an Asthma review on Friday and they suggested trying him without the Montekelast, so he's not had it since Friday pm.
A few minutes ago he appeared coughing and upset, we gave him 2 blue puffs and he's gone back to sleep.
He has got a cold, so maybe we should have waited 'till that was clear before stopping the tablets?
I thinking of seeing how he goes over the next couple nights and then talking to the GP again.

[Nemowith3and1tobe]

DD1 has been on 4mg montelukast for about 8months now and it has helped her asthma greatly. Not had as many trips to a+e etc but still a few admissions.

[AllieBongo]

my dd is exactly the same as TheMadHouse says. She is 3, it does improve the asthma but gives her awful night terrors and rages. We now only use it when she has a cold until the infection has cleared up.

[TinkerBellesMum]

Tink has had her first appointment with the paediatrician at the hospital today. Rather shocked by what they've said. She's chronic, on the highest possible dose or nearly of all three drugs and they can't afford to lower it. They've changed her Ventolin to something else that is longer lasting. They said if she gets ill we're to take her to A&E because she's not the sort of child you can mess around with waiting for the GP.

She also asked whether she is constipated a lot, which she is quite badly, she said that it is linked. Then she asked about her meconium which I don't know anything about as she was premature, I didn't even see her naked for a week and no one ever brought the subject up with me. She said that it could be the start of her problems, a premature baby can struggle to pass their meconium and it can lead to further problems.

She said she is an allergicky child, even if we don't realise it yet (we know about some contact allergies that bring out her eczema) and we'll have to keep an eye on it.

Sorry if that's bit of a hi-jack but I needed to post and thought here would be a good place with people who will understand. I'm a little in shock because things aren't looking great for the baby and I missed the appointment (thank goodness for grandparents) then we get told things aren't great for Tink either.

[weblette]

Oh tink that's crap At least they're well across what her problems are and when she requires treatment, she'll get exactly what she needs. I know it's very un-MN but have a hug (( ))

[TinkerBellesMum]

Thanks weblette, I think sometimes they're needed I was really down yesterday just felt like everything was hitting at once. I had a good sleep and feeling better today.

[kathrynharriet]

Hi, my DD2 14 months has been on montelukast since she was 6ms. It does help her wheezing, we have had lots of different medication for her but this is the only thing that seems to have any effect. She has been classed as steriod resistant?... as they have no effect apart from the refusal to sleep! At the mo we're struggling terribly with her constipation GP has just started her on lactulose. We have upped her dose today as she as been crying and crying as she can't poo! GP told us it was down to her being wheeezy and dry, she also has eczema which is worse at the mo! Hope your little one improves, good luck x

[KateRaeganandMichael]

Hi my dd is 20 months, she started having problems with asthma after she had acute pneumonia at 13 months and has been in and out of hosp every three weeks since. they started her of on just salbutamol but that wasnt working so they put her on ipatropium bromide (green and white) but she was still having the attacks (they were also giveing presidnilone and nebulisers whilst in hosp) when she was 17 months they put her on Montelukast granules but she suffered soooooo badly that the doctors took her off it (because of the night terrors and agression) but she still had the attacks every 3 weeks or whenever she got a cold.
so a month a go they started her on Clenil (brown inhaler) and she went off the chart in hyperactivity and has been on Montelukast tablets (allegedly a better formulation for toddlers) for the last week and a half. since then the night terrors are back, she is soooooo confused, shes had really moussy diorreah tmi sorry, she doesnt want to sleep at night and when she does she probably only gets about 6 hours, her eating is at an all time low but the doctors dont care because she drinking enough. I really am at my wits end because as much as the montelukast is working (she hasnt had a recession since her last hospital stay) its definitely not worth having a disturbed child who is tired agressive and just not happy. when i next see my daughters consultant I am taking her off the medicine again. &