Did you hear the report tying Singulair to suicide, and if so , what did you think?

[hedgehog]

Singulair works by interrupting the chain of events that lead to allergic congestion and asthma. I prefer it to any antihistamine because I've found it to be effective with no noticeable side effects. There was a report on the news that some claim it is linked to suicide. I wasn't able to tell from the report whether this is a legitimate concern, a rare side effect, or whether this may be a coincidence. How many teens take singulair for example, and how many would be expected to become suicidal in any case?

[babylonsister]

1. Here's an article on it:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/feedarticle?id=7416481

US FDA probes suicide risk in Merck's Singulair

Reuters
Thursday March 27 2008

Adds details, Merck comment, byline, updates shares)
By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators are probing a possible connection between Merck & Co Inc's blockbuster Singulair asthma drug and suicidal behavior in adults and children, the Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday.

The FDA said it is reviewing the issue after receiving reports of mood and behavior changes, suicidal thinking and suicide in patients who took the drug, which is used to treat stuffy nose, sneezing and other allergy symptoms, as well as asthma.

No definite link to the drug has been established and the agency did not say how many post-marketing reports it had received. Merck declined to say how many reports had been submitted, but said they involved both adults and children.

While Merck earlier noted the behavioral risk on Singulair's drug label, the FDA said it asked the company to evaluate its data for more information. The agency said its review would take up to nine months to complete.

In a statement, Merck said its analysis of more than 11,000 patients in 40 clinical trials found no reported suicides or suicidal thoughts or behavior. It added that it was working to inform doctors about the concerns with Singular, first approved in the United Stated in 1998.
The FDA said it is also reviewing reports of behavioral changes in patients taking similar drugs, including AstraZeneca Plc's Accolate and Critical Therapeutics Inc's Zyflo, but has not yet decided whether further investigation is needed.

more...

[murray hill farm]

5. I think that...

there is presently...and in the past few years, a higher incidence of suicide in general in our society...for many reasons. The economy, homelessness...or living in fear of homelessness or financial ruin and a growing feeling of hopelessness. We also have a lot more folks with alergies who are taking meds for such...and other environmental stressors. I would take this with a grain of salt.

[TZ]

2. You are best off getting answers from the FDA webpage

This forum is not particularly good with giving good objective scientific advice. Really, despite what some think, the FDA is very good with keeping their website up to date with stuff like this.
In fact most of the MSM is a lousy source of any time of health science, IMHO.

[Mojorabbit]

3. I get email alerts

from the FDA whenever one of these reports come out. WebMD has some more info on this drug and three others in the same family that may be causing these problems.

[hedgehog]

4. I thnak you and the others who responded - I'll be checking those sites.

[hunter]

6. Singulair and I didn't get along.

For allergies and asthma it worked well, but there was something very unpleasant about it that's hard for me to describe.

Everybody is different. What works great for one person is not good for another.

Unfortunately many of these "issues" have been hatched under the wings of malignant marketing.

[hedgehog]

7. I was very surprised by this report since I love Singulair. Understand,

I am comparing it to the asthma medications available 20 years ago. They helped my 2 year old to breathe, but made his heart beat like a steam engine and/or sedated him. Until I started using Singulair, my chronic allergies kept me from smelling anything. It is really a treat to be able to smell the flowers (not so much when you're the only one in the family who admits to being able to smell the mess the dog left in the hall!) Some claim the problem is that the molecular foundation of Singulair, quinolene, also effects serotonin. I have no idea if this is true or not. After all, oxygen is also a component of Carbon Monoxide, but that doesn't make oxygen poisonous. More than anything else, I think reports like this show that our regulatory system needs to be updated.

http://www.merckfrosst.ca/mfcl/en/corporate/research/accomplishments/singulair.html

[hunter]

8. I'm from the stone age of asthma treatment.

Frequent hospitalizations, epinephrine injections, albuterol inhalers, theophylline & oral steroids... except the oral steroids always made me psychotic after a few days use. Cromolyn sodium was my first "wonder drug" whenever I could afford to use it regularly, or I had decent health insurance.

I haven't been hospitalized for asthma for over twenty years, and have gone from Cromolyn sodium to inhaled steroids. I really wanted the Singulair to work -- I'm not saying that is the thing hatched by marketing. I am saying that aggressive marketing and the associated rumor mongering in combination with a mass media that is quite frankly complacent and STUPID about these things can be deadly.

There are too many people with uncontrolled asthma who would be helped immensely by Singulair and other prescription asthma medications. It especially sucks that a lot of people don't stick with these meds for financial reasons.

[hedgehog]

9. I was in love with the cromlyn sodium when it came out. Back then,

it came in little glass tubes that you had to snap open to pour the dose into a nebulizer. It was the first astma medication I used on my son that didn't have horrendous side effects.

[Samurai_Writer]

10. I think I'm glad I didn't take my doctor's advice to take Singulair

She wanted to add it to my asthma regimen. But I take the Advair inhaler and am also on the new Xolair injections, which have really worked incredibly well.

[bdamomma]

11. my daughters were on Singular for their seasonal not chronic

asthma symptoms, but they haven't been on it for a while now, and they seem to be doing well. Their asthma usually kicks in when they have a cold, but they do receive flu shots each year for decreased symptoms of asthma.

[Breeze54]

12. I thought; GOOD! Another BigPharma was busted again!

I wouldn't trust anything the FDA "approves" these days.

They're all in cahoots and a bunch of greedy, lying bastards!