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Original poster

To ask about montelukast for asthma

65 replies

Rainandsunplease · 14/02/2021 23:29

I’m phoning GP tomorrow to discuss my asthma plan and he usually discusses the option of taking montelukast. Obviously will get advice from him tomorrow but can anyone here say what taking montelukast is like; did it help and were there any side effects? I currently take fostair and ventolin if required. Have started to get very mild nosebleeds in the last few months which I have read is a side effect of inhalers. Does anyone else get this?
I have adult onset asthma.
Thanks!

OP posts:
itallworkedouthorribly · 15/02/2021 00:46

it should not do that that is not common at all.

It's not misinformation if you're asked for info on a non professional forum and you share your personal experience making it clear it is just that.

Please stop policing what side effects can and can't be talked about.

FWIW my child's respiratory consultant said ah yes this can happen never ever take it again.

Not because of the rapping. That was alright. The other.

ConquestEmpireHungerPlague · 15/02/2021 00:47

Bit shocking to hear some of the horror stories but not our experience at all.

DS has taken it since about the age of 7 and is now 18. It's been very effective as an asthma drug - he went from needing a course of preds ~5x a year to needing them maybe once a year as a preteen, which has now tapered off to once in a blue moon, which may be developmental of course. Tried to come off it aged about 10 but had a bad year afterwards and went back on. Might try that again now he's been stable for some time. Only side effect was that it seemed to upset his stomach when he first started it, but that wore off over the course of his first year and was worth it as an alternative to constant wheezing exacerbations. Upset stomach is kind of his party piece anyway, so it may not have been directly related.

He also takes Clenil daily and Atrovent/Ventolin as needed. No side effects from those apart from tachycardia on high dose Ventolin, which is standard really, and he doesn't cope well with Ventolin nebs (gets paradoxical bronchospasm) so he has Atrovent for those, not that that's been needed in a long time anyway. No nosebleeds.

HTH. Good luck with it.

itallworkedouthorribly · 15/02/2021 00:49

I think she/he is under the impression that this is like an anti vaxxer thread.

There's no reason to take mlct if side effects are a problem. Our consultant said, and do check for yourself, it makes a 30 percent difference some of the time. Go figure.

It's not the MMR.

ASurfeitOfMammoths · 15/02/2021 01:00

I’ve found it life-changing, as an adult with lifelong, poorly controlled asthma. I’m on a double dose of 20mg daily - have been for a couple of years now after a couple of particularly nasty hospitalisations - which in conjunction with Fostair and ventolin keeps me as well as I’ll ever be. The highest PF I can blow at my most well is 320, vs >200 without montelukast and on fostair only. I’m a wheezer (exercise and changes in temp. induced, plus allergies) not a cougher, and find breathing in hard rather than breathing out.

I’ve not had a single side effect and I know I’d be a lot lot worse without it. Best of luck for your discussion with GP Smile

Pinkywoo · 15/02/2021 01:03

I've been taking it for several years and it's completely stabilised my asthma, I only need to take my reliever when I'm ill. As far as side effects go it's very misleading for all these posters to talk about the terrible time they had when they're children were on it as it affects adults completely differently. It's very common for montelukast to cause problems in children but adults rarely have any side effects (I certainly haven't), it's definitely worth trying if you're struggling to control your asthma.

AnaisNun · 15/02/2021 01:05

Gave it to my son for a week. By the middle of the week he was having night terrors so awful he threw himself out of bed screaming. He was 2.

Never again.

AnaisNun · 15/02/2021 01:06

Not sure about adults, but I understand there’s a class action lawsuit in relation to montelukast use in children ongoing in the US.

VicarofDibley · 15/02/2021 01:49

I have severe asthma. I tried it for a short while. Didn't help me at all and made my migraines even worse.

VimFuego101 · 15/02/2021 01:51

DSD had sleep disturbance and mood swings while taking it. She would bite at her arms in her sleep. As others have said it can be a miracle drug, but be on the watch for side effects.

Ermmmmname · 15/02/2021 02:09

I tried it for a week, ended up getting hives, super sore throat and more difficulty breathing.
Ended up on fostair 200/6 and a steroid nasal spray that seems to be working alright when I’m not ill.

farnworth · 15/02/2021 06:06

Another adult who has been taking it for a long time and recommending it.

Had very poorly controlled asthma years ago. Combination of montelukast, antihistamine and fostair daily (ventolin sometimes) has enabled me to have a normal, active life.
I did find it disturbed my sleep when taking it at night, so take it in the morning.
Originally I thought it made me feel depressed (one potential side effect) but then realised that I feel low when my asthma is not controlled - that finding it harder to breathe affects my mood, not the meds!

I had read about the impact on children. I think you need to consider the impact of taking montelukast on you as an adult.

The crucial question is - would it benefit your life? If you can’t do things because of your asthma, then it is worth trying it for a proper length of time. I can now do sport with no side effects. A decade ago I could not do, or risk, much sport at all. The asthma clinic told me years ago that asthma should not stop me from doing things; if it did, then it wasn’t well managed enough yet. If you already lead a normal active life and you feel your asthma is well controlled, then maybe you don’t need it. (Depends if the nosebleeds are seasonal or permanent, if they are serious, if they are impacting your life and you really do feel fostair is the reason.......)

As a side comment, because I do believe montelukast has really helped me, and am not trying to derail the thread and introduce covid for no reason 😉, I also did end up with covid - our worst fear, and happened even after I had been exceptionally cautious. I got through and didn’t need additional medical care bar talking to my GP on the phone. (As an asthmatic, make sure you have an oximeter and good thermometer at home - you need to use constantly). Under GP instructions, I had to use both inhalers non stop for a while. But I recovered 😀

cabbagevan · 15/02/2021 06:17

My Dd was on it for years, no side effects and it was a wonder drug for her.

SolemnlySwear2010 · 15/02/2021 07:53

I have just recently been put on it (also take ventolin and fostair 200/6) and it has made a huge difference. I dont wake up in the middle of the night wheezing and I can go for days without needing my blue inhaler, when before it was needed every day.

Not had any side effects yet but only been on it about 10 days

TalbotAMan · 15/02/2021 07:58

It was the best thing I ever had for my asthma. However, it gave me nightmares and ultimately DW stopped me taking it because I was kicking her in my sleep.

Original poster
Rainandsunplease · 15/02/2021 10:05

Thanks for all this information! It’s interesting to read everyone’s different experiences on this.

OP posts:
NooneElseIsSingingMySong · 15/02/2021 10:10

I’ve been taking it for almost a year (had a bad flare up March 2020). I find it helps. The side effects I’ve really noticed are more issues with my IBS which I can counteract with IBS medication and bad dreams if I take it late at night, so I take it after dinner, then I’m okay.

Inpersuitofhappiness · 15/02/2021 11:14

I was on it for a few years. It stopped me from coughing up blood so was happy with it

redheadwitch · 15/02/2021 11:16

I took it for around a year and when I had to take antibiotics, I got a horrendous case of oral thrush. This was caused by the combination of montelukrast and oral antibiotics. That wasn't a fun week!

GeminiRising · 15/02/2021 11:25

I've been taking Montelukast for the best part of 20 years daily along with antihistamine after getting adult onset asthma after the birth of my second child.

No issues in all that time.

It controls my asthma, haven't had to use an inhaler for years. It is noticeable if I forget to take one or run out before I can pick up my prescription.

Worth a try maybe?

Nearlyhalfterm · 15/02/2021 11:34

I have adult onset asthma. On fostair and Salbutamol. Wasn't been well controlled at all over the last year after flu and was given courses of oral steroids to help. Montelukast has made a massive difference for me. Means I can just go to sleep at night instead of lying in bed coughing. I have a history of depression but it hasn't affected my MH at all. I think all medications suit some and not others and the only thing you can do is see if it helps you and try something else if not.

Whitecup4 · 15/02/2021 11:36

I take it with no side affects at all. It also makes a huge difference to me and really really helps. I’d always take it if I can as the befits really help me

Ispini · 15/02/2021 11:52

As others have said, nightmares are a real side effect. My DD spent two weeks having horrific nightmares, I stopped the treatment and just stuck to a nose spray. The side effects were worse than the asthma. Having said that some people have no side effects at all so maybe try it but be prepared. Best of luck, hope you find a solution.

Hankunamatata · 15/02/2021 11:54

Iv taken it for years. Brilliant stuff. No side effects.

Hankunamatata · 15/02/2021 11:55

And I take mine in the morning so perhaps that's why no bad dreams?

StormOfSekhmet · 15/02/2021 12:05

My Son was on it for a few years, it really helped him. There were side effects, nightmares and sleep-walking. I chose to keep going with the medication, because it worked so well. My Son and I couldn't sleep before it, as he coughed incessantly without it.