Singulair

Generic Name: Montelukast

US Brand Name: Singulair

Other Brand/Trade Names: Montelukast is marketed under many trade names around the world, including: Lukair; Lukasm; Montair; Montegen; Singulair.

Uses

Montelukast is used to prevent difficulty breathing, chest tightness, wheezing and coughing caused by asthma. Montelukast is also used to prevent bronchospasm (breathing difficulties) during exercise. Montelukast is also used to treat the symptoms of seasonal (occurs only at certain times of the year) and perennial (occurs all year round) allergic rhinitis (a condition associated with sneezing and stuffy, runny or itchy nose).

Active Ingredients: Montelukast

Inactive Ingredients: Microcrystalline cellulose, lactose monohydrate, croscarmellose sodium, hydroxypropyl cellulose, and magnesium stearate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, titanium dioxide, red ferric oxide, yellow ferric oxide and carnauba wax.

Dosage and Forms

Montelukast comes as tablets and oral granules.

Take Montelukast exactly as directed. Montelukast is usually taken once a day with or without food. When Montelukast is used to treat asthma, it should be taken in the evening. When Montelukast is used to prevent breathing difficulties during exercise, it should be taken at least 2 hours before exercise. If you are taking Montelukast once a day on a regular basis, you should not take an additional dose before exercising. When Montelukast is used to treat allergic rhinitis, it may be taken at any time of day. Take Montelukast at around the same time every day.

Symptoms of overdose may include: stomach pain; sleepiness; thirst; headache; vomiting; restlessness or agitation.

Contraindications and Precautions

Before using Montelukast, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs (especially aspirin), or if you have liver disease. You may not be able to use Montelukast or you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment. The tablet (4 and 5 mg) of this medication may contain up to 0.842 milligrams of phenylalanine. Talk to your doctor before using this form of Montelukast if you have phenylketonuria (PKU).

Side Effects

If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: difficulty breathing or swallowing; swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs; hoarseness; itching; rash; hives; fever; flu-like symptoms; pins and needles or numbness in the arms or legs; pain and swelling of the sinuses.

Interactions

Montelukast has been administered with other therapies routinely used in the prophylaxis and chronic treatment of asthma with no apparent increase in adverse reactions. In drug-interaction studies, the recommended clinical dose of Montelukast did not have clinically important effects on the pharmacokinetics of the following drugs: theophylline, prednisone, prednisolone, oral contraceptives, terfenadine, digoxin and warfarin.

Although additional specific interaction studies were not performed, Montelukast was used concomitantly with a wide range of commonly prescribed drugs in clinical studies without evidence of clinical adverse interactions. These medications included thyroid hormones, sedative hypnotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, benzodiazepines and decongestants.