Singulair and Zyrtec?

Question

I had a allergy asthma eval yesterday. My doc says to take both singulair and zyrtec. I am just wondering why because singulair is supposed to help with asthma and allergies. I was only using zyrtec before and doing okay most of the time.

Answer 1

I found this on Singulair's website, and it describes the different treatment options:

http://www.singulair.com/montelukast_sodium/singulair/consumer/allergies/for_adults/i_have_seasonal_allergies/singulair_for_seasonal_allergies/treatment_options.jsp?WT.svl=2

It sounds like your main concern is about being prescribed too many medications. I too was concerned about this when my daughter was first diagnosed with asthma, and at age 1, she was prescribed Zyrtec and Singulair in addition to five (yes, 5) other medications by our allergy/asthma specialist. I voiced my concern to him, and although he wasn't dismissive about it, I wasn't satisfied with his response, either. I did my research, spoke to other pediatricians, and found that my gut feeling was pretty much right.

She's used both Zyrtec and Singulair together, and I didn't notice any negative side effects. This being said, I only administered them at the same time during a period when the allergy season was unusually severe. Otherwise, she responds very well to the Singulair alone as a daily therapy.

I'd discuss your concerns with your primary care doctor as well as with the specialist. You never know; your PCP may disagree with the prescription -- I've seen it happen before. However, it's obvious that you sense that taking both seems redundant, and maybe even counterproductive; you will always know what's best for you.

Answer 2

My son has asthma and takes Zyrtec and Flovent inhaler and albuterol inhaler. Tried singulair and it gave him horrible headaches. Lots of asthmatics take more than one med.