How to Stop Taking Singular

Doctors primarily prescribe Singulair as a long-term care medication for asthma or exercise-related asthma, but may prescribe it for allergy-induced asthma, as well. The most common side effects of Singulair include increased risk of upper respiratory and sinus infection, flu, stomach pain and continuous cold-like symptoms like cough, fever, runny nose and sore throat. If you experience these or other less common side effects and feel these symptoms affect your quality of life more than the medicine improves it, you may want to stop taking Singulair. However, with a severe condition like asthma, you should not stop taking long-term medication without seeking the advice of your physician first.

Things You'll Need

• Peak flow meter
• Rescue inhaler

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Instructions

• 1

  Consult your physician before you stop taking Singulair. If you no longer want to be on Singulair due to discomforting side effects, ask you physician to prescribe a different long-term medication. Your physician may decide to replace Singulair or stop long-term medication to re-assess your condition.

• 2

  Monitor lung health with a peak flow meter. If you are not using a peak flow meter to regularly monitor your lung health, your physician may require you to use one when stopping Singulair and/or switching to an alternate medication. Typically, peak flow readings are taken in the morning or during periods of discomfort. These readings allow you and your doctor to detect any decrease in lung function.

• 3

  Reduce your exercise level temporarily. Doctor's often prescribe Singulair for relief of exercise-related asthma attacks. Until you have determined how stopping Singulair will affect your asthma symptoms, carefully monitor your exercise and allow at least a week for new medications to build up in your system before returning to your regular activities.

• 4

  Keep your rescue inhaler with you at all times. Stopping Singulair may cause an increase in the frequency or severity of asthma attacks. If you have become accustomed to traveling without your rescue inhaler, begin carrying it with you again. Inform those around you that you have stopped or switched medication. Educate a co-worker, classmate or friend in the correct procedure for using your inhaler should you become incapable of retrieving or using it.

• 5

  Contact your physician if your asthma attacks become more frequent compared to while you were taking Singulair. This is a common side effect of stopping or switching long-term medications. Your physician will reassess your symptoms and either prescribe a new long-term medication or increase the dosage of your current long-term medication.