Mast Cell Disorders Forum

Mast Cell Disorders Forum
http://mastcelldisorders.wallack.us/yabb/YaBB.pl General Mast Cell Disorders Discussion >> Medicines >> Leukotriene inhibitors http://mastcelldisorders.wallack.us/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1310700556 Message started by Starflower on 07/14/11 at 16:29:16

Title: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by Starflower on 07/14/11 at 16:29:16

Last week my one-year approval for a "non-standard" dose of Singulair (30mg/day) ran out. Fortunately, my doctor was able to contact my insurance company very quickly and got it re-approved. However... he mentioned an interesting alternative to me that I wanted to pass on in case it helps somebody else. Instead of taking 30mg/day of Singulair, he said I could take a standard dose of Singulair plus a standard dose of another leukotriene inhibitor... Zyflo or Accolate. He did that for another patient whose insurance company wouldn't approve the higher dose of Singulair. It's an idea I'm keeping in the back of my mind! I already combine different types of H1/H2 antihistamines... it seems like combining different types of leukotriene inhibitors should be just as safe and effective.

Heather

Title: Re: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by Riverwn on 07/14/11 at 17:24:19

Great tip!! I copied it and saved it ... Im fighting with my DR now for more than a 10 mg a day dose.. maybe I can work it my way in another way lol.. Thanks for educating me :)
love ya
Ramona

Title: Re: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by Joan on 07/15/11 at 18:31:24

Great idea, but do check side effects. Some have more than Singulair does in a number of patients.

Title: Re: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by mikev on 07/16/11 at 09:37:52

I took zyflo for at least 3 years without any side effects that I could see. I recently went back ro singulair because zyflo has a greater level of starch as an inactive ingrediant than singulair. & I'm working on reducing starches & talcs as much as possible after my reaction to ketitofin. Will know if starch was really the issue of if it was ketitofin, as soon as I can get my doc to script liquid ketitofin. By the way Heather can now take benedryl in liquid form, but still not the tablets I never did take both singulair & zyflo at same time but see no reason why wouldn't work. singulair works on the symptoms & zyflo works on inhibiting production of leukotrienes. at least that is what i was told by my doc. also liquid tylenol now works where before pills didn't seem to.
mike v

Title: Re: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by NZNancy on 07/16/11 at 21:05:36

Zyflo, Accolate, and Singulair each do something slightly different from the others. All inhibit, one way or another, the effects of leukotrienes.

Accolate and Singulair block receptors for leukotriene C4 (LTC4), LTD4, and LTE4, and some other inflammatory chemicals in the leukotriene family. Blockage is not complete as not all receptors for these mediators (chemicals) are blocked.
Zyflo blocks the activity of an enzyme (5-lipoxygenase) that produces the leukotriene family of mediators.

So - Zyflo may give better relief of symptoms than the other two, and there should be no problem in combining any of the three. Just be sure you read the side-effect statements and drug interactions on these before you get them filled. Lots of people take them with no problem. Their safety profile is not as good as for the antihistamines, though, and you should be aware of this.

Nancy

Title: Re: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by Joan on 07/17/11 at 10:22:57

Do you think there are problems taking Singulair over the long-term? My son's been on it for a long time.

Title: Re: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by NZNancy on 07/17/11 at 12:13:49

Joan, Singulair is intended for long-term use, so your son is probably doing well with it. I know one side-effect is "vivid dreams" although those dreams are usually good ones - long, story-type dreams that are interesting to remember next day.

Here is the side-effect list from the singuliar website:
SINGULAIR may cause serious side effects. Behavior and mood-related changes have been reported: agitation including aggressive behavior or hostility, bad or vivid dreams, depression, disorientation (confusion), feeling anxious, hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not really there), irritability, restlessness, sleepwalking, suicidal thoughts and actions (including suicide), tremor, and trouble sleeping

Title: Re: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by missybean on 07/18/11 at 05:33:29

I have singular in my cupboard and I really want to try it but I'm scared of the side effects. I'm already experiencing a lot of irritabilty lately in the past 4 months or so.
I have been having poor symptom control lately. I'm experience hives again second time in the past 2 months and I'm on prednisone again. So dried out from all the antihistamines and wondering......I'm already on so many meds, what else could they possibly give me. I'm aldeay taking just about everything!
Melissa

Title: Re: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by DeborahW, Founder on 07/19/11 at 03:57:22

I have not heard of anyone having problems with it. I took it for long while and it really helped me! I have only of heard extremely positive results from people who take it. Everyone is different, or course.

Title: Re: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by Kate:Ohio on 07/19/11 at 10:16:38

Deborah,

Can you take both Claritin and Singulair at the same time? I have been taking Claritin for several years. Zyrtec knocks me out and I can't refunction for about 15 hours. I was considering trying to get my PCP to write me a script to try it.

Thanks,
Kate

Title: Re: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by DeborahW, Founder on 07/19/11 at 13:34:08

Hi. I am pretty sure that Claritin is just a histamine blocker and histamine blockers can be taken with singulair. I took, zantac, zyrtec, allegra and singulair all at the same time for a year or two. I no longer have the symptom that the singulair was helping with, so i stopped taking it. I take it whenever I am feeling ill, though, and I am not getting enough relief from doubling my allegra or zyrtec.

Have you tried allegra instead of claritin? I just don't have a high opinon of claritin being effective at all. I don't seem to get drowsy from the meds, although I do think that they sap my energy somewhat. I can deal with that, though. I believe that allegra is not supposed to cause drowsiness in people.

Title: Re: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by Starflower on 07/19/11 at 16:44:10

I take both Claritin (20mg/day) and Singulair (30mg/day)... it hasn't been a problem for me. If you're ever worried about drug interactions there are lots of good checkers out there. Here's one, for example:

http://www.umm.edu/adam/drug_checker.htm

Since I have a problem with abnormal bleeding (which... after extensive testing... seems to be directly connected to my mast cell disorder) I also add "heparin" to the list when I'm checking out a new drug. That way I can easily figure out which drugs are blood thinners, even when they're not used specifically for that purpose. Aspirin, for example, is both a pain reliever and a blood thinner. Quercetin and turmeric are blood thinners too... I found that out the hard way :-?

Heather

Title: Re: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by kristi on 07/20/11 at 19:03:52

Does anyone know if I can split a singulair in 1/2 to take it for the first time? I have had the samples for several weeks and I'm so scared to take one. I seem to be so sensitive to medications lately and somehow it makes me feel better to start of slow with a smaller amount.

thanks,
Kristi

Title: Re: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by Starflower on 07/21/11 at 05:27:39

I think it's OK to split Singulair, but why don't you call your local pharmacy?

Heather

Title: Re: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by texan1960 on 07/21/11 at 09:15:02

I am going to try Singulair again, but had GERD problems when I took it last time (helped otherwise). I am wondering if the other alternatives mentioned might not cause me to end up with GERD. I also get GERD with Allegra....eessh, sometimes I feel like I fix one problem and end up another. Right now taking zyrtec and zantac combo which helps but does not cover all my symptoms when it is so hot outside (worst trigger for me...flushing, then fibro like ache, IC flares, asthma type symptoms, drainage, brain fog)

Title: Re: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by NZNancy on 07/21/11 at 17:07:40

Texan1960, look at the ingredients for the dose of Singulair you took and also for the dose of Allegra you took. GERD is not a usual result of taking those meds, and I'm wondering if one of the inactive ingredients in both of those could be the problem?

Nancy

Title: Re: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by mikev on 07/22/11 at 05:42:09

texan:
I agree with Nancy. I had trouble with ketitofin pills & the only reason could think of was the corn starch inactive ingrediant. Both corn starch which a lot of the generic drugs use as a filler & pregelatinized starch both are high in sulfites due to the process to make them. This was my reason to switch from zyflo to singulair, also to use regular zrytec not the generic. Allegra has the pregelatinized starch as a filler. I watch both these in all my foods & I seem a little better with my skin symptoms. All I know is I can now take liquid benedryl & tylenol that don't have the fillers & they help when symptoms act up. The other thing we all get a lot of coincidence symptoms that just happen at the time we take meds. These should be explored multiple times to make sure there is a direct correlationship before the meds are blamed for the symptoms. Once again my opinion from 6 years of experience.
mikev

Title: Re: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by Riverwn on 07/22/11 at 05:48:13

GREAT tips Mike!! Im gonna call my pharmacy and see if any of my meds have those in it.. I cant take sulphites.. Youre a huge help to me with your experience :)
hugs
Ramona

Title: Re: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by texan1960 on 07/22/11 at 06:12:13

Thanks guys, will check those ingredients. I have a super sensitive tummy and have to take zantac and prilosec to keep it under control. I have tried Allegra twice now and same problem each time. Oddly enough, my daughter had to switch from Allegra to Zyrtec for same reason. I am going to give singulair one more go though....BTW, I could not take Elmiron for IC for same reason, gave me horrid GERD the whole time I took it, after a year of GERD gave it up! Dissappointing at the time give the nature of IC. Will see about fillers...I know food additives, for example, glutamates, are not my friends...Thanks for the tip, will see!

Title: Re: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by texan1960 on 07/22/11 at 06:14:11

PS Mike...almost missed it in your message, but I have issues with sulfites too...not as drastic as MSG and glutamates, but definitely have problems.

Title: Re: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by jenwic on 07/25/11 at 08:11:39

Kristi,

I got my allergist to give me some children's Singulair chewables to try to begin with. I could cut them in tiny pieces. Found out I can't tolerate Singulair, though. Also, some people might no be able to tolerate the extra ingredients (flavoring etc) in the chewables.

Title: Re: Leukotriene inhibitors
Post by kristi on 07/25/11 at 19:29:25

Thanks, Jenwic, that is a good suggestion. I did call the pharmacy and they said I could split the 10 mg pills. I tried that and have taken 1/2 for two days now. I do feel a little reactive (throat congestion and dizziness) but that seems to go away after 15 minutes or so. I'm going to keep trying as I'm so hopeful this med is going to help me stabilize a bit. I did read that the children's chewables have aspartame and I'm thinking I might have issues with that. Thanks again for the idea!

kristi