Montelukast

Drug Class:	Commonly Known As:	Category:
Antiasthma		Adult, Children

Montelukast - What is it for

Montelukast prevents swelling of the airways and is used to control and treat asthma and allergic rhinitis. It can also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.

Montelukast - Side Effects, Precautions, and Contraindications

What side effects can Montelukast cause?

The side effects for montelukast is usually mild and generally well-tolerated. They include the following:

 Sore throat, cough and cold
 Headache, dizziness, feeling tired
 Stomach pain, nausea, diarrhoea

These symptoms may happen but should get better over time. Check with your doctor if any of these symptoms are serious or do not go away.

In very rare cases, some patients may experience the following:

Mood and behaviour changes such as nightmares, dreams that are not normal, trouble sleeping, feeling irritated, feeling restless or anxious
Pins and needles or numbness in arms or legs
Worsening lung issues

The symptoms of a drug allergy include one or more of the following:

Swollen face/eyes/lips/tongue
Difficulty in breathing
Itchy skin rashes over your whole body

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should stop your medication and see your healthcare professional immediately.

Before taking Montelukast , what precautions must I follow?

Inform your healthcare professional if:

You are allergic to this medication or any of the other ingredients of this medication.
You are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or breastfeeding
You are taking any other medications, including supplements, traditional medications and herbal remedies.

Montelukast - Dosage and How to Use

How should Montelukast be used?

Take exactly as how your healthcare professional has told you.
Do not stop taking your medication without checking with your healthcare professional.
You make take this medication with or without food.

If taking:

4mg Oral Granules

The granules should be consumed within 15 minutes of opening the sachet.
The medication can be mixed with a spoonful of the following room temperature food: apple sauce, mashed carrots, breast milk, porridge, rice, milk.
Alternatively, the medication can be fed directly into the child's mouth.
Your child may drink other room temperature liquids after swallowing the granules.
If the recommended method of administration above is not possible, you may mix the granules with room temperature water in a spoon and get the child to swallow the mixture immediately.
The granules will NOT dissolve in the liquids above. Do not attempt to dissolve or crush the granules.

5mg Chewable Tablets

Chew well before swallowing.

Dosage instructions for 5mg chewable Montelukast tablets

10mg Oral Tablets

Swallow whole with a glass of water, juice or milk. Do not crush, cut or dissolve the tablets.
It can be taken with or without food.

Dosage instructions for 10mg Montelukast oral tablets

What should I do if I miss a dose?

Administer the missed dose as soon as you remember it. If you remember a missed dose at the time of the next dose, omit the missed dose and take only the regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose to make up for the missed one.