Singulair (Montelukast) Weight Gain Side Effects
rustyguy
Posts: 51 Member
Hi all,
I've been struggling with my weight my whole life but over the last few years I've made great strides in logging my meals, increasing my exercise and making a real effort to change the habits that got me to where I am today. The problem is that no changes seem to make a big dent in my weight. I'm just stuck. These changes include cutting out junk food, preparing meals ahead of time, pre-logging here on MFP and religiously using a recumbent bike and elliptical. Now that the weather is warm, I walk outside. I currently weigh 350 and have my calories set at 2000/day. I fluctuate up and down about five pounds.
I've been reviewing my health in total and came across an article about Singulair (Montelukast) and there were tons of posts from users who had a problem with weight gain when they were using the medication. I've been on it for at least the last five years to control allergy induced sinus infections.
My question is, if you are on this medication, do you also find weight gain to be a side effect and if so, have you been successful in losing the weight? Has anyone else had trouble losing weight while using this Singulair (Montelukast)?
I've been struggling with my weight my whole life but over the last few years I've made great strides in logging my meals, increasing my exercise and making a real effort to change the habits that got me to where I am today. The problem is that no changes seem to make a big dent in my weight. I'm just stuck. These changes include cutting out junk food, preparing meals ahead of time, pre-logging here on MFP and religiously using a recumbent bike and elliptical. Now that the weather is warm, I walk outside. I currently weigh 350 and have my calories set at 2000/day. I fluctuate up and down about five pounds.
I've been reviewing my health in total and came across an article about Singulair (Montelukast) and there were tons of posts from users who had a problem with weight gain when they were using the medication. I've been on it for at least the last five years to control allergy induced sinus infections.
My question is, if you are on this medication, do you also find weight gain to be a side effect and if so, have you been successful in losing the weight? Has anyone else had trouble losing weight while using this Singulair (Montelukast)?
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Replies
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I've been on Montelukast for years. I did gain a bit of weight a while ago, but I attribute it to eating to much, not the drug. I haven't noticed any increase in appetite or anything like that, either.0
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That's good to hear.0
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My son took it for almost 10 years for his asthma (we had him stop taking it this summer to see if he still really needed it). He's probably about 6% BF.
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Medications can't make you gain fat. Some may cause water weight gain or mess with your hormones and lower your CO side of the CI<CO equation.
The changes you list sound like very healthy changes but unless you are sure of your caloric intake it's hard to say if either of the above scenarios apply to you. I'd suggest meticulously tracking your calories for a few weeks. Trust me you can still gain (or not lose) weight due to overeating healthy foods.
You might also check the listed side effects of your med to see if weight gain is listed. Or check with the prescribing doctor. Meds don't always affect everyone the same.3 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Medications can't make you gain fat. Some may cause water weight gain or mess with your hormones and lower your CO side of the CI<CO equation.
Not entirely true. Plenty of medications increase hunger like steroids, causing people to gain weight. We actually had a different child on an anti-depressant for a short while specifically because the side effect was weight gain. And boy did he gain. (He also had extreme anxiety, which it was to help...don't want people thinking I put my kid on an anti-depressant for the hell of it).5 -
mom23mangos wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Medications can't make you gain fat. Some may cause water weight gain or mess with your hormones and lower your CO side of the CI<CO equation.
Not entirely true. Plenty of medications increase hunger like steroids, causing people to gain weight. We actually had a different child on an anti-depressant for a short while specifically because the side effect was weight gain. And boy did he gain. (He also had extreme anxiety, which it was to help...don't want people thinking I put my kid on an anti-depressant for the hell of it).
it only causes weight gain if you respond to the hunger cues ie they eat more than they burn. If you keep your intake in check you won't gain4 -
mom23mangos wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Medications can't make you gain fat. Some may cause water weight gain or mess with your hormones and lower your CO side of the CI<CO equation.
Not entirely true. Plenty of medications increase hunger like steroids, causing people to gain weight. We actually had a different child on an anti-depressant for a short while specifically because the side effect was weight gain. And boy did he gain. (He also had extreme anxiety, which it was to help...don't want people thinking I put my kid on an anti-depressant for the hell of it).
The med may increase hunger but overeating causes the fat gain.3 -
Both of you are correct in that the root cause of all weight gain is the amount of food you put in your mouth vs how much energy you expensd, but when people are on these medications it is almost impossible for them to not respond to the hunger.4
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I didn't gain weight on 4 months of prednisone. I started off on a high dose so did retain fluid but that left when I got down to 50mg. I'm conscious of my weight so I made sure not to overeat. It is possible to control your intake2
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amyrebeccah wrote: »Meds may also cause hormonal changes that affect metabolism, altering the calories in/out numbers. Of course, in that sense, eating more than you burn causes the fat gain.
The question is a reasonable one. If the meds are contributing, then OP should know that so he can adjust accordingly.
OP, I don't take it regularly, more on an as-needed basis, but I have not found any more difficulty with balancing my eating.
Maybe I'll drop it for a while and see what the effects are.0 -
singingflutelady wrote: »I didn't gain weight on 4 months of prednisone. I started off on a high dose so did retain fluid but that left when I got down to 50mg. I'm conscious of my weight so I made sure not to overeat. It is possible to control your intake
Truth ^^^^^ Another person here on steroids full-time, plus anti-depressants (old tricyclic) plus mycophenolate and I too have lost weight and maintained that loss.
Medications cannot cause weight gain in a vacuum it just simply impossible, being mindful of side effects is needed if you are completely sure of your intake and still gaining only then look into possible metabolic changes that can affect the calculations.
OP - I cannot speak personally about Singulair but traditional meds. used to control allergies are pretty well known for increasing your appetite. Even though I am on a continual dose of 15 mg pred. with regular increases to control flares I have actually found taking phenergan for allergies to be much more powerful for driving the munchies....maybe that has been what has happened for you.
It must be terribly frustrating when you feel that you are doing everything right and that you should be losing weight and you aren't. When you say you log everything I don't remember seeing a mention of using kitchen scales, and weighing literally everything in grams using reputable database entries. Also don't rely on pre-packaged items being accurate you would need to confirm their weight by using the scales. It may sound tedious and time consuming at first but it does quicken and become second nature with time and this would really shore up your intake of 2000 as tight as possible so you can be certain that you will have to lower your CI to lose weight.
Also be aware that the calorie numbers given for exercise on MFP are often high so if you are eating back exercise calories you may want to decrease them to only 50% and see if that helps.
Hope this helps and I wish you the best.1 -
Hi
My question is, if you are on this medication, do you also find weight gain to be a side effect and if so, have you been successful in losing the weight? Has anyone else had trouble losing weight while using this Singulair (Montelukast)?
I've been on it for years. No issues with weight gain, loss, or maintenance. CICO has worked like a charm for me while on this medication. I imagine that Singulair is not the root cause.
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HippySkoppy wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »I didn't gain weight on 4 months of prednisone. I started off on a high dose so did retain fluid but that left when I got down to 50mg. I'm conscious of my weight so I made sure not to overeat. It is possible to control your intake
Truth ^^^^^ Another person here on steroids full-time, plus anti-depressants (old tricyclic) plus mycophenolate and I too have lost weight and maintained that loss.
Medications cannot cause weight gain in a vacuum it just simply impossible, being mindful of side effects is needed if you are completely sure of your intake and still gaining only then look into possible metabolic changes that can affect the calculations.
OP - I cannot speak personally about Singulair but traditional meds. used to control allergies are pretty well known for increasing your appetite. Even though I am on a continual dose of 15 mg pred. with regular increases to control flares I have actually found taking phenergan for allergies to be much more powerful for driving the munchies....maybe that has been what has happened for you.
It must be terribly frustrating when you feel that you are doing everything right and that you should be losing weight and you aren't. When you say you log everything I don't remember seeing a mention of using kitchen scales, and weighing literally everything in grams using reputable database entries. Also don't rely on pre-packaged items being accurate you would need to confirm their weight by using the scales. It may sound tedious and time consuming at first but it does quicken and become second nature with time and this would really shore up your intake of 2000 as tight as possible so you can be certain that you will have to lower your CI to lose weight.
Also be aware that the calorie numbers given for exercise on MFP are often high so if you are eating back exercise calories you may want to decrease them to only 50% and see if that helps.
Hope this helps and I wish you the best.
The bolded part above is not true. It would be true if it said fat instead of weight. Medications don't cause fat gain.2 -
Singulair is the worst ever. I just lost 25 lbs. on Keto while avoiding Singulair for about 6 weeks but with the bad weather I had to take for my asthma or I can't breath and I have gained almost 20 lbs back in just weeks with barely eating a thing and while on Keto/taking Keto supplement too. It is the nastiest drug ever but I can't breathe without it. I recommend trying something else for your asthma if possible. I have absolutely gained tons of weight from Singulair, probably over 100 lbs. It doesn't stop too. It will keep piling on you until you are almost dead. I have been on it for years and I hate it. They will lie to you and say it does not cause weight gain but everyone knows it does. I was 313 and got down to about 280 just a few weeks back. Now I am 309 again after taking Singulair for the humid weather which triggers my asthma real bad. Make no mistake Singulair is like the devil. It has a false pretense of helping you breathe, but it also is killing you slowly while you pile on weight. Almost all of the asthma meds are based on steroids, you may do better seeing an immunologist to help you figure out what is causing you to need the steroids for your breathing/allergies. My problem is reactive airway, moderate to severe asthma, 10 kinds of dustmite allergies, ragweed allergies, sulfa, sulfates, antibiotics, detergents, adhesives, elastics and tons of other animal dander allergies. I am screwed in a sense. I also react badly to cold, elevation, smoke, humidity and facemasks real bad. Try something besides Singulair it also makes you aggitated, cranky, depressed, tired and may give you bad dreams. The worst side effect of SINGULAIR is WEIGHT GAIN and FATNESS/INCREASED BMI.
1 -
Singulair is the best thing for me and have had zero problems losing weight because of it.Singulair is the worst ever. I just lost 25 lbs. on Keto while avoiding Singulair for about 6 weeks but with the bad weather I had to take for my asthma or I can't breath and I have gained almost 20 lbs back in just weeks with barely eating a thing and while on Keto/taking Keto supplement too. It is the nastiest drug ever but I can't breathe without it. I recommend trying something else for your asthma if possible. I have absolutely gained tons of weight from Singulair, probably over 100 lbs. It doesn't stop too. It will keep piling on you until you are almost dead. I have been on it for years and I hate it. They will lie to you and say it does not cause weight gain but everyone knows it does. I was 313 and got down to about 280 just a few weeks back. Now I am 309 again after taking Singulair for the humid weather which triggers my asthma real bad. Make no mistake Singulair is like the devil. It has a false pretense of helping you breathe, but it also is killing you slowly while you pile on weight. Almost all of the asthma meds are based on steroids, you may do better seeing an immunologist to help you figure out what is causing you to need the steroids for your breathing/allergies. My problem is reactive airway, moderate to severe asthma, 10 kinds of dustmite allergies, ragweed allergies, sulfa, sulfates, antibiotics, detergents, adhesives, elastics and tons of other animal dander allergies. I am screwed in a sense. I also react badly to cold, elevation, smoke, humidity and facemasks real bad. Try something besides Singulair it also makes you aggitated, cranky, depressed, tired and may give you bad dreams. The worst side effect of SINGULAIR is WEIGHT GAIN and FATNESS/INCREASED BMI.
It’s not the medication causing your weight gain but some error in your logging.1 -
My mom has been on Singulair for probably 15 years and weighs maybe 95 lbs - I had no idea that weight gain was even a supposed to be a side effect of it.1
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I doubt it will be helpful to OP at this point, yet this topic appears to be still of interest despite being 5 years old.0
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Singulair is the worst ever. I just lost 25 lbs. on Keto while avoiding Singulair for about 6 weeks but with the bad weather I had to take for my asthma or I can't breath and I have gained almost 20 lbs back in just weeks with barely eating a thing and while on Keto/taking Keto supplement too. It is the nastiest drug ever but I can't breathe without it. I recommend trying something else for your asthma if possible. I have absolutely gained tons of weight from Singulair, probably over 100 lbs. It doesn't stop too. It will keep piling on you until you are almost dead. I have been on it for years and I hate it. They will lie to you and say it does not cause weight gain but everyone knows it does. I was 313 and got down to about 280 just a few weeks back. Now I am 309 again after taking Singulair for the humid weather which triggers my asthma real bad. Make no mistake Singulair is like the devil. It has a false pretense of helping you breathe, but it also is killing you slowly while you pile on weight. Almost all of the asthma meds are based on steroids, you may do better seeing an immunologist to help you figure out what is causing you to need the steroids for your breathing/allergies. My problem is reactive airway, moderate to severe asthma, 10 kinds of dustmite allergies, ragweed allergies, sulfa, sulfates, antibiotics, detergents, adhesives, elastics and tons of other animal dander allergies. I am screwed in a sense. I also react badly to cold, elevation, smoke, humidity and facemasks real bad. Try something besides Singulair it also makes you aggitated, cranky, depressed, tired and may give you bad dreams. The worst side effect of SINGULAIR is WEIGHT GAIN and FATNESS/INCREASED BMI.
If you are prescribed Singulair for your asthma please DO NOT stop taking it! You’ve been given it because, frankly, your asthma could kill you. Not everyone has side effects: I was on it for years and the side effect for me was life. I could breathe and it really improved my life. If you have side effects hot foot it back to your docs and discuss an alternative, please please don’t stop taking medication because someone says they had side effects.
Oh and for the record - no I didn’t gain weight. But I managed to eat easier because I wasn’t struggling to breathe.2 -
Singular does not cause weight gain.1
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Thank you everyone for all the comments. I also am so very frustrated with the increased hunger. I have used all the allergy meds over several years, they will have me take up to 6 per day to control reactions. I swear they have all increased my appetite, it took me some time to realize why I always will gain weight during the spring, summer and fall; then drop during the winter. I have now been put on singular full time and was hoping my hunger symptoms would subside, but I am struggling still. The comments to control these strong hunger cravings makes sense. I am not sure I can, I am trying. I feel some encouragement to really stay with logging food. I tend to fall away from logging when this happens, it is hard to look at the extra calories I take in during this time. I go crazy on surgery anything. When logging my foods I want to be perfect and not look at the crap I put into my body. I think I need to do a reality check, try to keep logging and the numbers will show the reality.
Thank you for comments and encouragement.0 -
I was on Singular for several months, no weight gain in fact I lost. The med did legit make me go crazy, I started having really bad panic attacks, couldn't sleep, couldn't relax. Come to find out it has a black box warning causing mental health changes. I have been off for about a month, and still don't feel right1
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I just started taking singular for allergies and i have noticed weight gain/water retention. i am 7months postpartum and have been eating as clean as i can to lose the weight. If it wasn't for my coworkers making the comment about me looking more "swollen" than usual, i wouldn't have even considered the possibility weight gain as a side effect. I have always had seasonal allergies and have rotated through all of the over-counter drugs before my doctor prescribed Singular. Out of all of the OTC drugs, i have been avoiding going back to Allegra because it made me eat like a cow.0
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