Singulair and Nasonex

Updated on September 03, 2010
M.M. asks from Newark, NY
8 answers

My 8 year old son has had a persistent cough for about 7 weeks or so. I took him to the doctor 8/19, and they took an x-ray of his lungs. The doctor diagnosed him with mycoplasma pneumonia, and gave him an antibiotic that he took for the prescribed 5 days. The cough has not gone away so we went back to the doctor today. Unfortunately is GP was out on vacation so we had to see a different doctor. This doctor gave us samples of Singulair and Nasonex (nasal spray). After reading online about the two products, I am not so sure they are the correct ones for his issue. The doc said she noticed he had post-nasal drip which is causing him to cough. I am also concerned about all the side effects of the sample meds she gave me. I was wondering if anyone has gone through a similar experience, and could tell me the outcome. I wonder if something more like Zyrtec or Claritin might be more appropriate. She thinks it might be due to allergies. It is a very dry cough, almost sounds like he has an annoying tickle in his throat, but he says it doesn't feel that way. It is somewhat worse when he is lying down, but once he's asleep it doesn't keep him awake at night. Thanks for your help!

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M.B.

answers from New York on

I wanted to share that my son (then only 1-2 yrs old) was on Singulair for a long time and although people kept asking me if it made him hyper, it really didn't. He had the persistent cough, especially bad when he had a cold, and he was diagnosed with Asthma. He was on a few differend meds (pulmicort through the nebulizer as well as albuterol when the cold/cough was really bad) and really his personality stayed the same. I would recommend trying it. It may relieve his symptoms.

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M.D.

answers from New York on

Singulair is for people with asthma and allergies, if you son does not have asthma then I would not give it to him. It also takes a while to work. My daughter (7 yrs old ) uses nasonex and claritin during the fall season due to seasonal allergies and seems to really work well.

Does your son complain of chest pains? if so, he could have acid reflux. This past year my daughter has complained of chest pains and coughed constantly 9 adry cough) MD kept saying use nebulizer with asthma meds. well by week 5 I was like ok this is clearly not working. I finally went to see a allergist who said "I bet she has acid reflux" gave me a script for zantac, and within days she was better. My daughter was able to sleep thru the night without coughing also, but all day would cough. Good luck!

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S.T.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Honestly I think every person is made differently and that is why they have so many different types, they don't work for everyone. My son is now 3.5 and has been on both singular and nasonex since January when he was hospitalized for RSV (in addition to albuterol when needed). The singular is for both allergies and asthma like symptoms, so it could really help over time and if his nose is not runny I think that one of the other meds you mentioned might help more than nasonex.
It is really a balancing act for each person, my daughter has to have zyrtec everyday and benedryl before bed or she will cough her poor head off all night long. (we are supposed to do the steroid inhaler twice a day as well but I do not like the side effects). I think you should try what you feel comfortable with and then change it until you get the right combo that works for him. And if you can do that on over the counter meds that is even better for your pocketbook...

L.M.

answers from Dover on

I have a cough due to persistent allergies and recently had to start Singulair. Seems to be working well. My daughter has been Clariton since May and now has a real bad sinus infection. Already had one antibotic and has to have another for 21 days. I would try it.

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

Not sure about the treatment for the pneumonia and how it fits into the allergies, but.... fwiw
Our (then 11 yr old) son had pneumonia early this past spring. It came on very quickly. He was given oral and injection antibiotics to cover all the bases (he had it in both lungs). He also has suffered with "seasonal" allergies for years. We initially tried Sinulair (when he was about 7 yrs) and it gave him stomach aches,so we discontinued and tried the Nasonex spray. It seemed to help somewhat, but did not totally resolve his symptoms. And it does require regular usage to work.. not just "as needed"....
So, we began giving Allavert/Claritin daily. It was a mild help... but certainly didn't keep an investment in Kleenex from crossing my mind daily.
After the pneumonia was cleared up for our son, his doctor (recently changed doctors) suggested Zyrtec instead. I had been hesitant to use it, since the label seems to have more side effects than the loratadine (claritin/alavert), but under doctor's suggestions we gave it a try. It works wonders, compared to the other OTC meds at least. He is not completely symptom free, but it really made a big difference.

Our son is also currently undergoing allergy shot therapy to try to reduce his reaction completely so that eventually he can forego the OTC meds altogether and have a "normal" Kleenex only with a cold, kind of life.

Zyrtec also seems to be a recommended regimen for patients with asthma symptoms. You might consider giving it a shot if your son does suffer with any allergy symptoms. But the allergy symptoms and the pneumonia probably aren't related, except that allergies might weaken his bodies immune ability to fight it off. ?

hth

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M.F.

answers from Phoenix on

Pneumonia does cause some damage to the lungs, which takes a while to heal. It isn't uncommon for a dry cough to persist for weeks to months after a bout of pneumonia. Another common after effect of pneumonia is that it makes you more succeptible to lung infections, like bronchitis, for up to a year afterwards. If you are unsure about the diagnosis, call your regular doctor and speak to him/her before starting the medications. If your son's cough becomes a raspy, wheezy, "wet" cough, take him back in immediately for more antibiotics.
I've had pneumonia 3 times in my life. The last time I didn't get it treated until it had started to get better on it's own. I was put on antibiotics and steroids to help my lungs heal, but every cold I got went straight to my lungs for the next year. I had bronchitis once a month for a year afterwards, each time needing a super-stong antibiotic and steriods to get well. That was 10 years ago and I'm still succeptible to bronchitis at least once a year.
Good luck!

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C.O.

answers from New York on

I have a two year old daughter who has been taking Singulair for close to a year. She has severe Asthma. The Singulair, along with her other medications are a preventative measure. Singulair is a preventative medication.
Singulair is a scary drug to read about- and it makes me uneasy when doctors you dont normally see hand office samples of medication. I would make an appointment to see your normal doctor.
Also remember, although most people thinking asthmatics wheeze, some also cough. My other daughter has a cough for months before she was diagnosed with Asthma too.

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E.P.

answers from New York on

The cough you're describing sounds like post nasal drip to me. My daughter has more or less been on Singulair and Zyrtec (now switched to Xyzal) since she was 3. We have an excellent allergist who we see several times per year. I highly recommend having your son tested to see what he's allergic to so they can treat him accordingly.

My daughter is allergic to all trees, grasses, dust, etc. We know that at certain times during the spring/fall, she also needs to be on a nasal spray (like now) or her post nasal drip will turn into a full blown sinus infection or a bad cough that can turn into something worse because she has asthma. We make sure she has preventative meds so it doesn't turn into something worse. Knowing what she's allergic to helps so much and ultimately helps to keep her off rounds of antibiotics most of the time.

Ask around and see if anyone you know has a good allergist in your area.

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