We have begun collecting medical information this week from parents whose children experienced negative side effects after taking the drug Singulair. The data so far has been shocking to say the least.
There are so many striking similarities among the side effects experienced by kids all over the country. So far, the most common side effects include:
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suicide
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severe depression
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panic disorder/social anxiety
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severe nightmares
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suicidal thoughts
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self-mutilation
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violence or aggressive behavior.
A large majority of these children have visited psychiatrists, been prescribed very strong medication and have fallen behind in school as a result. And while some doctors have acknowledged the connection between Singulair and these behaviors, others have dismissed the concerns of Singulair moms —thus forcing them to take matters into their own hands.
While I certainly do not recommend stopping a drug treatment without consulting a doctor, its interesting to note the results of discontinuing the drug. 99% of the parents I have talked to reported having a “completely different kid” after stopping Singulair. Grades began to improve, the aggression, suicidal thoughts and terrors stopped and most of them were able to come off of their anti-psychotic medicine.
Sound familiar? How to get help:
If these stories sound strikingly familiar to you, its important to know that you are not alone in this struggle. There is an excellent forum/support group going on over at medications.com. Furthermore, while there are no definitive studies linking the drug to these side effects as of yet, I highly recommend that you send a complaint to the FDA regarding your experience. One of the mother’s at medications.com has found a contact person at the FDA who is looking into reports of suicide and suicidal behavior. You can share your Singulair story with her by emailing sarah.sellers@fda.hhs.gov .
Finally, if you are interested in taking legal action against Merck, please email us your story as well. If we can compile enough data to show this is a real problem, we may be able to get the ball rolling on a class action lawsuit. You can email me personally filling this form.
Unless we as parents make this an issue, the drug companies will continue to make billions at the expense of our children’s health. Its time that we all work together and put a stop to the pharmaceutical giants that could care less about us or our families.