Singulair Dosages: Your GoodRx Guide
Key takeaways:
Singulair (montelukast) is an oral medication that’s prescribed to treat asthma and allergies, as well as breathing issues that pop up during or after exercise.
Singulair can be taken by kids and adults of various ages. The prescribed Singulair dosage depends on your age and the health condition being treated.
If you miss a dose of Singulair, you shouldn’t take two doses to make up for it. Take your next dose at the regularly scheduled time.
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Table of contents
When you think of asthma medications, inhalers are often the first that come to mind. However, not all asthma medications come in the form of an inhaler; some are taken as oral tablets or granules.
Singulair (montelukast) is one such medication. It works by blocking chemicals called leukotrienes in your body. Leukotrienes cause inflammation in the lungs, which narrow the airways and make it harder to breathe. Singulair calms these effects, making it easier to breathe over time.
You can take Singulair for many reasons. This includes asthma, seasonal or year-round allergies, or when the lungs “tighten up” during or after exercise (exercise-induced asthma). Since the prescribed dosage of Singulair depends on a number of factors, we’ll review each of these in detail for both children and adults.
What’s the typical Singulair dosage for adults?
The Singulair dosage for adults is fairly straightforward. The typical adult Singulair dose is the same no matter the condition it’s being used to treat.
| Asthma | Take one 10 mg tablet by mouth every evening with or without food. |
| Exercise-induced asthma | Take one 10 mg tablet by mouth at least 2 hours before exercise. |
| Allergies | Take one 10 mg tablet by mouth taken once daily with or without food. |
| Asthma and allergies | Take one 10 mg tablet by mouth every evening with or without food. |
What’s the typical Singulair dosage for children?
Unlike adult dosages, children's Singular dosages are a bit more complex. The Singular dosage for children depends on your child’s age and the health condition that needs treatment. For example, children younger than 6 months old shouldn’t take Singulair unless otherwise directed by their healthcare provider.
What’s more, Singular comes in two child-friendly dosage forms for you to choose from. In addition to a traditional tablet, Singulair comes as oral granules (mini tablets that resemble a powder) that are mixed with food. This is helpful for children who have difficulty swallowing pills. Oral granules can be mixed with foods like:
Baby formula
Breast milk
Applesauce
Ice cream
Carrots
Rice
The foods should be cold or at room temperature. Alternatively, you can administer oral granules directly into your child’s mouth. Singulair also comes as a chewable tablet for older kids and adolescents.
Asthma
When Singulair is given for asthma, it’s typically dosed once daily in the evening with or without food.
Babies and toddlers ages 12 to 23 months old: Give one packet of 4 mg granules.
Young kids ages 2 to 5 years old: Give one 4 mg chewable tablet or one 4 mg granule packet.
Older children and adolescents ages 6 to 14 years old: Take one 5 mg chewable tablet.
Teens ages 15 years and older: Take one 10 mg tablet.
Exercise-induced asthma
Singulair is dosed at least 2 hours before exercise when used for exercise-induced asthma.
Children and adolescents ages 6 to 14 years old: Take one 5 mg chewable tablet.
Teens ages 15 years and older: Take one 10 mg tablet.
Allergies
The dosage of Singulair for allergies depends on the type of allergies that you have. Singular can be taken for seasonal allergies (occurring during a particular season, like fall or spring) or perennial allergies (year-round allergies).
When taken for these conditions, Singulair is taken once daily without regard to meals.
Perennial allergic rhinitis
Singulair can be given to babies as young as 6 months old for perennial (year-round) allergies.
Babies and toddlers ages 6 to 23 months old: Give one packet of 4 mg granules.
Young children ages 2 to 5 years old: Give one 4 mg chewable tablet or one packet of 4 mg granules.
Older children ages 6 to 14 years of age: Take one 5 mg chewable tablet.
Teens ages 15 years and older: Take one 10 mg tablet.
Seasonal allergic rhinitis
Unlike perennial (year-round) allergies, Singulair has only been studied in children as young as 2 years old for seasonal allergies. Kids younger than 2 years old generally shouldn’t take it for seasonal allergies.
Young children ages 2 to 5 years old: Give one 4 mg chewable tablet or one packet of 4 mg granules.
Older children and adolescents ages 6 to 14 years old: Take one 5 mg chewable tablet.
Teens ages 15 years and older: Take one 10 mg tablet.
Are there any dosage adjustments for medical conditions?
If you or a loved one take Singular and have health conditions other than asthma or allergies, no dosage adjustments are necessary in most cases. While many medications need to be adjusted if kidney or liver health is an issue, this isn’t usually the case for Singulair.
However, if you have a health condition affecting your liver, you should still let your healthcare provider know out of caution. Singulair hasn’t been evaluated in people living with severe liver disease or an inflammatory liver condition called hepatitis. If you have these conditions or do not know how severe your liver problems are, you should talk with your healthcare provider for more information before taking Singulair.
No dosage adjustments are needed for older adults or if you’re taking other medications that interact with Singulair, either.
What happens if you miss a dose of Singulair?
It’s only natural to forget a medication dose every once in a while. If you miss a dose of Singulair, take it as soon as you remember. But if it’s almost time for your next dose, you should not take two doses to make up for the missed one. Just take one dose at your next scheduled time. Taking two or more doses at the same time increases the risk for Singulair side effects.
What should you do if you take too much Singulair?
It’s never ideal to take more medication than you need. But life happens — it’s possible to accidentally take too much. If this happens to you while you’re taking Singulair, don’t panic. Singulair overdoses aren’t common. A good next step is to contact your healthcare provider for guidance. Based on the situation at hand, they can tell you if any action is necessary.
Contacting Poison Control is another option. You can reach Poison Control by calling 1 (800) 222-1222 or visiting them online. However, if you’re experiencing severe symptoms that you think might be related to Singulair, it’s better to go to the nearest emergency room right away.
How to save on Singulair
There are many ways to save on Singulair, which is available as both a brand-name and generic medication.
Save with GoodRx. GoodRx can help you save over 95% off the average retail price of the generic version. Generic montelukast at certain pharmacies is less than $3 with a free GoodRx discount.
Save with patient assistance programs. If you’re uninsured or underinsured, you may be eligible for Singulair’s patient assistance program, which offers the medication free of cost.
The bottom line
Singulair is an effective medication for health conditions like asthma and allergies. But unlike many other asthma medications, Singulair comes as an oral tablet, chewable tablet, and granule. While this medication is usually taken once daily, your specific Singulair dosage depends on your age and the health condition you need it to treat. You shouldn’t change your dosage unless your healthcare provider has instructed you to do so.
Why trust our experts?
References
Choi, J., et al. (2022). Leukotriene receptor antagonists. StatPearls.
National Capital Poison Center. (2022). Get poison control help.
Organon LLC. (2022). Singulair [package insert].
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