Chemicals symptoms and conditions

I had 2 lupron shots back in April and May and it was the worst decision of my life. I now have SEVERE panic attacks, depression and loss of appetite. I was a very healty 33 year old woman and very active and now all I want to do is stay in bed. I was NEVER informed by my doctor of any side effects other than I MIGHT get a little moodier (angry) easier. That never happened. For 2 months straight all I did was cry. I would wake up crying and go to bed crying. I have never had any past experience with depression and I have already seen a psychiatrist and 4 other doctors. I finally saw a new OBGYN and she informed me that the 2nd shot that I received went straight to my head and it messed with the chemicals in my brain. I am a wreck. I have no energy and it's all I can do to just get out of bed and go to work. Had I known about ANY of these side effects, I would have NEVER taken this drug. This drug needs to be banned completely and thrown in the trash can before any other woman goes thru this. I was on the verge of being suicidal. I am a Christian woman and would never harm myself but the thoughts were always there. I would wake up with a severe panic attack and they would come all during the day. The doctor that originally gave me the shots told me I had psychological issues and HE HIMSELF called and got me an appointment with a psychiatrist. Ladies, we are not crazy. These are real symptoms and it is all because of these shots. It messes with the chemicals in your brain. And had I know that, I would have said HECK NO to them. My endometriosis is much more tolerable than these stupid, insane shots. Please do not take them if at all possible. I do not want one more woman to go thru what I have been through and still going through. I now am on anti depressants to try to get the chemicals in my brain back to where they should be. I just hope and trust in the Lord that I will eventually get through this.

What exactly do we need for a class action suit, guys?

Side effects: Severe disorientation as if very drunk (vertigo, dizziness, feeling "out-of-body" or high), hallucinations (including feeling things crawling on me), overwhelming fatigue (as if I hadn't slept for days), muscle soreness (as if I'd exercised for hours), joint and tendon pain (especially in hands, wrists and ankles), insomnia, nausea (lost 8lbs in a few days), racing heartbeat, dehydration, ringing in ears, stomach cramps, yeast infection and spotting.

The drug immediately made me sick but I thought it was just the sinus infection, and unfortunately kept on taking it. The side effects were actually worse AFTER I stopped taking it (I got much worse before I got better).

If you're on this stuff, STOP IMMEDIATELY. If you're scared and experiencing side effects as I did, PLEASE KNOW that they are real (you're not imagining things) but they WILL go away. Listen to your body, rest as much as you can, and drink plenty (and I mean PLENTY) of fluids. Despite the nausea, eat SOMETHING (toast, bananas, applesauce).

This is a 24-hour drug, so (verified by my pharmacist) due to its half life, it takes a MINIMUM of four days to leave your system. I only started feeling non-drugged a full 7 days after I stopped taking it. The fatigue lingered (kind of like getting over the worst bout of flu EVER) but now it's slowly going away, too. This stuff was an overwhelming blow to my physical health (I've NEVER been this sick), but I'm getting better. YOU WILL, TOO!

i want my body back!! i've been on b/c for the past 4 years. 3 Yasmin 1 yaz. i feel so stupid that i did not notice what it was doing to me . my side effects were no where as bad as everyone else's, but one thing is for sure, i have NO SEX DRIVE AT ALL!! I feel so bad for my husband. For the past three years i have been totally against having sex and always have to force myself. this is not normal for a 26 year old old who has a wonderful, good looking husband who i love with all my heart. my chest gets sore a lot as well. i just want to get off of these pills already so i can be myself with out chemicals interfering in my life. we're going to try condoms for a while until my husband can go in for a vasectomy. i wish there were more birth control options out there that won't screw u up.

I am a loving mother of a 5 1/2 year old boy. He has been on Singulair for over 3 years. In this past 3 years my son has suffered in an unspeakable amount. He came down with Rota Virus and was hospitalized at 2. He then came in contact with Pneumonia in the hospital while he was there. They automatically put him on Singulair, Zyrtec, Prednisone, and antibiotics to treat the pneumonia. Since that day, my son has gone though more tests than I have in my entire life. He has had asthma, sinusitis, leg cramping ( to the point he cannot walk for 2 years), IBS, Acid reflux,(they gave him laxatives for a year that made things worse and addicted to them also), stomach pain, constipation and diarrhea back and forth. He also got Erythema Mulitforme TWICE, while on this drug. All of which the doctors said could NOT be caused by Singulair. He has had several Upper GI's and CT scans. Along with Barium enemas, several hundreds of blood tests, and many many pokes and prodded that were not necessary. All since he has been on Singulair. He now has frequent bathroom trips, depression, confusion, and anger outbursts. He also has to go to the restroom every 5 minutes. He has had genital swelling, and many other aches and pains. None of which his "doctor" ever said could be a result of Singulair. I am 100% sure it was!!!! He currently has anxiety and emotional sporadic issues causing problems in school The teachers and counselors say that it is so strange because there is no TRIGGER and the outbursts are completely inconsistent. His preschool teacher and director are sure he has ADHD. Well, we had him tested and he does not have any part of it. He has no learning disability what-so-ever. So that brought me back to square one. He is in a positive loving enviroment. How could he be depressed and want to hurt everyone around him? He cannot sit still. He cries and says he is 'stupid" and "can't think" like the other boys. He has nightmares and cannot sleep alone. He is scared of everyone and everything. So, as I sit here crying, I realized that this has all been a reaction of his "medicine" Singulair. He never should have gone through all of those painful tests, only to prove they couldn't find anything. So many treatments and sound full advice speeches from his doctors. How could they be so naive and selfish in the life of my son?

When I called my pediatrician of 5 years, she told me that " parents that have children with behavioral problems will LOOK for something to blame their problems on." She also said "drug companies only put side effects on their labels to PROTECT the drug companies. (as she laughed at me) They are not always valid". Then she said "if you take you child off of Singulair you will be playing Russian Roulette in his life." Then she said that all children around 5 or 6 go though this emotional time in their lives." She told me that if I take my child off of Singulair that she would no longer be a part of his health regimen for his asthma. She told me to see a Pulmonologist for further treatment.
Who is paying who? This is my son's life???????? I decided to go with my mother-gut instinct and get him off of this medicine. No matter what. He has been a different person since. He is currently going though a lot of side effects and withdrawals (leg pain, insomnia, hic-ups, emotional distress) but every day is getting better. How can the drug companies say that this is a "wonder drug?" There are more reported side effected patients then clinical studied patients! How can a "medication" that stimulates the brain not be connected to other problems? This "medication" interferes with the bio synthesis and action of LTs and has been marketed as NOVEL medication against asthma and allergic rhinitis. Who the hell is playing God here??? The pocket books of Merck or our over PAID "doctors?" Who pays the price? Our children? Or us. Thank god I found this before it was too late. I would not be able to withstand the pain of losing my son due to their lack of scientific evidence. They are lucky I am one of the smart ones. I will not settle for less than Justice for the drug companies and their paid "doctors?" You all end up in the same place. HELL

There are 18 million people on this drug. Most of them are children. Please save a life if not your own child's life. Thank You

I am a 34 year old female and have been on wellbutrin for 3 yrs. taking 300mg a day. I have lost a bunch of hair. Half of my hair is gone and that is no exaggeration!!!!!! But the worst part of it is that I had no clue that my medication could be causing it. My mom is a hairdresser and she has been really concerned about my hair loss. We thought maybe we were just frying it with all of the chemicals we put on it---BUT after talking about it we ruled that out because we have ALWAYS done it. It wasn't until after LUCK of stumbling across this info on the net that we put 2 and 2 together. UUHHGG!!! I am sooo mad at my Dr. I even discussed my hair loss with her a YEAR AGO. She had bloodwork done for my thyroid and it came back normal. I have a check-up today concerning my meds. I'm going off it ASAP. Dont want to just stop completely because i heard it can be dangerous. But i recommend to anyone taking wellbutrin that likes having a full head of hair to stop taking it!!! The Dr.'s will tell you that it is not a side effect but believe me---IT IS!!! I can only hope now that mine will grow back.!!!!!

I am on my 3rd NuvaRing, and my last NuvaRing. This thing has cause me more pain and problems than anything I have ever used! The first time around the only problem I had was an increase in UTI's and extreme discomfort in my vagina and urethra, especially during and days after sex. I was told these side effects would go away within the next trial of the NuvaRing. Boy, were they wrong. After Taking out my second NuvaRing my period lasted from JULY 5TH to JULY 18TH! I also had to face the heaviest period of my life. I would go through a super plus absorbency tampon and panty liner in less than an hour. How embarrassing, inconvenient, and uncomfortable! I have had two ultrasounds, and 3 pelvic exams since starting the NuvaRing just 3 months ago. I have also had to face headaches, stomach pains, MOOD SWINGS, IRRITABILITY, and depression. This thing has put a damper on my sex drive and my relationship with everyone around me including my boyfriend of 3 1/2 years. I would not recommend the NuvaRing to anyone!!!!!!!!

Levaquin is a wonderful drug and one of a very few that help men with prostatitis. If you have ever suffered with a prostatitis infection you know what i mean. No problems here with Leviquin.

been on 20mg Omeprazole for well over a year & when i think back, i regularly have had a very bad rash round groin & armpits. Same doc prescribed steroid cream which kept it in check only. No mention that both only for short term use, I,ve just found that out on this & other Omeprazole websites! 3 weeks ago on Wed. night had normal itch on bum, scratched it, very sore, & carried on.By Sun am. I was at walk in center covered almost head to foot in large blotchy red rash unbearably itchy. After 2 duff diagnoses another GP at my practice took me off Omaprezole without really pointing the finger.The rash & itching have almost gone now after 2 weeks so he knew ok. Can only speak 4 myself but have very little faith in GPs & chemicals now. Someone on this site says try teaspoon Raw Organic Apple Cider Vinegar after meals which ties in with hints on " Miracle Cure 4 a Fee" sites elsewhere. Here,s hoping! Will update.

My side effects are severe bloating and complete lack of sex drive....at first I bled for days and days and called to have it removed and was told to wait a couple of weeks. I waited a couple of weeks and the bleeding was dimishing so I left it in. Then the light spotting continued and continued and so I made an appointment to have it removed. The nurse told me it was normal and that it would stop eventually and I may not have a period at all. I agreed to leave it in. She was correct in saying that things would even themselves out eventually but I still have the bloating and it's been 2 years now and I have a very light irritating period that is mainly brown spotting but it lasts for seven days straight and puts a real damper on the sex life that already has issues because I just don't feel like having sex. I don't feel attractive with that thing up there...it's uncomfortable and I feel pain in both ovaries on occasion. It's convenient in that it keeps me from getting pregnant but it's really sucky for the relationship when the man wants to do it all the time and the woman has no desire whatsoever. I find ways to avoid having sex or doing anything remotely sexual. It's crazy, I was never like this before. I like the fact that you don't have to remember anything as far as bc is concerned but they need to be honest with people when they recommend it. It has more side effects than birth control pills. I'm now starting to have chest pains and I've decided I think I'm going to have it removed and use condoms from now on. That's the only thing that keeps me from having issues. I just don't think our bodies were meant for all of these chemicals and I wish the doctors would get that through their heads and stop telling us we're crazy when we're not. We know our bodies better than anyone, you can't tell me this thing isn't causing problems in my body that I never had before. I have put off getting it removed because I know they are going to try to convince me to keep it and I don't feel like arguing but I'm to the point where I really want my life and my body back. I also want that extra 20 lbs to come off as I haven't been able to lose it since I had my daughter 2 years ago and had this thing inserted. So anyway, I'm with the rest of you with the crazy symptoms. Oh yea, I left off the fatigue and headaches that I get the week before I start my period. And oh yea, that mood swings are ridiculous. I hope someone is reading this. It's for real people.

I'm a couple weeks into taking this Loestrin pill, after being on Seasonique for about 3 months, and I'm nervous about it. I'm in a monogamous relationship with my boyfriend, he uses condoms , and I'm on birth control , but I'm experiencing nausea in the morning, weird food cravings, unpleasant cramps, headaches, but still light blood spotting. I was absolutely terrified that I was pregnant, but after reading these other entries, it seems mildly common to 'be pregnant' for a month. To be safe I'm getting a pregnancy test, but I'm hoping that the chemicals in the Loestrin doesn't mess with the test. I don't think I dig these pills very much if this is going to happen every month.

My doctor wants to give me Yasmin due to bad pms every month. I am already on meds for mood disorder but they don't seem to budge the monthly aggravation and agitation I suffer. I am 43 and do not need a BC pill as I had my tubes done a few years back but he feels this may be the answer for the pms. I had an oblation procedure done last year and only have a 3-4 day mild period anyway. Is anyone else in this situation? Should I take this pill ?

Update.... well my 6yr old son came off Singulair on 3-29. His sinuses drained finally (only waiting past year for that to happen) 9 days after coming off. His sinus problems have been gradually going away. He is now only taking claritin and sudafed when absolutely needed. BUT he started with sore throats. He never had a problem with tonsils only adenoids which they took out in Feb. Now since stopping the Singulair his tonsils have become constantly infected and twice the size so he will be having them removed in July. Some of the antibiotic don't seem to be working as he has been on them so much over past year. Im wondering if the Singulair was hiding the fact there was a problem with the tonsils as well.

I just viewed a commercial for Singulair now marketing directly to children. Has anyone seen it? They're promoting cherry flavored chewables and a cute little kitten in the background. The side effects so many of us have experienced with our children are still not mentioned instead they've done the exact opposite. With this drug under investigation(Dr. Sarah Sellers has already sent a personal email from the FDA) this is immoral! What can we do to stop any more children from being injured? Merck has no ethics, NONE!

Here is a story about another type of quinoline drug that also causes psychiatric side effects including suicide. Considering the side effects of Singulair, it may be worth investigating whether montelukast breaks up (in certain individuals) into chemicals that act in the same neurotoxic way that Lariam does. The neurological and psychiatric side effects of Lariam are very similar to Singulair in some individuals, of course, not all.

www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/01/27/60II/main538144.shtml - 95k

Why the brain function is impaired due to Singulair????? Maybe.

Here is the last chapter in a theoretical reason why Singulair affects brain function thus causing anxiety, depression, agitation, aggression, ADD/ADHD, and in extreme situations maybe seizures. I presented the study of the Chinese researchers that show a direct link between the cysLT1 receptor and the astrocyte in the brain. We don't really know how the cysLT1 receptor interacts with receptors that control astrocytes under all circumstances. We just know that there is an important link.

So last night, I had a dream about astrocytes. I don't really have anything to do but sit on an island, look at the Caribbean and fish so mental stimulation is actually welcome.

The last part of the "chain reaction" is probably the astrocytes role in glyconeogenesis. In other words, when the brain does not get proper nutrition, it sends signals to the liver to do something about the problem. The liver in turn releases glycogen which is turned into glucose to be released into the blood stream. A very unhappy brain becomes a very relieved brain. Obviously, we can't be eating all day long to keep our blood sugar up so the liver has to store energy and release it at the correct time.

Here is a diagram of that. Astrocytes are the only cell that produce the proper chemicals for this process to happen.

http://www.nature.com/jcbfm/journal/v27/n2/fig_tab/9600343f5.html
FIGURE
Quote: All credit to the authors, of course.

Energy metabolism in astrocytes: high rate of oxidative metabolism and spatiotemporal dependence on glycolysis/glycogenolysis
Leif Hertz, Liang Peng and Gerald A Dienel

BACK TO ARTICLEFigure 5.
Next figure | Previous figure | Figure and tables index

Glucose utilization pathways that provide or consume ATP. (A) Schematic of key aspects of the glycolytic pathway of glucose utilization for energy metabolism and major branch points that can divert carbon for other uses, including NADPH generation, storage of glucosyl units in glycogen, neuromodulator, and amino acid and nucleotide biosynthesis. The most important reactions for generation of energy are glycolysis (pyruvate/lactate formation from glucose), shown in light brown and occurring in all cell types, and glycogenolysis (pyruvate/lactate formation from glycogen), shown in light green, which occurs only in astrocytes, due to the astrocyte-specific expression of the enzyme glycogen phosphorylase, which releases a glucosyl unit from glycogen as G1P. The energetically most important biosynthetic reactions are synthesis of glycogen from glucose (glycogenesis) shown in brown and green and from pyruvate/lactate (gluconeogenesis) shown in pink, brown, and green. Gluconeogenesis is also astrocyte-specific, because only astrocytes express fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase, which generates F6P from fructose-1, 6-bisphosphate (F1, 6P) and PC, which generates oxaloacetate (OAA) from pyruvate. The latter reaction is followed by formation of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) by decarboxylation of OAA; this sequence is necessary to form PEP from pyruvate, an energetically unfavorable reaction. Biosynthesis of serine/glycine (shown in olive) is also an astrocyte-specific process due to preferential expression of 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (Yamasaki et al., 2001). Both neurons and astrocytes form alanine and ribose-5-phosphate (R5P), the latter in the pentose shunt pathway (upper left corner), linked to NADPH production needed for operation of glutathione peroxidase and oxidation of monoamine transmitters. The MAS, indicated by red, transfers malate formed in the cytosol from oxaloacetate during conversion of NADH to NAD+ into mitochondria. PDH-mediated formation of acetyl CoA, which is also shown in red, initiates oxidative degradation of pyruvate in the mitochondria. Red and blue text for ATP indicates energy production and utilization, respectively. (B) Major reactions and net ATP yields or net ATP consumption of major pathways derived from the glycolytic pathway are indicated in color-coded boxes that correspond to the color-coded pathways in panel A. For simplicity, the scheme indicates the energy yields (ATP) and NAD(P)H production or utilization based on metabolism of 1 glucose to form one ribulose-5-P, two lactate/pyruvate, or 2 serine; a similar representation illustrates the energy and cofactors required for gluconeogenic conversion of two moles of lactate into one free (G6P) or glycogen-bound glucosyl unit. Glc, glucose; P, phosphate; G6P, glucose-6-P; 6PG, 6-P-gluconate; R5P, ribulose-5-P; GSH, reduced form of glutathione; GSSG, oxidized form of glutathione; F6P, fructose-6-P; F1, 6-P, fructose-1, 6-bisphosphate; GAP, glyceraldehyde-3-P; DHAP, dihydroxyacetone-P; 3PG, 3-P-glycerate; 2PG, 2-P-glycerate; PEP, phosphoenolpyruvate; Pyr, pyruvate; Lac, lactate; Ala, alanine; OAA, oxaloacetate; 3P-HyPyr, 3-P-hydoxypyruvate; Glu, glutamate; KG, -ketoglutarate; 3P-L-Ser, 3P-L-serine; L-ser, L-serine; D-ser, D-serine; Gly, glycine; C1, one carbon fragment used for methyl donor reactions.

This is quite interesting because should the connection between the cysLT1 receptor and astrocyte be established and explained, it shows that there is a very direct link between the immune system and metabolism. That should be intuitive because when we get seriously sick, then we are laying in bed and the body should try to conserve energy so that we don't just waste away.

So what happens if we cause changes in the cysLT1 receptor to cause the astrocytes to believe that we are sick, the normal connection between the brain and glyconeogenesis then doesn't exist. We would have to be causing some kind of periods of extreme stress on the brain because we are out moving around and doing not home sick in bed.

Maybe we should award the Chinese researchers the nobel prize? Maybe they established the connection between the immune system and metabolism? Is there also a link between the immune system of some individuals and depression? Some how, this makes perfect sense. So we have to find out and help as many people as we can.

I think that it is time to call the lawyer-biochemists to find out if this can be proven to be true and if Merck knew or not.

I posted this on Mar 15th regarding my experience with Topamax...

I took Topamax for only 4 days. I ended up in the ER on Feb 22nd because I felt like I was going to pass out, getting dizzy, couldn't concentrate or think, numbness, rapid heart beat, shortness of breath and this was intensified by anxiety from all this stuff going on. I stopped taking it immediately. I have had episodes of these same side effects since then. I had these side effects last week and missed 3.5 days of work. I have been doing pretty good this week but today I had to leave work because the same side effects came back. I had to have someone come pick me up form the side of the interstate half way on my way home because it got so intense I could not drive. My doctors have done blood work and I am waiting for the results.

Since then, here is an updated on my side effects and what has been found by my doctors. I really hope this helps someone since this was very devastating for me. It got so bad I had to go on Medical Leave from work due to the side effects.

I had 10 tests run on my blood and tests and pictures done on my heart and everything checked out to be normal. Apparently since this medicine messes with the chemicals in your brain, it also has the capability of turning on anxiety, depression, panic attacks, etc. My primary care doctor, my neurologist, my cardiologist and a stated licensed counselor/therapist all have diagnosed me with anxiety leading up to panic attacks. Basically what I was told by my counselor was that my level of anxiety in my brain was turned on so high, it didn't know to come back down after I stopped the medicine. Now anything can set it off and it's quickly escalates into a panic attack without control. I was so bad that I was having anxiety/panic attacks about merging into traffic, going to work, going through the drive thru at McDonald's, going to WalMart and just anything in general. I started a medicine that controls anxiety and I have been on it for a week. Although I still get anxiety, I am able to control it and it's not escalating into the panic attacks. The best thing is with this type of medicine is that it can take "a couple of weeks" before it's built up into my system, so this should take care of it. I was advised with some counseling to learn how to control my anxiety and some medicine, this can be taken care of. I just have to allow my brain to get the levels of anxiety back down to normal levels and then I can eventually stop taking the medicine.

I think that I can get my head around certain things and try to explain to you that medications do not work for all people or affect all people the same way. Well, that sounds simple enough to say - DUH. But, it is actually quite complicated chemically. Human beings are not chemically the same because we have variations in our genes. Would you be surprised to learn that about 60% of adverse drug reactions involve certain chemicals (in some cases enzymes) that we already know what these chemicals or enzymes are and what the variants are among populations groups? Some times we can predict who would have an adverse reaction to what medications if we knew what gene subgroup the patient was part of. We could also predict whether the patient would metabolize a drug at the same speed as others or not. Metabolize means utilize the drug and then discard the by-products--mostly the liver is the recycling center of chemical waste. Anything that the liver cannot re-use, the kidneys gets rid of in the urine. Speed of metabolism is a very important thing because people who are slow metabolizers might actually experience over-dose. There are other differences caused by genes that can cause different reactions according to the individual person.

I am interesting in following this site because I am wondering if the concept is flawed meaning that other parts of the body were ignored at the expense of controlling asthma and allergies of the nasal passages and lungs. OR - is there just a problem that relates to genetic differences in something such as enzymes and certain populations groups do just fine on Singulair with no problems and other people have some awful problems?

This isn't my area. But, sadly, if I can spend two weeks looking at this and come up with at least a road map of what I am looking for to answer some important questions then people who do this for Merck already know the answers. Why do I say that? Because, the adverse side effects (major categories) correspond to important areas of leukotriene receptor location and activity. Maybe not necessarily this receptor but part of a chemical process that involves this receptor.

The bottom line is that Singulair is the wrong medication for anyone that has adverse reactions. OR, there is a problem regarding the dosage that involves how fast the patient metabolizes the medication. Considering that there is a link to psychiatric adverse drugs reactions in Singulair and some medications for depression are linked to differences in metabolism due to enzymes, then there could be possibly something important to be learned from Singulair adverse drug reactions.

The biggest problem is that pharmaceutical companies are not properly communicating with the doctors who prescribe their medications. Why not communicate to doctors to look out for side effects and be aware that there are gene variations among people that are directly linked to how the patient might respond to the medication?

What happens if the patient belongs to the gene group that will have problems? If the pharm company does not tell the doctor to be on the alert, then the doctor tells the patient that it is not the drug that is causing the problem. Then the gene groups with the problems, go on the war path.

Our son was put on several medications 9/07 due to bad asthma and allergies. Since then we saw his behavior begin to go down hill. He would complain of stomaches, not want to go to school, became increasingly more irritable and has mood swings. He was a good student and we have never had a problem with him attending school. Since 9/07 we have taken him to a total of 10 different doctors. Pediatricians, therapist, allergy doctor and three licensed psychiatrists. Everyone said that we were crazy when we suggested that this behavior was linked to the medication. The psychiatrist diagnosed him with anxiety disorder along with school phobia. This has been a nightmare. I finally took him to an acupuncture doctor as a last resort because the doctors wanted us to put him on Prozac for the anxiety. Our family doctor has even suggested he is Bipolar! The acupuncture doctor has recommended a diet change and some treatments with her so that we can remove him from all his medications. I am so glad that I listened to my instincts and did not put him on the Prozac. I was so upset when this story aired about the Singulair. We have been trying to get the doctors to listen to us since 9/07 about the possible link. They still deny the connection and advised us to not remove him from the medicine. But for once I am going to handle things my way and we have already seen a difference in his behavior. We will keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best. My heart goes out to everyone that has had similiar experiences. These doctors should listen to the parents instead of assuming we are all trying to blame behavior problems on medication.

MY SON IS TAKING THIS MEDICINE ANDHE IS STILL HAVING OUTRAGES,AND HISDOCTOR HAS UPED HIS DOSAGE AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO

I have been posting here since 2005 (under lmholmes back then) and with this recent surge in media reports about singulair I came back to see what's being said more recently and I am getting angrier and angrier with every post I read. How could this have gone on this long? How could children have DIED because of the mental side effects of this drug that HAVE BEEN REPORTED FOR YEARS AND YEARS? Kate's son and other children who committed suicide might still be alive if someone had listened to us all years ago. When will they hear us? And further, how long will it take for someone to figure out what the long term effects of this drug are. What about all the kids who have been WRONGLY diagnosed with mental illness and are on drugs for that or for ADHD? What do those parents do now? These kids have been pumped full of chemicals they didn't even need. How do we hold these jackasses accountable? I have written to the FDA, to my congresspeople, to whomever I could find who might listen and still nobody is listening. And still kids all over the country are sick because of this stupid pill and their parents don't know it because just about every symptom--yes, even suicide--can be explained away in another way. How can anyone reading all of these posts deny that there is a pattern here? How do we spread the word?

I'm disgusted. I vowed long ago (over three years now since my son's life was turned upside down by Singulair) not to put my kids on any medication again that didn't have a long, well-documented history, but everyone with a child on this drug needs to know about these symptoms so they can decide whether or not to keep their kids on it.

I like to live my life with facts, not speculation and drama. My child is on Singulair and doing fantastic. I remember the trips to the ER when I did not know if my child would live or die. Of course when I saw this report, it caused me some concern so I did some research on my own. Did you know that suicide is the leading cause of violent death in New York State, the United States and the world? In 2002 in New York State there were 1,292 suicides which exceeded homicides by 32%. The statistics show that 1 in 10 teenagers plans to commit suicide. The National Center for Health reports a 10% suicide rate in kids 15-24 years of age and 4 male suicides for every female suicide. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among those 15-24 years old.

So now we have 1 child in New York that has committed suicide that just happened to be on Singulair, and it is Singulairs fault? Show me the proof. All I see is one distraught mom who is trying to find blame for her son’s tragic death. Is there only half the story being told, a trend I have noticed in journalism these days. Let’s face it, life happens. I am NOT on Singulair and I have had melt downs, thrown things across the room, been depressed over things, cried, and even for the past week have been having some crazy dreams. I remember as a child putting notes on my room door telling my parents how much I hated them. I remember as a teenager thinking my life would be better if I were dead. I remember my child being cranky and fussy before she was on Singulair, gee maybe she was teething. The term “terrible twos” has been around a lot longer that Singulair. Let’s face it, we have turned into a society of people who always want something to blame. I think it is time people start taking responsibility for themselves and accept the fact that sometimes life just happens. Take accountability for your own lives, and stop trying to blame everything and anything.

I also live my life by reading internet blogs with a grain of salt. These blogs are public forums and places where anyone and everyone can post. How do you know that all these posts are real? Remember the day when kids made prank phone calls for fun? Now they have the internet and can post pranks on these blogs. How do you know that a competitor to Singulair is not posting in order to fuel the feeding frenzy? How about a registered sex offender or a felon in prison? There are a lot of “sick” people in the world and yes, they have access to the internet too. If you are hanging on every single one of these posts as being true and real then I feel sorry for you. The internet provides anonymity and it is easy to create a fictitious identity and a fictitious story. That is probably why if you do a search for “internet safety” you get 15,700,000 hits.

Until I see proof, I am not going to take my child off Singulair. The CDC reports that in 2002 there were 1.9 million visits to the ER for asthma and 4,261 asthma deaths. If I did stop my child’s Singulair, and she died in the ER from as asthma attack, whose head does that fall on? The media?

ALSO
what the hell has this world come to? First let me say I am by no means anti earth or anti environment I do my parts to recycle and cut down on my waste, but who the decided that a little bit of pollution is more important than our health. It is extremely minute. Why not stop selling cheese it makes people FART and the methane gas is extremely bad for the evionment. But they still sell hair spray, insect spray, and spray paint and other chemicals. What the hell is going on???
Selling spray paint to 15 year old punks to tag the trains and buildings must have more profit than a $25 inhaler.

I have a 19 month old baby and she was prescribed Singulair when she was 15 months old after a bad bout of pneumonia. So she has been on it for 4 months and I haven't seen any severe side effects. To be honest, I am one of those people that follows whatever her pediatrician recommends and I trust that after 25 years as a doctor, he knows what he is doing. But all of these reports are now terrifying me. I haven't noticed any change in her behavior or moods, and she has always been a very rambunctious baby so if there has been any change (like increased aggression or anxiety) it is hard to tell in such a small child. Has anyone had any experience giving Singulair to a child this young (under 2)?

My son was recently prescribed Singulair and I refuse to start him on anything that I don't research on the internet first. Thank god I did. I read everyone's symptoms on here and couldn't believe what I was reading. After discussing my research with his doctor, she of course tried to brush it off saying that the internet is not a place where I should be getting my information. That people make things up etc. We all have to understand that Doctors get paid to SELL the product to you ( the human lab rat). Please make sure to research any meds a.k.a. chemicals they want you to put into your body. Take care of your body, eat the right food and take your vitamins/supplements. I can't believe the news today..I'm sooo happy I did not put my son on this EVIL drug! Take care of yourselves and god bless you all.

My son was prescribed Strattera for ADD. 25 mg for three days,
but when the dosage increased to 40 mgs, it was a nightmare.

This was the worst medicine I have ever had my 12 yr old son take. He lost his appetite, had insomnia for several weeks and behaved like he was in a stupor when he was awake.
I would NEVER EVER have him take this drug again and I do not
recommend it to anyone else.