"FDA flags psychiatric risks of asthma drugs"

[LunaRufina]

FDA flags psychiatric risks of asthma drugs

After 15 months of investigation, the Food and Drug Administration said Merck & Co. Inc., AstraZeneca and Cornerstone Therapeutics will have to raise label warnings about psychiatric problems reported by a handful of patients taking their drugs.

[tryp]

Interesting.

I was on Singulair and some of the other stuff myself for over two years, but I never noticed any difference in my psych stuff when I started or when I came off.

[beetle]

Singulair made me nuts. OK, nuttier. I would sob hysterially for no reason. I mean, I was de-pressed but in a crazier way than I normally am. Stopped the singulair, got better. After all of this I started hearing about the connection.

[buddha443556]

HOLY SHIT!! My mother was on those drugs before she died!! No wonder she was panicking.

[withing]

I'm not surprised. When I was on prednisone it sent me in to a beautiful, raging mania. Flovent makes me irritable, but I can take some asthma meds without *too* many side effect. I'm on an inhaler now - as needed. My mind is wonky so the name escapes me... but I don't get irritable on it.

[MarkP]

Yeah many of those asthma drugs are essentially [psycho]stimulants. No different in patients than, for instance, taking Ritalin (methylphenidate) at night, then wondering why sleep is very difficult.

In the pharmacy, its actually very common to see quietapine (Seroquel) prescribed, low-dose, at night, 'for sleep', in asthmatic patients on inhalers.

[bluelikejazz]

Thanks for posting Luna, I couldn't get the yahoo page to load but I found it on msn

I find my reliever makes me shakier which I sometimes attribute to anxiety but I think this is referring to different asthma meds.

[Stickler]

Taking singulair for 2-3 years...No problems noted, just relief at reduction of symptoms. Inhaled steroids the same.

Prednisone seems to make me angry and obsessive, but since I worry about getting diabetes, I try to avoid it if possible.

[nalgas]

I find my reliever makes me shakier which I sometimes attribute to anxiety but I think this is referring to different asthma meds.

If yours is something like albuterol, it basically works in the exact opposite way beta blockers do. Since beta blockers are used to reduce anxiety and tremors and things along those lines, it's no surprise that that type of inhaler can have the opposite effect. Additionally, beta blockers can counteract your inhaler and/or aggravate asthma. Hooray!

[glitterpants]

When I was little, ventolin made me "crazy"....really keyed up, hyperactive, and I think even manic.

Now it gives me migraines of doom. Luckily I don't have to take it very often.

[Stickler]

Glitterpants-might suggest you try an ipratropium bromide inhaler-it's a different type of bronchiodilator. Might not have the same miserable side effects, as it is a different class of drug.