SINGULAIR 10 mg film-coated tablets
montelukast
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine.
- Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
- If you have any further questions, please ask your doctor or pharmacist.
- This medicine has been prescribed for you. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their symptoms are the same as yours.
- If any of the side effects gets serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
In this leaflet:
1. What SINGULAIR is and what it is used for
2. Before you take SINGULAIR
3. How to take SINGULAIR
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store SINGULAIR
6. Further information
What SINGULAIR is and what it is used for
SINGULAIR is a leukotriene receptor antagonist that blocks substances called leukotrienes.
Leukotrienes cause narrowing and swelling of airways in the lungs and also cause allergy symptoms.
By blocking leukotrienes, SINGULAIR improves asthma symptoms, helps control asthma and improves seasonal allergy symptoms (also known as hay fever or seasonal allergic rhinitis).
Your doctor has prescribed SINGULAIR to treat asthma, preventing your asthma symptoms during the day and night.
- SINGULAIR is used for the treatment of patients who are not adequately controlled on their medication and need additional therapy.
- SINGULAIR also helps prevent the narrowing of airways triggered by exercise.
- In those asthmatic patients in whom SINGULAIR is indicated in asthma, SINGULAIR can also provide symptomatic relief of seasonal allergic rhinitis.
Your doctor will determine how SINGULAIR should be used depending on the symptoms and severity of your asthma.
What is asthma?
Asthma is a long-term disease.
Asthma includes:
- difficulty breathing because of narrowed airways. This narrowing of airways worsens and improves in response to various conditions.
- sensitive airways that react to many things, such as cigarette smoke, pollen, cold air, or exercise.
- swelling (inflammation) in the lining of the airways.
Symptoms of asthma include: Coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness.
What are seasonal allergies?
Seasonal allergies (also known as hay fever or seasonal allergic rhinitis) are an allergic response often caused by airborne pollens from trees, grasses and weeds. The symptoms of seasonal allergies typically may include: stuffy, runny, itchy nose; sneezing; watery, swollen, red, itchy eyes.
Before you take SINGULAIR
Tell your doctor about any medical problems or allergies you have now or have had.
Do not take SINGULAIR if you
- are allergic (hypersensitive) to montelukast or any of the other ingredients of SINGULAIR (see 6. Further information).
Take special care with SINGULAIR
- If your asthma or breathing gets worse, tell your doctor immediately.
- Oral SINGULAIR is not meant to treat acute asthma attacks. If an attack occurs, follow the instructions your doctor has given you. Always have your inhaled rescue medicine for asthma attacks with you.
- It is important that you or your child take all asthma medications prescribed by your doctor. SINGULAIR should not be substituted for other asthma medications your doctor has prescribed for you.
- Any patient on anti-asthma medicines should be aware that if you develop a combination of symptoms such as a flu-like illness, pins and needles or numbness of arms or legs, worsening of pulmonary symptoms, and/or rash, you should consult your doctor.
- You should not take acetyl-salicylic acid (aspirin) or anti-inflammatory medicines (also known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs) if they make your asthma worse.
Use in children
For children 2 to 5 years old, SINGULAIR Paediatric 4 mg chewable tablets and SINGULAIR Paediatric 4 mg granules are available.
For children 6 to 14 years old, SINGULAIR Paediatric 5 mg chewable tablets are available.
Taking other medicines
Some medicines may affect how SINGULAIR works, or SINGULAIR may affect how other medicines work.
Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken other medicines, including those obtained without a prescription.
Tell your doctor if you are taking the following medicines before starting SINGULAIR:
- phenobarbital (used for treatment of epilepsy)
- phenytoin (used for treatment of epilepsy)
- rifampicin (used to treat tuberculosis and some other infections)
Taking SINGULAIR with food and drink
SINGULAIR 10 mg may be taken with or without food.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
Use in pregnancy
Women who are pregnant or intend to become pregnant should consult their doctor before taking SINGULAIR. Your doctor will assess whether you can take SINGULAIR during this time.
Use in breast-feeding
It is not known if SINGULAIR appears in breast milk. You should consult your doctor before taking SINGULAIR if you are breast-feeding or intend to breast-feed.
Driving and using machines
SINGULAIR is not expected to affect your ability to drive a car or operate machinery. However, individual responses to medication may vary. Certain side effects (such as dizziness and drowsiness) that have been reported very rarely with SINGULAIR may affect some patients’ ability to drive or operate machinery.
Important information about some of the ingredients of SINGULAIR
SINGULAIR 10 mg film-coated tablets contain lactose. If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product.
How to take SINGULAIR
- You should take only one tablet of SINGULAIR once a day as prescribed by your doctor.
- It should be taken even when you have no symptoms or have an acute asthma attack.
- Always take SINGULAIR as your doctor has told you. You should check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
- To be taken by mouth
For adults 15 years of age and older:
One 10 mg tablet to be taken daily in the evening. SINGULAIR 10 mg may be taken with or without food.
If you are taking SINGULAIR, be sure that you do not take any other products that contain the same active ingredient, montelukast.
If you take more SINGULAIR than you should
Contact your doctor immediately for advice.
There were no side effects reported in the majority of overdose reports. The most frequently occurring symptoms reported with overdose in adults and children included abdominal pain, sleepiness, thirst, headache, vomiting, and hyperactivity.
If you forget to take SINGULAIR
Try to take SINGULAIR as prescribed. However, if you miss a dose, just resume the usual schedule of one tablet once daily.
Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
If you stop taking SINGULAIR
SINGULAIR can treat your asthma only if you continue to take it.
It is important to continue taking SINGULAIR for as long as your doctor prescribes. It will help control your asthma.
If you have any further questions on the use of this product, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Possible side effects
Like all medicines, SINGULAIR can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
In clinical studies with SINGULAIR 10 mg film-coated tablets, the most commonly reported side effects (occurring in at least 1 of 100 patients and less than 1 of 10 patients treated) thought to be related to SINGULAIR were:
- abdominal pain
- headache
These were usually mild and occurred at a greater frequency in patients treated with SINGULAIR than placebo (a pill containing no medication).
Additionally, while the medicine has been on the market, the following have been reported:
- upper respiratory infection
- increased bleeding tendency
- allergic reactions including rash, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and/or throat which may cause difficulty in breathing or swallowing
- behaviour and mood related changes [dream abnormalities, including nightmares, hallucinations, irritability, feeling anxious, restlessness, agitation including aggressive behaviour or hostility, tremor, depression, trouble sleeping, sleep walking, suicidal thoughts and actions (in very rare cases)]
- dizziness, drowsiness, pins and needles/numbness, seizure
- palpitations
- nosebleed
- diarrhoea, dry mouth, indigestion, nausea, vomiting
- hepatitis (inflammation of the liver)
- bruising, itching, hives, tender red lumps under the skin most commonly on your shins (erythema nodosum),
- joint or muscle pain, muscle cramps
- tiredness, feeling unwell, swelling, fever
In asthmatic patients treated with montelukast, very rare cases of a combination of symptoms such as flu-like illness, pins and needles or numbness of arms and legs, worsening of pulmonary symptoms and/or rash (Churg-Strauss syndrome) have been reported. You must tell your doctor right away if you get one or more of these symptoms.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information about side effects. If any of the side effects gets serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
How to store SINGULAIR
- Keep out of the reach and sight of children.
- Do not use this medicine after the date shown by the six numbers following EXP on the blister. The first two numbers indicate the month; the last four numbers indicate the year. This medicine expires at the end of the month shown.
- Store in the original package in order to protect from light and moisture.
- Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. These measures will help to protect the environment.
Further information
What SINGULAIR contains
- The active substance is: montelukast. Each tablet contains montelukast sodium which corresponds to 10 mg of montelukast.
- The other ingredients are:
Microcrystalline cellulose, lactose monohydrate (89.3 mg), croscarmellose sodium, hyprolose (E463), and magnesium stearate.
Film coating: hypromellose, hyprolose (E463), titanium dioxide (E 171), red and yellow ferric oxide (E 172), and carnauba wax.
What SINGULAIR looks like and contents of the pack
10 mg SINGULAIR tablets are beige, rounded square, film-coated with SINGULAIR engraved on one side, MSD 117 on the other.
Blisters in packages of: 7, 10, 14, 20, 28, 30, 50, 56, 84, 90, 98, 100, 140, 200 tablets.
Blisters (unit doses), in packages of: 49, 50 and 56 tablets.
Not all pack sizes may be marketed
Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer
The Marketing Authorisation Holder is
SINGULAIR 10 mg tablets are manufactured by
Information is given by:
In UK:
Alternatively phone the Asthma UK Adviceline on 08457 010203, Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm, calls charged at local rate.
In Ireland:
Alternatively phone The Asthma Live Line on 01 8788122, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 10am to 1pm, or 01 8788511 9am to 5pm, or The Asthma Line on callsave 1850 44 5464.
(The Asthma UK and The Asthma Society of Ireland are independent charities working to conquer asthma and are not associated with Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited.)
This medicinal product is authorised in the Member States of the EEA under the following names:
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Ireland, UK, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Portugal
SINGULAIR
This package leaflet was last approved in June 2010
denotes registered trademark of
© Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited 2010. All rights reserved.
PIL.SGA-10mg.09.UK.3066.II-051
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