Montelukast Drug Info

Generic Name: montelukast (mon the LOO kast)
Brand Names: Singulair

What is montelukast?

Montelukast is a leukotriene (loo-koe-TRY-een) inhibitor. Leukotrienes are chemicals your body releases when you breathe in an allergen (such as pollen). These chemicals cause swelling in your lungs and tightening of the muscles around your airways, which can result in asthma symptoms.

Montelukast is used to prevent asthma attacks in adults and children as young as 12 months old. It is also used to relieve runny nose and sneezing caused by allergies in adults and children as young as 6 months old.
Do not give this medication to a child without a doctor's advice.

Montelukast is also used to prevent exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (narrowing of the air passages in the lungs) in people who are not already taking this medicine for other conditions.
If you already take this medication to prevent asthma or allergy symptoms, do not use it for exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.

Montelukast may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about montelukast?

Do not use montelukast to treat an asthma attack that has already begun. It will not work fast enough to reverse your symptoms. Use only a fast-acting inhalation medication to treat an asthma attack. Talk with your doctor if any of your asthma medications do not seem to work as well in treating or preventing asthma attacks. It may take up to several weeks of using this medicine before your symptoms improve. For best results, keep using the medication as directed. Talk with your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after several weeks of treatment.

Call your doctor right away if you feel that this medicine is not working as well as usual, or if it makes your condition worse. If it seems like you need to use more of any of your medications in a 24-hour period, talk with your doctor.
If you already take this medication to prevent asthma or allergy symptoms, do not use it for exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking montelukast?

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to montelukast.

Before using montelukast, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs (especially aspirin), or if you have liver disease. You may not be able to use montelukast, or you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.

The chewable tablet form of this medication may contain up to 0.842 milligrams of phenylalanine. Talk to your doctor before using this form of montelukast if you have phenylketonuria (PKU).
FDA pregnancy category B. This medication is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether montelukast passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.