How Does Montelukast Differ From Other Asthma Medications

Important Information About All Medicines

Further reading and references

Montelukast Oral Tablet Withdrawal And Dependence

Montelukast oral tablets arent known to cause withdrawal.

There havent been studies on whether montelukast oral tablets can cause drug dependence.

At the end of a 12-week clinical study, people who stopped taking montelukast oral tablets for asthma didnt report any rebound worsening of asthma. This means that stopping montelukast oral tablets shouldnt make your asthma symptoms get suddenly worse.

Rarely, there have been reports of serious mood or behavior problems in people who took montelukast. These were mostly reported during montelukast treatment, but some were reported after the drug was stopped. If you or those around you notice any changes in your mood or behavior after you stop taking montelukast oral tablets, call your doctor right away.

You shouldnt decide to stop montelukast oral tablets on your own. Its important to talk with your doctor before making any changes to your treatment. They may suggest other treatments for your condition.

What Other Drugs Could Interact With This Medication

There may be an interaction between montelukast and any of the following:

• gemfibrozil
• lumacaftor and ivacaftor

If you are taking any of these medications, speak with your doctor or pharmacist. Depending on your specific circumstances, your doctor may want you to:

• stop taking one of the medications,
• change one of the medications to another,
• change how you are taking one or both of the medications, or
• leave everything as is.

An interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of them. Speak to your doctor about how any drug interactions are being managed or should be managed.

Medications other than those listed above may interact with this medication. Tell your doctor or prescriber about all prescription, over-the-counter , and herbal medications you are taking. Also tell them about any supplements you take. Since caffeine, alcohol, the nicotine from cigarettes, or street drugs can affect the action of many medications, you should let your prescriber know if you use them.

All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 2022. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/drug/getdrug/M-Montelukast

Recommended Reading: Long Term Effects Of Asthma

Does Montelukast Treat Copd If It Does Whats The Dosage For Copd

Montelukast oral tablets arent approved to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease . So there isnt an approved dosage of the drug thats known to be effective for COPD.

If you have questions about COPD treatments, talk with your doctor. You can also find more information from the Medical News Today COPD content hub.

Montelukast Versus Long Acting Beta Agonists As Add

The efficacy of montelukast may be explained by its anti-inflammatory effect, which is the hallmark of asthma therapy. The importance of reducing eosinophilic inflammation was demonstrated in several studies. Despite the fact that this therapeutic principle seems to be addressed with montelukast, its impact on symptom reduction and quality of life is weaker compared with LABA, at least in the medium term.

However, much controversy currently surrounds the use of LABA. In our review, the increased rate of long term serious adverse events in the LABA group deserves particular attention, as not only the SMART study but also a recent meta-analysis showed an increase in asthma related deaths in patients using LABA. However, according to exploratory subgroup analyses, the increase in asthma related deaths is mainly in those patients who are taking LABA without ICS. Following the SMART study, the US Food and Drug Administration issued a warning about the increased risk of adverse outcomes with LABA.

Don’t Miss: Why Do Asthma Attacks Happen At Night

Cautions With Other Medicines

Tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:

• epilepsy medicines such as phenobarbital and phenytoin
• rifampicin
• gemfibrozil

It’s usually safe to take everyday painkillers with montelukast. However, do not take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen if they have ever made your asthma symptoms worse.

What To Know Before Using Singulair

Symptoms of allergic rhinitis include:

• Sneezing
• Itchy eyes, nose, throat, and inner ear
• Feeling weak or tired
• Cough

Allergic rhinitis can also affect other dimensions of your life. Research shows that allergic rhinitis negatively impacts:

• Sleep
• Concentration
• Productivity at school or work

You can control allergic rhinitis by avoiding allergens or taking medicine. If you choose to take medicine, doctors often recommend a step-up approach. That means that you’ll start with less powerful medicine with a low risk of side effects. If that doesn’t work or symptoms get worse, your doctor might prescribe a different medicine.

Here’s an example of treatments that your doctor might recommend:

• Nasal steroid sprays
• Both an antihistamine and nasal steroid

If you’ve tried other treatments for allergic rhinitis and they don’t work, your doctor might prescribe Singulair. But it’s usually not the first-line treatment. That’s because it might cause mental health side effects in some people, including suicidal thoughts and actions.

Due to these side effects, the FDA usually recommends using Singulair for allergic rhinitis only if other treatments don’t work. That said, some people respond well to Singulair, and it may be the most effective treatment for their allergies or asthma.

Read Also: How Long Does An Acute Asthma Attack Last

Some Side Effects Can Be Serious If You Experience Any Of The Following Symptoms Or Those Listed In The Important Warnings Or Special Precautions Section Call Your Doctor Immediately:

• difficulty breathing or swallowing swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, or eyes hoarseness itching rash hives
• blistering, peeling, or shedding skin
• flu-like symptoms, rash, pins and needles or numbness in the arms or legs, pain and swelling of the sinuses
• ear pain, fever

Montelukast may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while you are taking this medication.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online or by phone .

Montelukast Oral Tablet And Breastfeeding

If taken while breastfeeding, montelukast is known to pass into breast milk. But the drug isnt known to have any harmful effects on a child who is breastfed. But the nursing implications of montelukast oral tablets arent fully known.

If youre breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, talk with your doctor. They can guide you on safely treating your condition during this time, and healthy ways to feed your child.

When you get montelukast oral tablets from the pharmacy, the pharmacist will add an expiration date to the label on the bottle. This date is typically 1 year from the date they dispensed the medication.

The expiration date helps guarantee that the medication is effective during this time. The of the Food and Drug Administration is to avoid using expired medications. If you have unused medication that has gone past the expiration date, talk with your pharmacist about whether you might still be able to use it.

Recommended Reading: Is Vitamin C Bad For Asthma

Montelukast Oral Tablet And Pregnancy

Montelukast oral tablets arent known to be harmful during pregnancy. Clinical studies of the drugs use during pregnancy havent shown an increased risk of birth abnormalities .

Montelukast treatment comes with other possible risks, such as serious behavior or mood changes.* Depending on your condition and its severity, your doctor will help you decide if a different treatment option might be better for you during pregnancy.

If youre pregnant or planning to become pregnant, talk with your doctor. They can guide you on safely treating your condition during pregnancy.

* See Serious behavior or mood changes in the Montelukast oral tablet side effects section above for details.

Montelukast Oral Tablet For Exercise

Montelukast oral tablets are used to help prevent acute exercise-induced bronchoconstriction . For this purpose, montelukast oral tablets can be used in adults as well as adolescents ages 15 years and older.

Some people with asthma notice that their symptoms get worse when they exercise. Physical activity, especially in cold weather, commonly triggers asthma symptoms.

Heavy breathing during exercise naturally causes bronchoconstriction . This can lead to severe shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and chest tightness in people with asthma. Strenuous exercise, such as running or playing sports, can also lead to dehydration and dryness in your airways. This can also worsen EIB symptoms.

The Medical News Todayasthma & allergies content hub also has more information about EIB.

Effectiveness for EIB

Clinical studies have shown that montelukast oral tablets are an effective treatment for helping to prevent EIB.

Montelukast oral tablets dont work to stop a sudden EIB attack or asthma attack. The drug only works to help prevent EIB if its taken 2 hours before exercising.

Its important to note that montelukast oral tablets shouldnt be your only plan to control EIB. If you have asthma with EIB, you and your doctor will develop a personalized asthma care plan. This plan will include strategies to help prevent symptoms, such as avoiding certain triggers. Itll also include tools to treat symptoms if they suddenly worsen .

Recommended Reading: How To Stop Asthma Without Medicine

Fda Warning: Serious Behavior Or Mood Changes

This drug has a boxed warning . This is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration . A boxed warning alerts doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous.

Serious behavior or mood changes. Serious changes in behavior, mood, or both have occurred in people taking montelukast since the drug was approved. Some examples include depression, aggressive behavior, hallucinations, memory problems, and suicidal thoughts or behaviors.

Montelukast oral tablets should only be used when the benefits of treatment outweigh the risks of serious behavior or mood changes. If you notice changes in your behavior or mood while taking montelukast oral tablets, call your doctor right away.

See the Montelukast oral tablet side effects section above for more details about this boxed warning.

Gender Differences In Asthma Control Tests Among Patients Treated With Montelukast Plus Inhaled Corticosteroids

At baseline visit, there were no significant differences between women and men in ACT score. After 13 weeks of add-on therapy with MS, we observed a marked improvement in ACT score compared with the baseline one. The ACT score was significantly higher in women than men . Asthmatic women treated with MS + ICS showed a better control of symptoms compared with men treated with the same dose and therapeutic approach . The higher effectiveness of MS + ICS in women vs. men is highlighted by the Delta Percentage , which confirms the achievement of a better control of symptoms in women respect to men .

Figure 1 ACT evaluation. ACT evaluations in montelukast treated group in women and in men at the enrollment visit and at the end of study . ACT in treated women and in men. Results were shown as means ± SEM. The statistical tests used in these analyses were two-way analysis of variance followed by Students t-test. *P < 0.05 ***P < 0.001.

Table 2 Data results of FEV1.0, FVC, FeNO, ACT, EOS, and % indicated as mean ± SEM.

Read Also: How Quickly Do Steroids Work For Asthma

Gender Differences In Lung Functions Among Patients Treated With Montelukast Plus Inhaled Corticosteroids

The addition of MS to ICS significantly and persistently enhanced FEV1.0 in asthmatic women, when compared with baseline FEV1.0 . In contrast, there were no differences in the values of FEV1.0 between baseline and follow-up visit in the asthmatic men group . Moreover, asthmatic women had a significantly better mean FVC at end of the study compared with FVC measured at baseline . This improvement was not observed in the men . These results are further confirmed by the evaluation of the Delta Percentage .

Figure 2 Forced expiratory volume in the 1st second and forced vital capacity evaluation. FEV1.0 in montelukast treated in women and in men at the enrollment visit and at the end of study . FEV1.0 in treated women and in men. FVC in montelukast treated group in women and in men at EV and at ES. FVC in treated women and in men. Results were shown as means ± SEM. The statistical tests used in these analyses were two-way analysis of variance followed by Students t-test. *P < 0.05 ***P < 0.001.

Efficacy And Safety Of Labas Ltras And Lamas In Paediatric Patients

A recent systematic review by Vogelberg et al. compared the efficacy and safety of LABAs, LTRAs and LAMAs in paediatric patients aged 417 years with asthma. LABA treatment as add-on to ICS improved lung function when compared with placebo, as measured by FEV1 and FEV1 % predicted. There was no difference in risk of exacerbations requiring oral corticosteroid between LABAs plus ICS compared with ICS alone, although it should be noted that not all trials were powered to assess exacerbations. The proportion of patients experiencing AEs or serious AEs with the addition of LABA to ICS was broadly similar. An additional RCT of 512 patients aged 512 years with persistent asthma reported improvements in lung function and asthma control, and no differences in risk of exacerbations and AEs, in patients receiving LABAs compared with those receiving placebo as add-on to ICS. However, in a systematic review comparing LABA plus ICS vs higher-dose ICS in children with asthma, combination therapy led to a trend towards an increased risk of oral steroid-treated exacerbations and hospital admissions.

Also Check: Can Asthma Cause Arm Pain

What Is Singulair Used For

The Food and Drug Administration has approved Singulair for:

• Allergy relief

• Chronic treatment of asthma

• Prevention of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction , which is also known as exercise-induced asthma

Although Singulair can help prevent asthma attacks, it shouldnt be used to relieve asthma attacks when they happen. You should ask your doctor about which quick-relief inhaler to use with Singulair.

Additionally, Singulair has been used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease .

As always, talking with a medical professional is the best way to learn more about what Singulair can treat and to see if its the right medication for you.

Montelukast Vs Beclomethasone For Asthma

Abstract & Commentary

Synopsis: Both agents provided clinical benefit to patients with chronic asthma that suggests their use as controller medications for this condition.

Malmstrom K, et al, for the Montelukast/Beclomethasone Study Group. Ann Intern Med 1999 130:487-495.

Montelukast, a once-daily oral leukotriene, was compared with inhaled beclomethasone, 200 mcg, twice daily over a 12-week treatment period in 895 chronic asthmatic patients using a double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled design. Both agents improved peak expiratory flow rates and quality of life. Both agents also increased the number of asthma-controlled days and decreased nocturnal awakenings and asthma exacerbations compared to placebo. Over the 12-week study, the side effect profile was similar and no different from placebo.

Beclomethasone had a greater mean clinical benefit, as measured by FEV1, which was 13.1% compared to an FEV1 of 7.4% with montelukast, and a daytime symptoms score of -0.62 for beclomethasone, compared to -0.41 for montelukast. However, montelukast has a faster onset of action and greater initial effect. Thus, both agents provided clinical benefit to patients with chronic asthma that suggests their use as controller medications for this condition.

References

1. National Asthma Education Program. 1991. Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Publication No. 91-3042:48.

d. None of the above

Don’t Miss: What Do Hospitals Do For Asthma Attacks

Alternatives To Montelukast Oral Tablet

Other drugs are available that can treat your condition. Some may be a better fit for you than others. If youre interested in finding an alternative to montelukast oral tablets, talk with your doctor. They can tell you about other medications that may work well for you.

Note: Some of the drugs listed here are used off-label to treat these specific conditions. Off-label drug use means using a drug for a purpose other than what its been approved for by the Food and Drug Administration .

Minor Efficacy Of Montelukast Compared To Inhaled Corticosteroids

In contrast with the findings in the other studies, Stelmach et al. in three-arm, randomized no blinding or placebo pragmatic trial compared the effect of a 4-week monotherapy with low-dose of triamcinolone acetonide , inhaled nedocromil and MLK on clinical parameters of asthma , bronchial hyperreactivity , and eosinophil blood count. 256 children, aged 618yr, with mild to moderate asthma, participated in an 8-week study. The study showed the strongest effect of low-dose inhaled steroids on clinical symptoms, lung function, bronchial hyperreactivity and eosinophil blood count when compared to other asthma medications. Conflict of interest was not declared .

Ostrom et al. in a controlled study sponsored by a pharmaceutical company compared the efficacy, safety, health outcomes and cost-effectiveness of three-months treatments of IFP versus MLK in 342 children with persistent asthma. Compared with MLK, IFP significantly increased mean percent change from baseline FEV1 , morning PEF , evening PEF , and percent rescue-free days at end point, and it significantly reduced night time symptom scores and mean total , and night time albuterol use. Parents and physicians satisfaction was higher with IFP . The safety profiles of these drugs were comparable. The costs of the IFP treatments were only one third of those of the MLK treatment .

Recommended Reading: Can Asthma Make You Vomit