Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask you about my son's montelukast medication?

69 replies

Witsendmummy · 03/08/2018 13:37

DS is 24 months and has been on montelukast to help with reoccurring bronchiolitis since he was around 13 months.
His behaviour is awful, he hurts everyone and other children and gets angry very easily. He's very intelligent and can be very loving and loves to be around other children but lashes out. We've got a new born now and he can't be let near her.
Is anyone's child on or been on montelukast and has it affected behaviour?
His behaviour is really making me feel so down and embarrassed now.
DS was admitted to hospital multiple times before he was on montelukast and last winter was alot better possibly due to him been older and stronger or due to the montelukast.

OP posts:
Mermaid36 · 03/08/2018 13:44

Anecdotally, montelukast is thought to disturb sleep, often giving nightmares or night terrors, but I've not heard of it causing behaviour issues in the daytime.

One of my twins was on it for about 10 months, and it did disturb her sleep, but didn't do much for her breathing/lung issues, so her consultant stopped it.

SoyDora · 03/08/2018 13:45

It didn’t cause behaviour issues for us but caused extreme diarrhoea (so bad that we couldn’t continue with it).

mostlymay · 03/08/2018 13:52

My son was on it and it very rapidly completely changed his behaviour as well as giving him the most violent gruesome nightmares. I took him off it immediately and he became himself again and no more nightmares. When I mentioned it to my gp they said the behaviour change could have been due to his age and not related to the medication as reactions were rare - However once we got to see a specialist (allergies etc) they questioned why he’d ever been put on and it and when I explained the behaviour change they didn’t disagree with me but changed his prescription entirely and he has been fine.

frogsoup · 03/08/2018 13:54

It caused tics in DS (excessive blinking). We took him off it as a result and they stopped almost immediately. He was a bit older and more robust by that point though so the trade-off re breathing issues was clearer. Look online for side effect reports, they are a bit eyewatering though I warn you. Some side effect reports are probably a bit far-fetched, but others clearly are not. It's a powerful drug and it doesn't seem a stretch to me to imagine that it might affect behaviour. But equally montelukast kept ds out of hospital at a time when his lungs weren't really coping without help, so it's a tricky balance.

Babymamamama · 03/08/2018 13:55

I don't think that medication has any impact on behaviour. At least in our case. Dd has been using it for several years with no issues and her asthma is thankfully lessening now.

TalbotAMan · 03/08/2018 13:55

I've been on it as an adult. It helps with my asthma, but does give very vivid dreams. I stopped taking it because DW said that I was kicking out in my sleep and she was getting bruises. I didn't notice any daytime changes.

MrMeSeeks · 03/08/2018 13:57

Only thing it did to me was give me hives.

SuperDuperJezebel · 03/08/2018 13:58

My DD is on it and fortunately not too many side effects although it definitely stops her falling asleep as quickly and she possibly wakes a little earlier, but as she is content to lie in her cot in the mornings it's hard to know. My friends DD has much more extreme lack of sleep issues on it though, and I hear it's common. WRT to night terrors, I believe if they don't happen within the first 3 or so days, they won't have them.

Thebig3 · 03/08/2018 13:59

My son was on it for short time and it really changed his behaviour. He was a comoletly different child. It was so bad that he came off it again. If you're on Facebook there are quite a few support groups for the medication so may be worth going on those?

SoyUnPerdedor2 · 03/08/2018 14:00

My dd was on it for about a month. The change in her behaviour was so bad, we couldn't continue with it.
Screaming fits. Meltdowns. Lashing out.
Sleep disturbances.
She was on it to help with asthma, eczema and food allergies.

fukkigucci · 03/08/2018 14:00

I was on it for asthma years ago as a kid. I remember waking up in the night and sweating and shaking from fear of someone breaking in and getting me. The nightmares were petrifying. To this day I occasionally get a reoccurring nightmare from that time, and I wake up in a cold sweat.
I don’t know if my behaviour was affected. But from my experience I wouldn’t want my child on it.

mrsmalcolmreynolds · 03/08/2018 14:05

DS took this regularly over a period of about 18 months between the ages of 2.5 and 4, didn't notice any effect on behaviour at all.

LetBartletBeBartlet · 03/08/2018 14:06

My dc has been on this for 8yrs without issue.

Please talk to your healthier practitioner before considering stopping any medication.

JacquesHammer · 03/08/2018 14:07

It gave DD severe night terrors and hideous daytime anxiety

Original poster
Witsendmummy · 03/08/2018 14:09

I credit it with us having a far better winter but I do feel my son's behaviour is so bad and talking to my husband it has deteriorated since starting the medication and we've put it down to age starting terrible two's early etc. I'm so stuck what to do.

OP posts:
Chrisinthemorning · 03/08/2018 14:09

DS was on it for 6 months Nov- May and had no side effects.

Original poster
Witsendmummy · 03/08/2018 14:10

I wouldn't stop without seeing GP.

OP posts:
Lulu2106 · 03/08/2018 14:11

Yes my nephew was on it for 6 years and the mood swings were an absolute nightmare. It seems to be a really bad side effect that you may have to consider stopping the medication depending on how necessary it is. It was also prescribed for my DD for the same reason as you but I have refrained from giving it to her.

JoyTheUnicorn · 03/08/2018 14:12

Montelukast is well know for causing severe behavioural difficulties in a few children.

Ds was 6 when he went on it. The gp was very doubtful that monte was the cause so we persevered.

If you search on FB for montelukast there are a few parent support groups, as the side effects are very real.

I would talk to your gp asap and ask for him to be taken off them.

hanahsaunt · 03/08/2018 14:16

Ds has been on it for 7(ish) years with no side effects. It has been transformative for his asthma.

user1457017537 · 03/08/2018 14:21

I went on it as an adult and had horrible side effects. I could hardly walk. My feet felt like concrete. Came off it and I’m much better. It didn’t help my asthma any more than inhalers either.

vivariumvivariumsvivaria · 03/08/2018 14:25

Got a kid who's been on it for 5 years, it's transformed him, previously there were multiple life threatening episodes. Has your son been on steroids? Roid Rage is a definite thing.

Original poster
Witsendmummy · 03/08/2018 14:34

I'm devastated I haven't read into it more and he's been on it for a year. I feel like I have failed him, his sleep and behaviour have been so bad and it COULD potentially be this. I'm not sure what to do as his helped him with his chest but we can't carry on as we are.

OP posts:
AndhowcouldIeverrefuse · 03/08/2018 14:38

Montelukast saved a friend's child's life but the child became angry and aggressive with violent episodes.

IFartGlitter · 03/08/2018 14:43

My ds was prescribed it a few years ago, he has allergies and asthma. His behaviour changed, he went from being a well behaved 7 year old to terrible moods, night terrors and violent behaviour. We lasted a month until it clicked and our GP agreed and we stopped it there and then. Within a few days we had our well behaved, non violent little boy back.

Swipe left for the next trending thread