Singulair and muscle spasms

Just took my 6 year old off Singulair after he began blinking incessantly... very frightening. After a couple of weeks on Singulair, I received a note home from his teacher that he was blinking all day at school. Sure enough, when he got home the blinking continued... non-stop for several days! Fortunately, I was able to find information relating this behavior to Singulair. After a few days off the medication, the blinking stopped and has not returned.

Below is the latest ADR report on Singulair from the United Kingdom. I deleted side effects reports by very small numbers of patients in order to keep the post briefer. This shows the total number of reports since Singulair was approved in the UK.

I don't know the total number of prescriptions for Singulair in the UK. It is considered expensive.

Drug Analysis Print
Drug name: MONTELUKAST
Drug name: MONTELUKAST Report type: Spontaneous
Report run date: 13-May-2008 Report origin: UNITED KINGDOM
Data lock date: 09-May-2008 08:00:02 PM Route of admin: ALL
Period covered: 01-Jul-1963 to 09-May-2008 Reporter type: ALL
Earliest reaction date: 01-Jan-1997 Reaction: ALL

Cardiac disorders-TOTAL 64
Palpitations 29
Myocardial infarction 6
Tachycardia 6
Diarrhoea 84
Dyspepsia 24
Abdominal pain 98
Abdominal pain upper 22
Nausea 84
Vomiting 52
Dry mouth 15
Asthenia 13
Fatigue 45
Malaise 32
Sudden death 1
Pyrexia 10
Chest discomfort 12
Feeling abnormal 16
Influenza like illness 17
Irritability 18
Drug interaction 13
Chest pain 13
Arthralgia 59
Myalgia 38
Muscle spasms 24
Pain in extremity 14
Balance disorder 10
Lethargy 16
Somnolence 23
Psychomotor hyperactivity 25
Headache 221
Dizziness 68
Neuropathy peripheral 7
Convulsion 6
Epilepsy 7
Dysgeusia 7
Hypoaesthesia 6
Tremor 18
Nervous system disorders TOTAL 526
Abnormal behaviour 13
Agitation 12
Anxiety 18
Aggression 30
Depression 23
Insomnia 58
Abnormal dreams 12
Nightmare 49
Hallucination 21
Sleep disorder 15
Psychiatric disorders TOTAL 364
Asthma 36
Allergic granulomatous angiitis 43
Angioedema 12
Swelling face 12
Erythema 13
Pruritus 32
Rash pruritic 17
Rash 55
Urticaria 33

TOTAL NUMBER OF REACTIONS 2841
TOTAL NUMBER OF FATAL ADR REPORTS* 19
TOTAL NUMBER OF ADR REPORTS* 1489

I've been diagnosed with anxiety and panic attacks since Nov. 15 2007 ended at the hospital emergency room, after using Xopenex been using Advair and Singulair due to my asthma once my Doctor increased my Advair from 250mg to 500mg twice a day on Sept. 5th 2007 noticed fast palpitations and overwhelming. Knew and complained for quite sometime that I wasn't feeling like myself. Since Nov. 26th 2007 I stopped taking Advair, Albuterol inhalers,Nebulizers due to the fact of my new Anxieties that I never had. Continued taking my Singulair medication thinking that it was safe. Only been on Singulair a little over a year. Still continued to experience Anxiety and Panic attacks. Due to this I've been seeing a therapist since Dec. of 07.Has affected myself, my children who have witnessed my episodes of Anxiety attacks and know thats not me.Also has affected my performance at my job and attendance. Just took two MRI's of the brain just last week thinking there maybe something wrong with my brain.My side affects have been Dizzy spells,feeling faint,blurry vision,extremely tired,muscle spasms,loss of concentration, and not being focused. These are my experiences with Singulair and I believe that the FDA should further investigate these allegations. I know for a fact I've been experiencing this for quite sometime and my Doctors tell me I'm just depressed. Ignoring the fact they prescribed me so many medications that trigger Anxiety depression and God knows what. Thank you Cita

I have been on singulair for 4 days. My ears hurt, my throat is sore and I have been getting SEVERE muscle spasms in my feet and legs when i go to bed. Taking med in p.m.____getting little sleep and feel very "fuzzy". I have asthmatic bronchitis and mild to moderate copd. Is anyone with these dx. on this med? any good effects with breathing? I can't take the pains and am stopping the med tonite.There HAS to be a better way!

My 8 yearold daughter after about 2 months of being on singulair started having muscle spasms on her right side of neck and face. Later the spasms started getting worse. She said like she felt someone was jerking her head. She also started having uncontrollable kicking spasms. We had an MRI of her brain and spine done. Nothing, she was fine. We had a biospy of a small lesion from a prior cut; nothing again. Finally, we took her off the singulair, the only drug she was taking. She is now fine. Her primary care physician, said mmmmm, possibility. It just seems too coincidental that the spasms started after she began taking singulair then stopped after we took her off. Anyone else, have similar experience??

After having sinus surgery (lasted more than 3 hrs) my ent dr placed me on singulair. once i recovered from the sugery, it was incredible. i had been sick for a year. my pf was down to 30%, i was on a rescue inhalaer, nebulizer, advair, and sometimes oral prednisone. the efffect was immediate. i felt good for the first time in more than a year. i weighed about 135 lbs - at 5'6, i was slim. After a year, i had gained about 15 pounds, and had urination at night every 1-2 hrs, then i started having stomach discomfort - consistant indigestion. i went to the dr who ordered lab, and gave me prevacid and told me to come back in a week. the next a.m. i took the prevacid and when i started to eat breakfast, i started vomitting and did not stop. i experienced muscle spasms starting in my neck, down my back, leg that were non-stop for 3 hrs. i went to the er, had all kind of tests, mri, etc. the drs never gave me a dianosis, but my daughter thought it was the singular so i refused it while in the hospital. after recovering at home for a few days i went back to work. no more muscle spasm, no more frequent urination, stomach discomfort is only about 20% of what it was, but i am about 30 pounds heavier than when i started the drug. i eat only 1,200 - 1,500 calories a day, but cannot lose the weight. i have an active job, walk a lot, but cannot lose the weight. i am on asmanex and have not been to my allergist in about 6 months. doing very well!!!

Howdy, folks. Pollen count here went through the roof, over 3,000, and I was dripping, wheezing and sneezing. In addition to Advair and albuterol inhaler, doctor gave me Rx for Singulair. Since taking the Singulair (2 weeks), I have had severe sinus headache (frontal), dizziness, really bad sore throat, and excruciating muscle spasms. I do not feel sick, no fever, just have these symptoms. I forgot to take the Singular for 2 nights, felt much better, then took 1 last night, and voila!, sore throat and headache are back with a vengeance. This stuff is SCARY!. Will see doctor Monday and will definitely stop taking this medicine.

Ever since I started taking this stuff I have had an intermittent facial tic on the right side in the cheek area. Sometimes the muscle spasms so hard I can see it in a mirror. Also, the area frequently feels "tight."

I feel relieved to know that I am not going crazy, that many others are having unpleasant side effects to Singulair. I am 28 years old and started taking this medication about a month and a half ago for allergy induced asthma. Things were great for about a week, I was breathing great, never short winded, I could sleep at night breathing through my nose for once even.

Then came the second week on the drug. I realized I was getting restless at night, having horribly vivid dreams. I'm constantly nauseous and just starting to get more irritable, aggressive, depressed, tired. I bruise really easlily now, get terrible muscle spasms and cramps in my legs and feet. I've been waiting this out to see if it gets any better for I know these can be side effects, but I have just had enough. I'm thankful for this website, and the people who are telling their complaints. I will be stopping the medication tonight, and will have to consider other alternatives like allergy shots etc.