How to use Montelukast?
Ensure to read and understand the Patient Information Leaflet provided by your pharmacist before you start using Montelukast. If there are any doubts ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Take Montelukast tablet with a glass of water with or without food as per your doctor's advice. Your dosage will be decided upon your medical condition, age and your response to the medication. Take Montelukast exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take in doses which are either larger or for longer than what is recommended by your doctor. If you are prescribed chewable tablets,chew them well before swallowing. Inform your doctor to seek his advice if your child can’t chew properly and swallow them.
Remember to take Montelukast at the same every day. If you are prescribed Montelukast for asthma and allergies or only for asthma you take the dose at night. If you are prescribed montelukast to prevent allergies then take your dose in the morning or in the evening.
Take Montelukast 2 hours prior to exercise if you are taking it to prevent exercise induced asthma. If you are taking Montelukast regularly for asthma or for allergies then you don’t take it again before exercise. Take only 1 dose of Montelukast within 24 hours.
Continue to take Montelukast regularly to keep asthma under control. If your asthma symptoms worsen and your quick relief inhaler is not helping inform your doctor right way.
Precautions
Prior to taking Montelukast inform your doctor if you have
- any allergies to Montelukast or any other allergies
- liver disease
Inform your doctor about any medications that you are taking including prescription medications, over the counter medications, vitamins, supplements and herbal remedies.
Aspartame is one of the ingredients of the chewable tablet. If you have a condition such as phenylketonuria (PKU) or any other condition that requires you to limit or avoid aspartame in your diet, ask your doctor how to use montelukast safely.
If you are pregnant you must take Montelukast only if it’s absolutely necessary. Discuss with your doctor the risks and the benefits involved.
Nursing mothers must discuss with the doctor if it is safe to feed the baby while taking Montelukast.
Side Effects
Your doctor prescribed this medicine after carefully analyzing the benefits over the risks involved. Most people do not experience any serious side effects.
Inform your doctor immediately if you experience any of the serious side effects mentioned below.
- trouble sleeping
- depression
- sleep walking
- memory / attention problems
- muscle weakness
- numbness / tingling / shooting pain in the arms or legs
- abnormal dreams
- anxiety
- suicide or thoughts of harming yourself
- sinus pain / swelling
- uncontrolled muscle movements
A serious allergy reaction is extremely rare with Montelukast. In case you show the following symptoms get to the emergency clinic
- itching
- severe dizziness
- trouble breathing
- swelling in the face, throat, tongue, throat
- rash - itching
Interaction
Inform your doctor about any medications that you are taking including prescription medications, over the counter medications, vitamins, supplements and herbal remedies. Do not start, stop and change the dosage of any medicine without your doctor’s permission.
Some of the medications may interact with Montelukast is
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