Serious Side effects of Asthma Drug

[Luna42]

Safety fears over asthma drug after young children suffer severe side effects www.theguardian.com/society/2024/mar/03/safety-fears-over-asthma-drug-after-young-children-suffer-severe-side-effects

I just wanted to highlight this and spread the word, for any parent who doesn't realise the possible side effects of this drug.
I haven't been effected, and don't know anymore than the article says but was so heartbroken to read about the teenage boy who took his own life I felt I needed to share as couldn't see a thread on it.

I knew which drug this would be. We were prescribed it for my then 6yo. We stopped it as it wasn’t helping and he turned out not to have asthma, but I was horrified to learn the side effects that the gp had totally failed to warn us of, I thought it was negligent. My 6yo is quite volatile and moody so we couldn’t really tell if he had some side effects or not.

Prescribers are aware of the potential risks, but it is also a wonder drug for many. Any drug has potential side effects - if you read the box of a paracetamol the side effects would put you off ever taking it but for most it’s fine!

Yes, but some drugs have far greater risks. In the US this drug has a black box warning on it due to recognised safety concerns; paracetomal doesn’t. It’s not as simple as “all drugs haves side effects”

My DS was prescribed this about 10 years ago and was on it for a short time.

I looked it up at the time and the warnings and possible side effects (that occur in a small minority of people) were made very, very clear. I was on high alert at the time.

Every time you are prescribed something you are advised to read the leaflet that comes with the medication. It literally says it in the box. People actually do need to start doing this.

Okay, for some literacy will be an issue or English is not the first language, and I do think gps and pharmacists have much more of a responsibility then.

But for most people - read the guidance as you are meant to.
Personal responsibility is a thing.

It’s not but scaremongering about it doesn’t help either. Being aware is fine but it can’t be ignored that it is still deemed safe and effective for most.

I knew what this would be before I clicked on it. DSD took this for a while and had all sorts of awful side effects, all of which were fairly well known when I googled, but the doctor said she'd never heard of anyone experiencing.

I knew which drug it would be too, because the many possible side effects are pretty well known. My now 18 year old DS has been on monteluekast intermittently since he was about 5 and I have always known there are potentially serious side effects including mood and behavioural changes. It's not new information and has always been in the package inserts. Well, for at least the last 13 years to my certain knowledge.
It has to be balanced against the benefits of course. Monteluekast should only be prescribed when asthma is not being adequately controlled with inhalers/trigger avoidance where possible. The alternative for my son would be repeated courses of oral steroids which have their own risks, including potential mental health disturbances. I had some trepidation when it was first prescribed as we were thoroughly informed of the possible downsides but it changed my DS from a boy who was in and out of hospital, taking steroids on a regular basis, barely able to leave the house in winter and certainly unable to do significant exercise to a happy, healthy young man who hasn't been hospitalised for over a decade and recently had national team trials in his sport.
Of course patients/parents should be aware of potential drug side effects and it's very sad that a young man has lost his life, but people also need to be aware of the risks of inadequately managed asthma. It tends to get viewed as a mild, common and easily managed illness these days, and for many it is. But it still kills. In fact according to NHS England 3 people die in this country every day from asthma.* *It's really important that people are aware of adverse drug effects but at least as important that they don't stop drugs that they need to control a potentially life threatening condition because of news like this.

My DD was prescribed this drug but she struggles to take tablets so we gave up. However I did read the leaflet myself ;as I do with all medication) so I was fully aware of the potential side effects.

I had this drug for a trial prescription but it had no noticeable effect on my (at the time quite severe) asthma.

The nearby coal power station shut down and my breathing vastly improved, though the gains are now being undone by several neighbours taking to wood burning...

I always read the leaflets too, and I'm not disputing that the drug is really effective many. Just awareness raising as I guess some parents will not read the leaflet, or connect a child's behaviour to the medication. If the GP or pharmacist don't highlight a rare but serious side effect a parent or carer won't be on the look out for it. I might not think an asthma drug would cause nightmares. And if a child has other conditions or stress in life or is reaching adolescence a decline in their mental health could be misdiagnosed.

Definitely not condoning people stopping meds or scaremongering. I do know how severe asthma can be, as one of my friends has been hospitalised several times.
Sorry as I know those who have children with asthma know much more than me. Again, just hoped to raise awareness of a potentially serious side effect that a med review and change of drugs could prevent rather than a child suffering. The parents who are part of the group campaigning for better awareness feel they were not made aware of the risks.

I knew even before opening the post which drug this would be. I was put on it a few years ago and the side effects were awful. I seriously thought I was losing touch with reality. Nothing made sense and I started to see things moving when they weren't.a week off it and everything was back to normal. DS was prescribed it for a short time during a chest infection as a toddler and the screaming he did during that time now makes total sense. He would wake up hysterical in the night and nothing could console him.