Singulair and Anxiety: What Users Say

• San...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 19, 2020

For Allergic Rhinitis "I was given this medication, Singulair, for chronic nasal congestion and rhinitis. After about 2 months, I started to notice my mood changing. I was more argumentative, almost to the point of aggression. When I started to have bizarre dreams, I then researched the side effects of this drug. Here is what was listed: mental/mood changes (such as agitation, aggression, anxiety, trouble sleeping, abnormal dreams, sleep-walking, memory/attention problems, depression, hallucinations, thoughts of harming yourself/suicide). I immediately stopped taking this medication (it wasn't helping that much anyway) and these side effects have stopped completely. PLEASE be mindful of ALL the side effects of any medications you are taking! I never would have believed that something to help with nasal congestion could cause such problems."

• Mad...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 2, 2020

For Asthma "While on this medication, my asthma and allergies were almost non-existent. However, I also developed severe depression that almost took my life, anxiety, became easily agitated, and had pain in my mouth and back. Since I stopped, I feel happier, more patient, less sore, but my allergies have come back. If it weren't for the side effects, I would have kept taking it."

• ACa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 1, 2019

For Allergic Rhinitis "Singulair worked great for my non-allergic rhinitis and sinus. I stopped sneezing completely for 2 months on Singulair. I was able to breathe so much better, congestion relief. Only issue was I had severe anxiety and occasional panic attacks, even after cutting the pill in half, took every other day. I was truly discouraged because the med worked. I tried my best to continue the med, but anxiety became overwhelming."

• Hop...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 2, 2016

For Allergic Rhinitis "I wish I had reported this to the FDA when it happened. I don't know how helpful my account of the side effects from many years ago would be now. However, I would like to share this somewhere, as what I experienced is not verified as a side effect but possibly suspected-I don't want anyone to go through what I went through and not suspect this medication to be the culprit. After taking one dose of Singulair in the evening, the next day, I experienced suicidal thoughts, severe anxiety, and a feeling as if I were being separated from my body (if that makes sense). I have no history of such problems, never took Singulair again, and never experienced what I described again."

• Kdu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 31, 2015

For Asthma "Started Singulair approximately 1 week ago. I will say it's an asthma miracle, but the side effects are unreal. I had extreme irritability (out of character for me), severe fatigue when normally active, mood changes, depression, anxiety. I wish doctors would really explain this to new users. Thanks to all of you who reviewed this medicine and gave me insight on what was going on, that's the reason for my post too."

• Gom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 25, 2019

For Allergic Rhinitis "Honestly this medicine has helped my allergies drastically but my anxiety is off the wall. I’ve been on it for about 2 weeks... the first few days I was okay but around day 3 I stopped being able to sleep and started waking up with really bad anxiety and muscle/joint pains. I wish they could make this medicine without the side effects :)"

• MM ...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 10, 2018

For Allergic Rhinitis "I am a parent of two children. Both children took Singulair for allergies. Both children had issues while taking Singulair and experienced withdrawal effects once I stopped the medication. My daughter developed tics, tremors, anger, rage, OCD, anxiety, mood swings, and agitation, to name a few side effects. My son developed frequent urination, muscle issues, joint pain, and sadness. Both my children developed a hypersensitivity to all artificial sweeteners, dyes, and all emulsifiers/preservatives as the inactive ingredients are made up of most of these items. Their hypersensitivity to artificial sweeteners, dyes, and emulsifiers/preservatives still continues even though they stopped the medicine."

• Ver...
• November 5, 2016

For Asthma "Since taking Singulair I have tooth pain, tingling in my face, and a bad metallic taste in my mouth. Plus my anxiety level went up, feel really tired, and very agitated. Stopped taking it last night. Hope these side effects go away soon. This metallic taste is driving me crazy! This is the 2nd time I've tried it. Same side effects and more."

• dun...
• January 6, 2012

For Asthma, Maintenance "I took this medication a few years back. Although I read the side effects, I never imagined that I would have a bad reaction to the medication. This medication worked great in controlling my asthma. However, I became very depressed, suffered from anxiety, and just not me. It didn't happen immediately, but people started noticing a difference. I started noticing a difference. I never had a history of any of that stuff. After I came off the medication, I was back to being me. For me, the side effects weren't worth it."

• Cyn...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 28, 2022

For Allergic Rhinitis "My dr warned me Singulair had a black box warning due to sometimes causing depression and suicidal symptoms, but I wasn’t concerned. I am a psychotherapist and don’t usually have side effects to meds. Shortly after taking Singulair, I began to feel agitated and depressed. I felt negative and paranoid. Then one day I thought, “What is the point of living?” I remembered my dr mentioning the black box warning and stopped taking Singulair. My mood improved dramatically each day I was off Singulair. Please be careful."

• Kee...
• May 4, 2015

For Asthma "Worst experience of my life by far! First off, you can expect to have side effects 4-6 weeks after your last dose. I had to be put on anxiety medication because I became extremely distraught. I had night terrors, thoughts of hurting myself and others, even my dog. I managed to separate those thoughts from who I knew I was, but the emotional impact is so real. I also became paranoid that I was someone I was not! Best advice is to first get on an anxiety medication so that you can deal with the daily thoughts. I'm not saying stay on it forever, just while you wait out those weeks. Another key thing is to have someone you can call 24/7 and talk to about the thoughts, someone who knows how you are regularly. Luckily, I still have my mother."

• Sti...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 23, 2016

For Allergic Rhinitis "I tried Singulair because I have nasal allergies that turn into nasty sinus infections every couple of months. I also have panic disorder, but it's well controlled with medication. I was only able to take Singulair for 4 days due to side effects, so I can't say how well it works. It made me so sleepy that I was sleeping 12-15 hours a day and still tired when I was awake. I haven't had a panic attack in over a year, and my anxiety went through the roof on this stuff. My panic attacks were so bad that I was having trouble driving. I was also moody and irritable the days I took it. Luckily, all of the negative side effects went away within a couple of days of stopping Singulair. Stay away from this drug if you are prone to anxiety!!!"

• GLa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 26, 2019

For Asthma "I was prescribed this medicine to help with my reaction to my allergy shots. And it does help with that, but with a major side effect. I am an anxious mess the entire day. I have been walking around trying to avoid taking a Xanax, but after running, lifting weights, deep breathing, meditating, and laying down, I finally had to take it. I think next time I'll just deal with the reaction on my arms."

• Chi...
• January 11, 2011

For Asthma, Maintenance "I had horrible side effects from Singulair. I started suffering severe anxiety attacks, which my boyfriend (who is an EMT) linked back to Singulair. My allergy doctor wasn't even sure it was the Singulair until I talked to my pharmacist. Heed caution that the rare side effects can happen and that they are scary."

• Bin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 30, 2018

For Allergic Rhinitis "I took one pill this morning (as recommended by a friend who had trouble sleeping with it and found morning was better). It’s 3:18 am, and I can’t sleep. Keep having waves of feeling like I can’t breathe. Pretty sure it’s anxiety. Won’t be taking this anymore. Hope the anxiety goes away."

• Ysm...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 9, 2021

For Allergic Rhinitis "I tried this drug at the recommendation of my doctor to try to stop the constant mucus running down my throat. After a week with no improvement, I stopped taking it. It did nothing for my problem. Plus, it caused anxiety issues, which I couldn't risk getting any worse."

• Mar...
• May 4, 2017

For Asthma, Maintenance "Now, 67 years old, my health plan only permits generic montelukast medication (generic Singulair). I had a very bad experience with this medication. Suffered insomnia, anxiety, and, being with insomnia all night, went into a deep sleep. When my daughter arrived, I had a memory lapse, and being questioned by my daughter, I was giving incoherent replies. After being questioned for a while, I regained consciousness of my daily routine. I imagine I had a blackout experience. Now I'm trying to get original Singulair since I did use it before when I was younger and had none of this experience. I did quit taking this generic form of montelukast medication since the next day after quitting, I slept very well. I will try to purchase Singulair in its original form."

• Chu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 12, 2019

For Allergic Rhinitis "After 1 dose, I woke up at 3 a.m. with severe chest pains and diarrhea. I could not hold my urination until I made it to the bathroom. Finally, I fell asleep with my adjustable bed raised to sitting. The pains stayed throughout the night and more pains today. The chest pains subsided. Today, I am nervous, anxious, and still in bed at 6 p.m."

• NAa...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 20, 2016

For Asthma "I have been taking Singulair for almost a year now or more. I usually don't dream, so I haven't noticed any unusual nightmares. Seriously, I can't tell if my anxiety is because of Singulair or not. I am anxious by nature, and this semester is really stressful and can drive anyone crazy! I usually think about life, death, why we are here? and this kind of stuff. DOES THIS HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH SINGULAIR? I really want to find an answer for that. I recommend Singulair when you don't have any other choice, but if you have one, then absolutely choose it. Singulair is bad but effective."

• Wor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 2, 2016

For Allergic Rhinitis "I wish I had reported this to the FDA when it happened. I don't know how helpful my account of the side effects from years ago would be now. However, I would like to share this somewhere, as what I experienced is not verified as a side effect but possibly suspected-I don't want anyone to go through what I went through and not suspect this medication. After taking one dose of Singulair in the evening, the next day, I experienced suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and a feeling as if I were being separated from my body (if that makes sense). I have no history of such problems, never took Singulair again, and never experienced what I described again (as I said before, it has now been years since I took Singulair)."

• Lin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 6, 2022

For Allergic Rhinitis "I took Singulair last summer and was so excited that it worked. But I started displaying side effects like anxiety, panic attacks, and a feeling of wanting to cause harm to myself. I stopped taking it for several weeks, then tried it again, same side effects. I was quite upset because it actually helped the sinus problem."

• Oki...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 6, 2022

For Asthma "To the moms reading these reviews because your kid is taking this medicine but you can tell something isn’t right and wonder if it’s Singulair-listen to yourself. My son was on Singulair from the age of 5 until 19. While it did help his asthma, the side effects are not worth it. As a child, he could never sleep, had tremors, sweated like crazy, had anxiety and depression. Watch your child when they get to high school because something can change at that age and it seems the depression gets worse, suicidal thoughts began. My son stopped his meds on his own. Felt a lot better. Started having asthma issues, so he started it again at college for a couple of weeks. He is old enough now to be able to identify his feelings. He told me he stopped taking it and will never take it again because it made him suicidal."

• Ell...
• July 27, 2020

For Asthma, Maintenance "I stopped taking Montelukast after several years. Learned of an FDA warning re: cognitive effects. My breathing has worsened significantly in recent months. My breathing worsened this spring 2020 post-MS exacerbation. My air conditioner was occupied by birds - mgmt. neglect of outside grill to prevent birds, bats, etc. I also use AC for MS. Tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 April 2020. Started nebulizer yesterday to complement Advair. I will try Montelukast again. Mood-wise I did not notice anything significant. Anxiety per MS is a given - like living on the edge of a cliff. Stupidity reigned in mgmt as they refused to clean the air conditioner for pathogens. They violated Fair Housing Law - acted in accordance with Human Rights. 30th Ann. of ADA 7-26-20!"

• Anonymous
• April 27, 2009

For Allergic Rhinitis "Tried it and it worked great except for the side effects of depression, anxiety, agitation, depression."

• pre...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 21, 2013

For Asthma "Very good for asthma and allergies, but my mood changed for the worse. I woke up angry for no reason and very irritable. Made my anxiety worse too. I stopped it."