Freehale 4mg Sachet

Montelukast is a leukotriene receptor antagonist. It blocks natural chemicals that cause swelling and tightening of the airways. It is used to:

• prevent asthma symptoms such as wheezing, chest tightness and coughing
• prevent breathing problems brought on by exercise
• relieve symptoms of seasonal and year-round allergic rhinitis, usually when other treatments are not suitable

It controls symptoms but does not cure asthma or allergies.

Take it exactly as your doctor or pharmacist tells you, at about the same time each day, with or without food.

• For asthma it is usually taken in the evening.
• It is not a rescue medicine. Use your reliever inhaler for sudden attacks, and keep using your other asthma medicines unless your doctor says otherwise.
• Granules for children can be given straight into the mouth or mixed with a small amount of soft food; use within 15 minutes.
• If you miss a dose, skip it and take the next one at the usual time. Never take more than one dose in 24 hours.

Common side effects include:

• headache, tiredness
• heartburn, stomach pain or diarrhoea

Stop taking it and get medical help straight away if you have:

• changes in mood or behaviour: agitation, aggression, anxiety, depression, sleep problems or vivid dreams, sleepwalking, confusion, hallucinations or thoughts of self-harm or suicide
• swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing
• rash, hives, or blistering or peeling skin
• flu-like illness with pins and needles or numbness in the arms or legs, or painful swollen sinuses

Check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking it if you:

• are allergic to montelukast
• have or have had liver disease
• take gemfibrozil, phenobarbital or rifampicin, or other medicines and supplements
• have asthma that gets worse with aspirin or anti-inflammatory painkillers
• have phenylketonuria (the chewable tablets contain aspartame)
• are pregnant or breastfeeding

Keep in the original, tightly closed container at room temperature, away from light, heat and moisture (not in the bathroom), and out of the reach of children.

Mental health effects: montelukast can cause serious changes in mood, behaviour and sleep, during treatment or after stopping, even in people with no history of mental health problems. Family members and carers should know these signs and contact the doctor straight away if they appear.

Asthma attacks: do not use montelukast to treat a sudden attack.