Singulair and Suicide
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We see articles often enough talking about how one medication or another has been determined to cause different health issues. It’s not too often that one of those medication is actually one I am taking. I think the last time a medication I was taken was pulled off the market was 8 years ago.
I have been taking Merck’s Singulair for over eight years. My daughter has been taking the pediatric version for about three years. We both do well on it. For me, it is the first medication that treats both my asthma and my seasonal allergies without giving me a racing pulse. In fact, I have nee r had medicine work better for my asthma or my allergies. I have often said I think Singulair is a “life saver”.
And now, there are reports that Singulair is linked to suicidal tendencies. The Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) say they are looking at a handful of reports that focus on mood changes, suicidal behavior and suicide in patients who have taken Singiulair.
Merck has updated the Singulair’s label four times recently to include information on side effects like tremors, anxiousness, depression and suicidal behavior.
Merck says the FDA’s inquiry is based on reports, not clinical studies. They say none of the 11,000 patients enrolled in 40 Singulair trials has committed suicide.
Nobody is suggesting that anyone stop taking Singulair in the meantime. And, for that I am glad. I worry a little that a medication that works so well for me would be pulled off the shelves. I might consider taking my daughter off the medication. I was never convinced it was a wonder drug for her, anyway.
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