Singulair and weight gain

Everyone kept saying Singulair could not be causing my weight gain.  Doctors, nurses, pharmacists.  But by reading these testimonials, I am more convinced than ever that Singulair has been a major contributor to my weight gain.  I was diagnosed with COPD in October of 2007 and have been on it since then.  I have gained almost 60 pounds and have been at my wits' end.  A new doctor finally told me to stop taking it (for reasons other than weight gain) - that was 2 weeks ago.  I think I am finally starting to see positive results from the cessation of taking this med.  I have searched other websites but have never seen so many accounts of weight gain attributed to Singulair.  Thank you all....I am not as crazy as I thought I was! :-|

I have been taking singulair for just over 2 years after being hospitalised for a week following an asthma attack.  They out me on singulair and I just took it not thinking about how awful I would feel over the next couple of years.  I have three autistic children  which I look after alone which often makes me feel very depressed but I started to feel worse and then started to gradually put on weight which made me feel even worse, I have now put on two stone.  In order to control my depression and the stress of looking after my children whom I love dearly, I work out every day at the gym, two hour sessions and work really hard, I sometimes train twice a day, I mix cardio, weights & swimming.  I made no connection to the singulair until last night when it occurred to me maybe it was one of my asthma meds and I found this site.  

I just couldn't understand why I was working so hard at the gym and yet putting on weight, it was so frustrating and I was not eating any more than I had been before starting singulair, if anything I was eating less.  No diets worked and I felt really low, I started having panic attacks and was so anxious, I wouldn't go out my house for periods of time as I felt so depressed, it has been awful.  I love my exercise as it gets me through each day but seeing yourself gradually get bigger is soul destroying especially when you know you are doing the best to be fit and healthy, I felt so alone as I have no family and had no one to talk to.  I have now taken the decision to try and conquer my depression which I feel has been made worse by singulair, I stopped taking it a few days ago and after reading all these messages I dont think I will be putting it back into my system.  Like many other people have said some research needs to be done into this, so many people have posted on this site and I am sure there are many many more whom have the same problems.  

We didnt ask to be born with asthma so there is nothing we can do about that but making us feel worse by giving us drugs that give us a further problem such as weight gain to worry about is something we did not want and I sure if our doctors told us about the possibility of this many of us would reconsider.

 

Thankyou to everyone whom posted on this site it has made me feel so much better that at last there is something that could explain my depressing weight gain.  hopefully now I will be able to get back into my exercise which I enjoy and walk out my front door a little happier

 

I was put on Singulair as a trial for one month. During that month, I gained 18 pounds! Mood changes? You bet! Though my primary care "doctor" doesn't really believe that Singulair can cause weight gain, the next time I see him, I will be able to prove by his own scales that my weight has dropped.
Until then, I have an appointment with my psychiatrist and I will tell him about the mood changes and weight issues while taking Singulair.
This may be a wonder drug for many, but not for me.

I took singular for about 7yrs and went from 230lbs to 294lbs. Didn't change the way I eat or exercise but kept packing on the lbs. I also started having severe mood swings and depression. Spoke with my two drs and they took me off the meds. I just flushed them down the toilet. Been off singular for about 3months now and have lost 18lbs and my breathing has actually gotten better and my mood too. No more thoughts of suicide:)

I am really glad I googled this.  I started taking Singulair about 2 years ago and within a year I gained almost 20 pounds.  I am having the hardest time losing weight/inches.    I exercise well (cardio and strength training), run marathons and half-marathons, get plenty of rest/recovery, and have watched my diet (I log my meals in MyFitnessPal to monitor macro and micronutrients).

I'd be OK with extra weight but like others it seems to be that my waistline is several inches larger and I retain water, no matter what I do.  After I run, I notice I slim down a bit in the legs but it comes right back.  I think it's major water retention, at a minimum.

I cut out diet soda (I drink only water and tea). I cut out refined carbohydrates.  Still, the weight hasn't come off.

I have been following a more paleo/ancestral diet, and it seems to have greatly helped my athsma to the point where I don't think I even need the Singulair, so I'm gonna go off it.  ASAP!!

Same issues as everyone else, then I found this site. Stopped taking Singulair, Nasonex and Zyrtec on Monday night. Am down 6 pounds already...crazy!

I am so glad I found this site.  I've been taking singulair and zyrtec for several years. Over the past two years, I have gained 25 pounds.  I also joined a weight loss program for one year - with no success.  As of today not taking the meds.  Hopefully, I will see some results! 

So glad I found you guys...I thought I was going crazy. I do Insanity workout everyday I eat healthy even tried cutting carbs for 3 weeks and NOTHING! I have never been depressed and I am now. I had a couple really bad panick attacks too..talked to my doctor (broke down crying in his office) Sent me for blood work to check thyroid...that came back normal...he then told me my anxiety is causing me to eat more which is why I most likely gained weight....BULL c**p! did you not listen to me when I told you I work out like a maniac and I eat only 1200 calories a day! So 2 days ago I decided to stop taking my pill...I am on day 3 now and it has been rough with my allergies and asthma...Im going to try natural oils to see if that can help me.....hopefully the weight starts coming off.....and I feel better mentally I even considered cutting when I had my emotional breakdowns and I hate blood and would NEVER hurt myself

I was prescribed Singular for exercised induced asthma about 5 months ago.  I have gained 10 pounds! Despite that fact that I run, work out and do Zumba, yes, all of this 3-4 times per week.  I had my thyroid levels rechecked thinking this it, It was not.  All the weight was in my abdomen.  I have stopped singular 4 days ago, and run indoors now, and will now have to work harder to loose the weight.  My MD did not mention weight gain when I specifically asked.  It took me 19 months to lose 50 pound and kept it off for the last 2 years, now 10lbs up, and have to work twice as hard to lose it.  Oh well... we live and learn,, its off the gym I go.

All I can say is OMG I am so glad I came across this thread. I have absolutely been tearing my hair out trying to figure out what the heck is going on with my weight. I have maintained a good diet for the past several years and was at a comfortable 190 pounds (6'2" male, age 43).  I exercise pretty regularly and have maintained very consistent weight.  After starting Singulair this past Spring, I steadily put on about 10 pounds.  Clothes started getting tight and my energy was way down.  I have been so upset by this that I doubled-down my normally healthy and balanced diet and went crazy with fresh fruits and vegetables, low fat, low sugar intake, healthy portions of organic meats, etc.  ZERO change after 1 month.  Typically changing my diet like that would result in dropping 5 pounds a week (yes, I know it sucks that it is easier for men to drop weight).

Today I took my last Singulair for the next 30 days.  I can wait to post an update on this experiment.  I surely hope this was the culprit.

 After about 4 weeks my wife was hugging me and asked me what all this around my mid section was.  I thought I might be gaining some weight from the Singular and she confirmed it for me.   Is it bad that I'd rather have a couple asthma attacks a week and be fit than not and be fat.    I'm going off of it now and forever.   Thank goodness green tea increases your metabolism and decreases absorption of fat.  I need to purge all of this singular and sigular induced fat from my body or die gasping for air trying.

It def makes you gain weight. While training for my marathon I was hitting on avg 120 miles a week and actually gotta kick out of telling people that I had gained 4lbs. Within a few days of being off singulair I have lost that weight, Changing nothing. Hopefully there is something else I can take that wont let that happen

on my paper from drug store weight gain is listed . I lost 15 pounds, started taking singulair and gained it back, it was very quick gain

Singular has been shown to cause weight gain in patients per my doc and the pharmacist at Walgreen's.

Some docs are starting to report it. Mine says it does. They also said it didn't cause psychological problems - now it's black boxed for kids. Singulair is a very, very bad medication. It messed me up big time. Good luck to you. Glad you listened to your instinct.