MONTELUKAST

(mon te LOO kast) Brand: Singulair

What is the most significant information I must know about montelukast?

• Montelukast will not work quick satis to treat an asthma onslaught that has already begun. Use only a fast-acting inhalation medication to treat an asthma onslaught. Conversation with your doctor if any of your asthma medications do not seem to work as well in treating or preventing attacks.

• It may take up to different weeks till your symptoms improve. Hold using the medicine as directed and speak your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after different weeks of treatment.

• Call your doctor right away if you feel that this medication is not working as well as normal, or if it makes your condition worse. If it seems like you need to use more of any of your medications in a 24-hour period, conversation with your doctor.

• If you already take this medicine to prevent asthma or allergy symptoms, do not use it for exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.

• Call your doctor at once if you have any mood or behavior changes, anxiety, depression, or thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.

What is montelukast?

• Montelukast is a leukotriene (loo-koe-TRY-een) inhibitor. Leukotrienes are chemicals your body releases when you breathe in an allergen (such as pollen). These chemicals reason swelling in your lungs and tightening of the muscles near your airways, which can result in asthma symptoms.

• Montelukast is used to prevent asthma attacks in adults and children as young as 12 months old. Montelukast is also used to prevent exercise-induced bronchospasm in adults and children who are at least 6 years old.

• Montelukast is also used to treat symptoms of year-round (perennial) allergies in adults and children who are at least 6 months old. It is also used to treat symptoms of seasonal allergies in adults and children who are at least 2 years old.

• Do not give this medicine to a baby without a doctor's advice.

• Montelukast is also used to prevent exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (narrowing of the air passages in the lungs) in adults and teenagers who are at least 15 years old and are not already taking this medication for another conditions.

• If you already take this medicine to prevent asthma or allergy symptoms, do not use an extra doze to treat exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.

• Montelukast may also be used for purposes not listed in this medicine guide.

What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking montelukast?

• Do not use this medicine if you are allergic to montelukast.

• The chewable tablet form of this medicine may contain phenylalanine. Conversation to your doctor till using this form of montelukast if you have phenylketonuria (PKU).

• FDA pregnancy category B. This medicine is not expected to be deleterious to an unborn child. Speak your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

• It is not known whether montelukast passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing child. Do not use this medicine without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How must I take montelukast?

• Take exactly as predesigned by your doctor. Do not take in larger or less amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

• Montelukast is generally taken once daily in the evening for prevention of asthma or allergy symptoms. For exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, take a single doze at least 2 hours till you exercice, and do not take other doze for at least 24 hours. Follow your doctor's instructions.

• If you already take this medicine to prevent asthma or allergy symptoms, do not use it for exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.

• Swallow the regular tablet whole, with a glass of water.

• The chewable tablet must be chewed completely till you swallow it.

• The oral granules can be placed directly into the mouth and swallowed, or mixed with a spoonful of applesauce, mashed carrots, rice, or ice cream. Oral granules can also be mixed with 1 teaspoon of child formula or breast milk. Do not use any another type of liquid for mixing the granules. Another liquids can be taken till or after taking the medicine.

• After opening or mixing the oral granules, you should use them within 15 minutes. Do not save an open packet or mixed medication for later use.

• It may take up to different weeks till your symptoms improve. Hold using the medicine as directed and speak your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after different weeks of treatment.

• Asthma is generally treated with a combination of drugs. Use all medications as directed by your doctor. Read the medicine manual or patient instructions provided with every medicine. Do not change your doses or medicine schedule without your doctor's advice, even if you have no asthma symptoms.

• If you also take a steroid asthma medication, do not stop using it suddenly without first talking to your doctor. You may need to use smaller and smaller till you stop the medicine completely.

• Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Do not open a packet of oral granules before you are ready to use the medicine.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Take the missed doze as soon as you remember. Skip the missed doze if it is nearly time for your following scheduled doze. Do not take extra medication to create up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

• Search abnormal medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

What must I avoid while taking montelukast?

• Avoid situations or activities that may trigger an asthma attack.

• If your asthma symptoms get worse when you take aspirin, avoid taking aspirin or another NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) while you are taking montelukast. NSAIDs include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, Naprelan, Treximet), celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac (Arthrotec, Cambia, Cataflam, Voltaren, Flector Patch, Pennsaid, Solareze), indomethacin (Indocin), meloxicam (Mobic), and others.

What are the possible side effects of montelukast?

• Get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your person, lips, tongue, or throat.

• Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

· skin rash, bruising, severe tingling, numbness, pain, muscle weakness;

· mood or behavior changes, anxiety, depression, or thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself;

· tremors or shaking;

· light bruising, unusual bleeding (nose, mouth, vagina, or rectum), purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin;

· severe sinus pain, swelling, or irritation;

· worsening asthma symptoms; or

· severe skin reaction -- fever, sore throat, swelling in your person or tongue, burning in your eyes, skin pain, followed by a red or purple skin rash that spreads (especially in the person or upper body) and causes blistering and peeling.

• Smaller serious side effects may include:

· headache;

· stomach pain, heartburn, upset stomach, nausea, diarrhea;

· tooth pain;

· weary feeling;

· fever, stuffy nose, sore throat, cough, hoarseness; or

· mild rash.

• This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What another drugs will affect montelukast?

• Speak your doctor about all another medicines you use, especially:

· phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton); or

· rifampin (Rifadin, Rifater, Rifamate, Rimactane).

• This list is not complete and another drugs may interact with montelukast. Speak your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal commodity. Do not start a new medicine without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about montelukast.

Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.

Disclaim: Each effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses external of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way must be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safety, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the help of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

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