To flag this to parents of kids on montelucast for asthma

[Colourofspring]

My son is under the care of a respiratory consultant for his asthma and the consultant has tried to put him
on montelucast a few months ago- I refused as the consultant informed me that it can cause halluncinations and DS is just about to do his GCSEs.

Now this has come out- one 14 year old boy committed suicide and his parents think this drug is to blame- horrendous for them 😢

Its not the first thing I have read about it either but this article was in the paper today:

https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/may/04/warning-over-asthma-drug-after-500-neuropsychiatric-reactions-reported-in-young-children

My son reacted badly to Montelukast, the year he took it was a year of hell. We were not warned about the potential side effects even when discussing his anxiety with the prescibing clinician. He was only taken off it when I discovered the information online myself and I doubt his case was flagged up at all or is part of the statistics. From what I have read online it seems we are not the only people who have had this experience.

You could still fill in a yellow card report.

@MoiraRosesRosesGarden I know I probably should. Still dealing with an extremely sick child right now.

I have just read your link, very helpful and thanks for sharing. He did also develop gastric symptoms when taking it which are ongoing and getting worse. I have recently been wondering about mast cell activation syndrome which is also mentioned.

I think I need to join this group, would you be able to point me in the right direction?

Look up Montelukast (singulair) side effects support and discussion group on fb.

I recently rejoined. I left about 10 years ago as we were trying to put it all behind us and move on.

It's not relatively rare though. Studies have shown that 16% of people discontinued the drug because of side effects. That's more frequently than 1 in 10!
Much worse in children (especially as they cannot tell you how miserable they feel)

Montelukast is also known as Singulair in the UK.
It absolutely broke my family when my child took it. We had no warnings and as the effects didn't start immediately we didn't associate it with a drug they had started months before.
My DC became extremely anxious, aggressive, had continuous night terrors and bed wetting, awful reactions to food colourings and was violent at home and school. The doctor didn't link the symptoms, nor did CAHMS. It went on for years. The stress on us all was terrible.
I found the cause by accident and joined the Montelukast side effects group on Facebook and had lots of support there.

My child took it as a toddler and I discontinued it because it impacted her behaviour and sleep, it was noticeable, within days of stopping her behaviour improved and the nightmares/night terrors stopped.

I didn't report it and although it is on her GP notes, I doubt a yellow card was completed. No side effects were mentioned to me by the GP, I read the drug information leaflet that came with it otherwise I wouldn't have known.

We didn't report the night terrors or bed wetting (literally every night). We just stopped as we didn't like the side effdcfsm
I wonder if the side effects are much higher than reported then.

Anyone know about fostair then? I'm on that...