Montelukast (Systemic)

Brand Names : Singulair

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For montelukast, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to montelukast. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Montelukast has not been studied in pregnant women. However, it has been studied in animals and has not been found to cause birth defects or other problems.

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether montelukast passes into breast milk in humans. However, it does pass into breast milk in animals. Although most medicines pass into breast milk in small amounts, many of them may be used safely while breast-feeding. Mothers who are using this medicine and who wish to breast-feed should discuss this with their doctor.

Children - No information is available regarding use of montelukast in children younger than 6 years of age. The chewable tablet contains aspartame, which has phenylalanine as a component. Children who have phenylketonuria should be aware that each chewable tablet contains 0.842 mg of phenylalanine.

Older adults - Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults. There is no specific information comparing use of montelukast in the elderly with its use in other age groups. However, it has been used in some elderly patients and no differences in effectiveness or side effects were seen from those that occurred in younger adults.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your health care professional if you are taking or using any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of montelukast. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Liver disease - Effects of montelukast may be increased because of slower removal from the body