The majority of the time, medications improve our lives. They lessen aches and pains, battle infections, and maintain conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes under control. But adverse reactions to medications are also possible.
One such medication is singulair, which has been linked to many side effects, like mental health problems and suicidal thoughts. Let’s take a closer look at the problems with singulair, singulair mental health side effects, and singulair lawsuits.
What is Singulair?
Montelukast is sold under the trade name Singulair. Singulair is used for adults and children with severe allergies, asthma, and other bronchial problems. What does singulair do for asthma? Leukotriene, a class of natural compounds that can aggravate or worsen allergies and asthma, is blocked by this medication. Lowering inflammation and edema in the airways facilitates better breathing.
Singulair is a part of the medication class known as leukotriene receptor antagonists. The oral tablet, singulair long term use, is designed for asthma patients. Who manufactures singulair? Merck was the manufacturer of Singulair (Montelukast).
Singulair has been regularly recommended to millions of people in the United States due to its anti-inflammatory qualities. It is typically used in conjunction with a corticosteroid inhaler and is offered in the form of pills or granules.
The FDA initially approved Montelukast, the generic for singulair, in 1998. However, the way Singulair functions may result in severe neuropsychiatric harm or adverse effects on mental health; the risk may be higher in children using Singulair than in adults.
Singulair’s Black Box Warning
The FDA’s most serious warning is a “black box” notice. In order to alert patients about long-lasting, grave, or fatal adverse effects, these warnings feature significant side effect information surrounded by a strong black border and prominent wording.
The singulair drug is associated with suicidal behavior, sadness, agitation, violence, and sleep difficulties, according to the montelukast black box warning. For significant adverse effects on mental health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration added a Singulair black box warning in March 2020. This is the FDA’s strictest label warning.
Shortly after the FDA updated singulair’s medicine label with a black box warning for severe neuropsychiatric problems in March 2020, plaintiffs started bringing legal action.
Doctors are recommended not to prescribe Singulair unless there are no other available options as a result of the updated warning label and medication guidelines.
Unfortunately, the FDA montelukast warnings arrive too late for some people. Families of people who used the drug and then had severe mental health issues and committed suicide claim they were unaware of the harmful health repercussions until their loved ones died.
Long Term Singulair Side Effects
Singulair can have serious adverse effects on mental health when used for an extended period of time. The FDA cited studies that showed serious negative effects on mental health that persisted even after singulair use was discontinued. These long term side effects of singulair could consist of the following:
- Agitation
- Aggressive behavior
- Memory issues
- Anxiety
- Constipation
- Confusion
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Suicidal thoughts
- Hallucinations
- Abnormal liver function
- Trouble in sleeping
- Respiratory infection
- Uncontrollable muscular contraction
Additionally, many of these negative impacts, including suicidal ideas or deeds, have been seen in kids and young adults.
Montelukast Brain Damage
The ability of Singulair to pass through the blood-brain barrier is one of its distinctive features. It is one of the few types of drugs that are known to pass across the barrier that shields the brain from infections. Due to Singulair’s capacity to pass the protective barrier, the medication may build up in patients’ brain tissue and cause neurological and mental health issues.
Singulair can cause neuropsychiatric events and mental health problems when it accumulates in the nervous system and brain. Since the drug’s clearance in 1998, the FDA has received over 19,000 complaints of adverse events, and more than 10,000 of those reports dealt with psychiatric or nervous system side effects.
Is Montelukast dangerous when used without a doctor’s prescription? Of course. It can cause serious, life-altering side effects.
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Singulair Deaths
Sara Hozen, 18, tragically committed suicide in the U.S. in 2018. Three months after starting Singulair, Sara committed suicide, according to her mother, Mary Hozen. At that time, many parents spoke out about how their kids had psychological breakdowns because of singulair.
Have you or your children experienced serious negative effects on mental health? Do you currently use Singulair? You might be eligible to file singulair lawsuits for reimbursement.
To find out the cause of the condition, attorneys need medical records. All paperwork about a patient’s care and treatment across numerous healthcare facilities is included in medical records.
How did the Risk Get Found?
For more than ten years, the FDA has been examining information about reports of neuropsychiatric problems linked to the use of Singulair. These occurrences include suicidal thoughts and acts, agitation, depression, and insomnia. The FDA revised the product labeling for Singulair in 2008 to add details regarding documented neuropsychiatric problems.
The maker of singulair, Merck & Co. (Merck), asked the FDA in 2014 for permission to sell the medication over-the-counter (OTC) to treat allergy symptoms in adults. Consumer advocacy group Public Citizen successfully claimed that Singulair was too dangerous to be marketed, had few benefits, and could pose major health hazards. The FDA prohibited the proposed Singulair OTC sales in May 2014.
Singulair’s efficacy has been questioned. Given the numerous hazards and adverse effects, some medical professionals think it is ineffective for treating asthma. According to a 2014 study, Singulair did not stop wheezing episodes in kids who took the medication.
The FDA organized an observational study and presented the results to an FDA advisory meeting in 2019. The hazards of Singulair and its generic versions may outweigh the advantages for certain people, particularly if the medication is used to address minor symptoms that may be managed with alternative treatments.
The FDA mandated a Medication Guide that was included with each prescription for singulair/montelukast in addition to the additional boxed warning that was mandated as of March 2020.
Legal Actions against Merck
Various lawsuits contend that Merck was aware of the possibility of these neuropsychiatric singulair side effects but withheld this information from patients and physicians until 2020. The following claims were filed against Merck:
- Strict liability
- Failure to warn
- Negligent misrepresentation
- Breach of express and
- Implied warranties
According to Singulair lawsuits, Merck & Co., the company that makes Singulair, was aware of the dangers and possible negative effects on mental health for many years but just recently started telling patients and healthcare professionals about them.
Singulair lawsuits alleging that Singulair’s manufacturers knew about the serious adverse effects on mental health for years but failed to adequately warn patients have been filed across the nation as a result. Many of those patients were kids or teenagers who were unwittingly the targets of suicidal ideas or deeds.
Singulair Lawsuit 2024 Update
On February 21, 2024, an attorney general wrote a letter to the FDA to make changes to Singulair’s label. The letter highlights the importance of singulair side effects on the label, suggests conducting an investigation, and urges physicians and health care providers to opt for other FDA-authorized medications.
May 2024 Update
The UK has updated the label for the asthma drug Singulair, adding prominent warnings about sleep disorders, aggression and depression, especially in children. This comes after concerns about mental health risks, including suicide, associated with the drug, prompting similar actions in the US.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) urges vigilance among doctors and patients for neuropsychiatric reactions and advises discontinuing Singulair if symptoms worsen.
December 2024 Update
Researchers have found that Singulair (montelukast) may be able to pass through the blood-brain barrier, a protective layer that separates the brain from the bloodstream. Once it crosses this barrier, Singulair can bind to brain cells that control mood and behavior.
This interaction could explain some of the psychiatric side effects reported by users, such as suicidal thoughts and impulse control problems. This discovery was part of a study conducted by FDA experts, who are still investigating how exactly the drug affects the brain.
Are you Eligible to File Singulair Lawsuits?
Research is being done on montelukast lawsuits involving the usage of Singulair and subsequent negative mental health outcomes. Suppose you or a loved one used Singulair and later developed psychiatric or mental health problems listed on the Montelukast black box warning. In that case, you probably have many questions about the procedure for filing a lawsuit against a major pharmaceutical company.
Contact a skilled singulair lawsuit attorney, and he will help you file singulair lawsuits for damages. The lawyer will discuss the choice between bringing a single claim against the product’s maker and joining a singulair class action lawsuit.
There is a deadline for filing all harmful medications. Your state’s laws govern how much time you have to file a Singulair asthma drug lawsuit. If you miss the deadline, your case can be dismissed. To avoid missing any important dates, you should obtain legal counsel as soon as you think you have a chance to join a Singulair allergy medicine class action lawsuit.
Plaintiffs in montelukast claims demand compensation for medical costs, lost pay, and pain and suffering resulting from Singulair users’ mental health disorders.
You must demonstrate that the use of Singulair caused harm to you or a member of your family to file a claim. In order to demonstrate the cause of the issue, victims’ medical records are needed. Only a top medical record review company, like LezDo TechMed, can evaluate medical records to better understand the attorneys’ purposes in the case.
Need Quality Medical Record Reviews?
To conclude,
Although all medications have side effects, producers must ensure their product is relatively safe for users. The severity of a drug’s side effects should not outweigh its advantages. Knowing the side effects of your medications will help you deal with them if they occur. Stay tuned for singulair lawsuit 2024 updates.
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