Kids on Singulair ??

[karinothing]

The Pedi put DS on singular. DS has always had a history of wheezing when he gets a cold. The last two colds he has had, we have had to put him on steroids Since it was twice in 6 months the Dr wants to put him on singular for the flu/cold season to hopefully avoid cold associated wheezing.

Does anyone have any experience? The side effects scare me a bit (possible depressiong/suicidal thoughts/hallucinations/etc). But the pedi said they are really rare and just to call him immediately if we notice mood changes.

If your child was put on singular did it reduce/eliminate wheezing?

[geneg]

How old? I see lots of kids on Singulair, esp for allergies. But most studies advocate inhaled steroids first before starting/adding Singulair.

[karinothing]

Dec 26, 2013 11:33:53 GMT -5 geneg said:

How old? I see lots of kids on Singulair, esp for allergies. But most studies advocate inhaled steroids first before starting/adding Singulair.

He is 26 months. We have been using abuterol when he gets a cold, but I guess it wasn't cutting it anymore. From what I have read there have been some studies recently showing that Singulair may prevent viral wheezing, which appears to be what DS has.

He has no known allergy issues.

[dbsk8dance]

DS has been on it since he was 2. He hasn't had any side effects that we ca tell.

He had the same issues as your son. Colds that go to his lungs needing strong antibiotics and once steroids. He's been pneumonia free for 2 years and is much much better with colds now. Singular and flo vent are what worked for us.

[dbsk8dance]

DS was tested for allergies when we started his medicine and was negative for all.

[Deleted]

When DH was on it, I (almost) wanted a divorce. He was like a completely different person. Nasty, irritable, just not a pleasure to be around at all. I was reading a magazine when I saw an ad for Singulair and somehow saw the side effects in the really tiny print. I begged DH to stop taking it, and he did for the most part. There are a few times a year he takes it for a week or two, but comes off of it b/c he doesn't like how it makes him feel.

I don't have any experience with kids taking it though.

[karinothing]

@mrsspunky - I am surprised your DH's Dr didn't mention that. My pedi warned me multiple times that I was to call him immediately if there was any mood changes. I even asked him if I would be able to tell the difference from normal toddler mood swings, and he said it would be obvious. So, it kind of sucks that your DH's Dr. wasn't more upfront about the issues (although maybe all the side effects hadn't come to light when he took it).

dbsk8dance - That is good to hear. I am hoping we can avoid flo vent since I would like him to not have to take any form of steroid. Does he just take the flow vent when he is sick? Or is it a daily thing?

[Deleted]

karinothing - it was 4, maybe 5 years ago, so it is possible all of the side effects were not as documented as they are now.

[h]

Dec 26, 2013 11:37:34 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Dec 26, 2013 11:33:53 GMT -5 geneg said:

How old? I see lots of kids on Singulair, esp for allergies. But most studies advocate inhaled steroids first before starting/adding Singulair.

He is 26 months. We have been using abuterol when he gets a cold, but I guess it wasn't cutting it anymore. From what I have read there have been some studies recently showing that Singulair may prevent viral wheezing, which appears to be what DS has.

He has no known allergy issues.

DS1 ended up on steroids because of wheezing after colds several times as a baby and was eventually diagnosed with asthma (that our allergist now thinks is allergy related wheezing, not true asthma). Our pediatrician recommended using inhaled steroids (Flovent) twice a day to see if that would cut it before going to Singulair. Our allergist and my dad, who is a pulmonologist, both agreed that it is best to try inhaled steroids before Singulair. DS1's wheezing has been well-controlled for years now on Flovent, and we have never had to move to Singulair.

That said, my nephew has been on Sinulair for years and does fine with it. I wouldn't hesitate to try it if needed, but I might investigate inhaled steroids first.

[h]

Dec 26, 2013 11:50:07 GMT -5 karinothing said:

@mrsspunky - I am surprised your DH's Dr didn't mention that. My pedi warned me multiple times that I was to call him immediately if there was any mood changes. I even asked him if I would be able to tell the difference from normal toddler mood swings, and he said it would be obvious. So, it kind of sucks that your DH's Dr. wasn't more upfront about the issues (although maybe all the side effects hadn't come to light when he took it).

dbsk8dance - That is good to hear. I am hoping we can avoid flo vent since I would like him to not have to take any form of steroid. Does he just take the flow vent when he is sick? Or is it a daily thing?

Why are you wanting to avoid Flovent? The daily Flovent is a really low dose of steroids with very minimal side effects--less so than with Singulair from what various docs have told me.

[karinothing]

Dec 26, 2013 11:59:24 GMT -5 h said:

Dec 26, 2013 11:50:07 GMT -5 karinothing said:

@mrsspunky - I am surprised your DH's Dr didn't mention that. My pedi warned me multiple times that I was to call him immediately if there was any mood changes. I even asked him if I would be able to tell the difference from normal toddler mood swings, and he said it would be obvious. So, it kind of sucks that your DH's Dr. wasn't more upfront about the issues (although maybe all the side effects hadn't come to light when he took it).

dbsk8dance - That is good to hear. I am hoping we can avoid flo vent since I would like him to not have to take any form of steroid. Does he just take the flow vent when he is sick? Or is it a daily thing?

Why are you wanting to avoid Flovent? The daily Flovent is a really low dose of steroids with very minimal side effects--less so than with Singulair from what various docs have told me.

Yeah, I know it is a low dose, but recent studies have show than even inhaled steroids impact height. DS is already in the 10th percentile and neither his dad nor I are taller than 5'5. I would just want to give him any chance he has to be taller (which I know sounds ridiculous)


ETA: His dr said we would move to flovent if singular did not work.

[gogadgetgo]

Ds1 is on singulair, Claritin and qvar40 for grass allergies. He would get awful coughs and wheezing with every cold. He started it around 18m and is still taking it now (28m). No mood changes and the combo of all three seems to have helped the duration of his colds and cough.

[h]

Dec 26, 2013 12:09:09 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Dec 26, 2013 11:59:24 GMT -5 h said:

Why are you wanting to avoid Flovent? The daily Flovent is a really low dose of steroids with very minimal side effects--less so than with Singulair from what various docs have told me.

Yeah, I know it is a low dose, but recent studies have show than even inhaled steroids impact height. DS is already in the 10th percentile and neither his dad nor I are taller than 5'5. I would just want to give him any chance he has to be taller (which I know sounds ridiculous)


ETA: His dr said we would move to flovent if singular did not work.

I don't think it's ridiculous. It's a fair concern. We were told that there is some possible height impact but that it's small (our pedi said up to 1/4 inch a year--though obviously that could add up to a couple inches over years of use) and also that kids typically make up the height when they go off the steroids. Our pedi suggested going off Flovent during the summer if DS doesn't appear to need it then so that he can "catch up" on growth. We have always done that. I have no idea how true any of that is, though--I never researched the height impact myself as it is not something that concerned me much.

FWIW, DS1 was 75% for height when we started Flovent 3 years ago, and he is 95% for height now, so I don't think it has impacted him much. But he is a pretty tall kid, so we have the luxury of not worrying as much about this issue as much as we otherwise might. I will admit that if it were DS2, my smallest kid, who needed steroids, I might worry about it more.

[dbsk8dance]

@karionothing

DS was on flovent year round until this summer. He has been so good for so long that we went off it for the summer. We started back on the Flovent with his first cold this fall when he started coughing. We stayed on the singulair throughout.

It's not a rescue inhaler like albuterol, so it doesn't work right away. You need it taken regularly.

For what it's worth, DS has stuck to his percentile for height.