Montelukast | Asthma UK

Montelukast is a medicine to help prevent asthma symptoms. It is as an 'add on' tablet to take alongside your usual asthma preventer inhaler. Skiptocontent Montelukast Ifyourasthmasymptomsarenotwellcontrolledwithapreventerinhaler,yourGPmayprescribemontelukastasan‘add-on’treatment Healthadvice > Inhalers,medicinesandtreatments > Add-onasthmatreatments Findouthowmontelukastworksasanadd-ontreatmentforasthma,whatthebenefitsare,andwhatimportantsideeffectstolookoutfor. Onthispage: Whatismontelukast? Howdoesmontelukasthelpasthma? Sideeffectsofmontelukast Whatismontelukast? Montelukastisatypeofmedicineknownasaleukotrienereceptorantagonist. Mostpeoplewithasthmadonotneedmontelukast,butitcanbeausefuladd-ontreatmenttotakealongsideyourusualpreventerinhaler.Montelukastisnotasteroid-itworksinadifferentwaytoreduceinflammation. YourGPorasthmanursemayprescribemontelukast(brandnameSingulair)ifyou’restillgettingasthmasymptomseventhoughyou’vebeentakingyourpreventerinhalerasprescribed. Isitsuitableforeveryone?  Montelukastissuitableformostpeoplewithasthma.Itismorecommonlyprescribedtochildrenfromsixyearsold Beforetakingmontelukast,tellyourGPif: youhaveotherhealthconditions you’retakinganyothermedicines you’repregnantorplanningtogetpregnant you’rebreastfeeding. Howdoyoutakeit?  Montelukastcomesasatablet,achewytablet,orgranules. Montelukasttabletstoswallowwithwaterareforadultsandchildrenover15. Chewabletabletsareavailableforchildrenagedtwoto14. Granulesareavailableforyoungerchildren.Thesecaneitherbesprinkleddirectlyintothechild’smouth,orplacedonaspoonfulofcold(orroomtemperature)food,forexamplepureedfruitoryogurt.   Keeptakingyourpreventerinhaler Donotstoptakingyourpreventerinhaler, evenifyounoticeyourasthmasymptomsimprovingaftertakingmontelukast.  Ifyoustoptakingyourpreventerinhaleritcouldcauseyoursymptomstogetworseagain.  Howdoesmontelukasthelpasthma? Montelukastcanhelppeoplewithasthmawhosesymptomsarenotwellcontrolledwithapreventerinhaleralone.Forsomepeopleitisagoodalternativetohigherdosesofinhaledsteroids.   Ifyoutakemontelukastasprescribeditcanhelpyourasthmaby: calmingtheinflammationinyourairwayssoit’seasiertobreathe improvingasthmasymptoms reducingtheneedforyourrelieverinhaler stoppingairwaysnarrowingtriggeredbyexercise blockingchemicalscalledleukotrieneswhichmakeyourairwaysinflamedwhenyouhaveanallergicreaction,forexampletopollen(hayfever). YourGPorasthmanurseshouldreviewyourtreatmentfourtoeightweeksafteryoustarttakingmontelukast. Ifmontelukasthashadnoeffectafteryou’vebeentakingitforfourtoeightweeks,youcantalkaboutothertreatmentoptions. Don’tstoptakingitbeforespeakingtoyourGPorasthmanurse.Yourasthmasymptomsmaygetworseandyoumayincreaseyourriskofanasthmaattack. Sideeffectsofmontelukast Likeallmedicines,montelukastcancausesideeffects.Often,sideeffectscango,orimprove,aftertwotothreeweeksoftakingthemedicine.  Commonsideeffects(affectingaround1in10to1in100people)includediarrhoea,stomach-ache,sorethroatsandinfections. Lesscommonsideeffects(affectingaround1in100to1in1000people)includesleepissuessuchasinsomnia,nightmaresorsleepwalking,andmoodchangessuchasanxiety,depression,andirritability. Veryrarepotentialsideeffects(affectingfewerthan1in10,000people)includeseverementalhealthdisturbancesandsuicidalthoughts. “Severementaldistressisanextremelyraresideeffect,butwhereithashappeneditisextremelyworryingandupsetting,”saysDrAndyWhittamore,AsthmaUK’sin-houseGP. Ifyou,oryourchild,showsignsthatmontelukastisaffectingyourmoodtalktoyourGPorasthmanurseassoonaspossible. Ifyouoryourchildshowsignsofextremedistress,orhavesuicidalthoughts,stoptakingthemedicineimmediately.Call999orgotoA&E. Alwaysreadthepatientinformationleaflet soyou’reawareofwhatsideeffectstolookoutfor,andwhenyouneedtogostraightbacktoyourGPorasthmanurse. Youcanreportanyserioussideeffectsyourselfthroughtheyellowcardscheme.Oryoucanaskyour doctortodoitforyou.   Gethelpurgentlyifmontelukastisaffectingyourmood Ifyoufeelextremelydistressed,orsuicidal,stoptakingthemedicine.Getimmediatehelpbycalling999orgoingtoyournearestA&E.     YoucancallourHelplineon03002225800tospeaktoarespiratorynursespecialist,MondaytoFriday,9am-5pm.OryoucanWhatsAppthemon07378606728.   LastupdatedApril2021 NextreviewdueApril2024 Didyoufindthisinformationhelpful? Yes No * Step2 Howcanweimprovethispage? * Wouldyouuseourinformationagainorrecommendittoafriend? Yes No * Pleasechoosetheoptionthatbestdescribesyou Ihaveasthma Ilookafterachildwithasthma Ihaveafriendorfamilymemberwithasthma I'maprofessionalworkingwithpeoplewithasthma Other(Pleasestate) * Pleasestatewhatbestdescribesyou * Submit Previousstep Step1/2 Nextstep Asthma+LungUKHelplineCalluson03002225800,Monday-Friday,9am-5pm. GetemailupdatesSignupandreceivenews,tipsandmore HelpustoimproveourwebsiteFilloutourshortsurvey ActionplanHowasthmaactionplanscanhelpyoustaywell Speaktooneofourhelplineteamon 03002225800 (MondaytoFriday,9amto5pm) OrmessageusonWhatsApp   FindoutmoreaboutourHelpline