What is Singulair: Uses, Warnings & Interactions

How to take Singulair

Singulair is available in many forms including tablets, chewable tablets, and oral granules.

Most people take Singulair once a day. For the treatment of asthma, it’s taken at night because asthma symptoms tend to be worse at night.

What to do if you miss a dose of Singulair

If you miss a dose of Singulair, take the next scheduled dose at your regularly scheduled time. Do not take 2 doses at the same time.

Singulair contraindications

• This medicine is not right for everyone. Do not use it if you had an allergic reaction to montelukast.

Singulair warnings

• Singulair has a black box warning because of its potential to cause serious changes to your mood, thoughts, and behavior. These include aggression, depression, changes to your sleep, and suicidal thoughts and behavior. Because of this risk, it’s important to weigh the risks and benefits of taking Singulair with your doctor. Singulair should only be taken by people with allergies if they haven’t had success with other treatments.

• Singulair should not be used to treat sudden asthma attacks. People with asthma should have a rescue inhaler available at all times. 

• Singulair is safe for most children and adults. It’s approved for use in patients at least 12 months of age for the treatment of asthma, and patients at least 6 years old for the prevention of exercise-induced asthma. Singulair can be used for seasonal allergies in people 2 years of age and older. It’s approved for people 6 months of age and older for treatment of year-round allergies. 

• Singulair may not be right for you if you are pregnant, and it’s not known if the medication can pass into your breast milk. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your healthcare provider about your treatment options. 

Singulair interactions

• Singulair may react negatively if it’s taken with certain medications. People with a sensitivity to aspirin should continue to avoid aspirin and any nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) while they are taking Singulair. It may also interactwith certain prescription drugs, like rifampin and phenobarbital. Provide your doctor with a full list of your medications to avoid drug-drug interactions.

• Taking Singulair with other allergy medications, like Zyrtec and Claritin, may be helpful for some people. These antihistamines work differently than Singulair to treat allergies but may be more effective when combined.