Comments on: FDA investigating Singulair

By: lotusflower

lotusflower — Wed, 07 May 2008 07:37:05 +0000

All medications possess side effects. I am hypertensive and had elevated blood cholesterol. My Family physician prescribed an anti-cholesterol drug. She did that because my nephrologist was on an out of the country vacation during that time. Truth be told, I bought the medication on the way back, but when I got home I did some web research and was scared after reading possible side effects. I had them returned to the pharmacy. I refused to take the medication and opted to try food and lifestyle adjustments. I take my hypertension maintenance drug, that’s all. That was a year ago. And I am not sure if that was a good decision.

My two cents worth of opinion says, we should be very careful about medications or drugs. I think the best judge of what we need is a trusted medical practitioner plus our common sense. Add thorough research to that.

Cheers!

By: W. Beth Young

W. Beth Young — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:08:53 +0000

Elaine,

I will become very depressed if they take it off the market.

OK…sorry…couldn’t resist.

For me personally, it has worked beautifully, and without noticabe side effects. I have been taking it, along with , “Advair Discus”, and other allergy medications, and sinus sprays, for at least 5 years. Like yourself, my need for an inhaler has been reduced tremendously, along with visits to the emergency room, because of my breathing flow that couldn’t make it passed 250, with combination ear, nose, throat infections, and fevers, several times a year.

Between the two medications that I have mentioned, and other helps, my quality of life has been improved tremendously!

By: Lisa

Lisa — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 03:37:20 +0000

My daughter has been on Singulair for the last few months for her asthma and allergies. I’m not sure if it’s really doing anything for her. I understand it’s very helpful for some; not so helpful in others. So far, we haven’t noticed any depression or anxiety caused by the medicine. I think almost any medication can cause a terrible side effect in a handful of people.

By: Elaine

Elaine — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 22:16:00 +0000

Concerning drug reactions and how they’re reported, I just read this on my home page and passing it along:
Members of Congress called on the FDA Wednesday to move faster in forcing drug companies to include safety-reporting information in their television and radio ads.
The lawmakers want “direct-to-consumer” advertisements crowding the airwaves during nightly news and other broadcasts to include information telling consumers how to report potential side effects to the FDA.
The agency tracks so-called “adverse events” and uses reports from doctors and patients to tip them off to potential safety problems with drugs on the market. The system is voluntary, and agency scientists complain that it misses the vast majority of drug reactions that occur.
“When only a fraction of adverse drug reactions are reported to the FDA, that means the system is failing,”

By: Laoch

Laoch — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 05:44:40 +0000

Usually once the Doctors find a drug which works well for me a study will emerge showing that it is bad for me.

By: Elaine

Elaine — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:57:47 +0000

Jen & Janet – absolutely unreal you both had such similar reactions from Chantrix! And Janet, I don’t mind at all switching the topic, like you said it’s still medications and the more people know (or hear) they can discuss with their doctor and make an informed decision. I thank you both for sharing YOUR stories.

By: Kefir n Kimchi

Kefir n Kimchi — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:50:21 +0000

thats scary…i can’t believe people use that stuff!

By: Janet

Janet — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:50:35 +0000

Jen ~ I read your post and sat here dumbfounded! That is exactly what happened to me! I don’t mean to be switching the subject from Singular to Chantex but I guess the subject could be meds in general and re-actions to them.

But, anyway…. same thing here. Heart palpatations from Chantix so strong that I ended up in ER. Even though I stopped taking it immediately, my BP soared a few weeks later and I ended up in ER again. Before that, I always had excellent blood pressure readings. I’m on Toporal now too plus two other medications for hypertension. And this apparently will be for the rest of my life. Not to mention a lingering anxiety that always seems to be with me now.

NZ Tourism – I, of course, was in touch with my doctor during all of this. As much as I pressed that Chantix had a potential to do more harm than good, he would counter-act with a statement of how so many are having excellent results and on the whole, it is a drug that is very well tolerated. Makes some of us feel like sacrificial lambs with these drugs.

Best of luck to you and your family Jen, and thanks for a very informative post, Elaine.

By: Jen

Jen — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:27:04 +0000

How can you say “seemed to me that the percentage of people”, did you conduct a study? Did you go to the message board that I posted? The thousands of people that have posted there are most likely only a very small percent of those actually experiencing the side effects. Not everyone has internet connection, and not everyone is going to go post on one site.
Yes we stayed in touch with our doctor, and he was almost diagnosed with Austism or ADHD because of the side effects of Singulair. Doctors were discounting these side effects because Merck had not the doctors or pharmacies know of these side effects. There are thousands of children that were put on the “fast track” by being put on Ritalin and other mood stabalizing drugs because of the side effects of Ritalin.

By: new zealand tourism

new zealand tourism — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 10:51:52 +0000

It seemed to me that the percentage of people who felt this adverse affect was very small considering the number of people who actually take the med. Also it has been said to me that there is no rx that has absolutely nobody who experienced adverse affects. Not that I am discounting these people who have suffered from their use of Singular, but isn’t that why we stay in touch with our doctor.