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Singulair (montelukast sodium, Merck & Co. Inc.) has traditionally been considered a medication with few side effects and a favorable safety profile. Possible side effects include stomach pain or upset, heartburn, tiredness, fever, stuffy nose, cough, flu, colds, dizziness, headache and rash. Other less common side effects can also occur.
What should be made clear, though, is the following concept: Whether used to treat a skin fungal infection or a heart attack, every medication has a side effect profile. The medical community has been humbled in the past by significant, unintended side effects or adverse events related to medications that have already been approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration.
Recent case reports concern patients who tragically committed suicide while, at the same time, taking Singulair. As Mr. Rindfleisch points out in his well-written article, we may not know for some time whether there is really a true cause and effect, or whether there is only a “coincidence,” between taking Singulair and committing suicide. Until that time, attention to all medications’ unintended effects (as well as their intended effects) must be paid the highest attention.
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