Dad shares the ‘absolute horror’ at finding his son, 14, dead after ‘asthma drug triggered hallucinations’
HARRY Miller was just 14 years old when he started hearing voices and feeling “freaked out”.
The “really good kid” went to three church youth groups a week but began experiencing fits of rage after a doctor first prescribed him the asthma drug montelukast in 2016.
The pills have been linked to depression, aggression and suicidal thoughts, but his parents Graham and Allison say they were not made aware of the risks at the time.
Allison returned home to find feathers all over her home after Harry attacked a pillow with a kitchen knife in an “out of character” outburst one evening.
And on February 11, 2018, after a trip out to the Science Museum, the family found Harry dead in his room from suicide.
Graham, from southwest London, told The Sun: “It was absolute horror.
“We finished at the museum and we thought we’ll go out to Pizza Express and we messaged him.My wife was worried because he didn’t message back.
“I was thinking ‘Ali, don’t be a worrier. He’s a teenager’.
“We got home and thankfully my kids didn’t go in because my wife was just going in to check on him.
“My wife found Harry and then called me in, and I had the job of giving my son mouth-to-mouth resuscitation while we waited for the ambulance.
“A parent’s grief — it’s like no other in those situations. Just terrible. It was such a shock to me. I had no inkling we were going to walk into this.”
Montelukast — also known as Singulair — was prescribed more than 4million times in the UK in 2022, according to NHS figures.
The 25-year-old medication is used to treat asthma symptoms, and is regularly given to children as young as six months old.
However, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency issued an important safety announcement in September 2019 highlighting the potential for “neuropsychiatric reactions”.
These can include “speech impairment and obsessive-compulsive symptoms”, it said.
Some patients have reported suffering hallucinations, including one child who said they saw red-eyed demons and melting walls.
The NHS lists mood changes, depression, aggression and thoughts of self-harm among the drug’s serious side effects.
As well as the psychological problems linked to the drug, Harry started suffering with a hand tremor — another known side effect.
This thing is like a sledgehammer into people’s lives. The absolute horror it causes
Graham Miller
He was referred to NHS child and adolescent mental health services in January 2018, a month before he took his life, because of the problems he was suffering.
However, he was never able to go to his appointment because the invitation was sent to the wrong person, Graham said.
He and Allison only learnt of the drug’s potentially devastating side effects two years after Harry’s death and now want his inquest to be reopened.
Graham said: “This thing is like a sledgehammer into people’s lives. The absolute horror it causes.
“Here we are six years on and I’m going to counselling every week. It’s a miracle I get out of bed every day.”
The MHRA is currently reviewing the drug again and is in the final stages before it announces the outcome to healthcare professionals and patients.
Campaigners, including Graham and Allison, are calling for US and EU-style “black box warning” labels on the drug’s packaging.
Graham said: “We were thinking, what on earth is causing this tremor.
“In America, it was always on the instructions but it wasn’t there in the UK. I remember thinking, bloody hell — that has killed my son.
“This stuff is important. It has a real-world impact on people. I think we need to be a bit more careful when deciding to give psychoactive drugs to little kids.”
But healthcare professionals have suggested it may be more effective to ensure there is better communication between medical professionals and patients so they can spot symptoms.
Thorrun Govind, pharmacist and health lawyer, said: “I think we have to be mindful that this is a drug that is given to children.
“I completely understand where families are coming from with their concerns, and we need to balance prescribing a drug that is usually safe but can have these side effects.
“The emphasis should be on prescribers and pharmacists informing parents what to watch out for, because they are more likely to spot the symptoms.
“Patient info leaflets should be made more user friendly so people are aware of the dangers.”
Professor Alastair Suttclife, a paediatrician from University College London, worked on a review into montelukast and its possible links to suicide in 2012.
One allergy consultant at the time told him her nephew had been on the drug and told her it was like “1,000 hammers banging my head”.
Research has so far found no significant increased risk of suicide in asthma patients — who are already at higher risk — taking the drug.
And it often means patients don’t have to take other asthma drugs like steroids, which have also been linked to mood changes.
Professor Sutcliffe said parents should still be on the lookout for mental health symptoms if their child is prescribed it, however.
He said: “If your child is prescribed montelukast and they start to complain of low mood or show signs of mental distress, then safety says they shouldn’t take it.”
Patients should not come off a prescribed medication like montelukast without consulting their doctor first.
OFFICIAL REVIEW
Dr Alison Cave, of the MHRA, said: “Patient safety is our top priority.
“We have been conducting a review to thoroughly investigate new data on the risk of neuropsychiatric reactions with montelukast, including indicators of lack of awareness of the risk with patients, carers and healthcare professionals and whether any further regulatory action is required.
“We have listened and learned from patients’ experiences and this information is forming an important part of our assessments and decision-making.
“We keep all medicines under continuous review and are working to address the concerns raised and will provide an update upon completion of our assessment.”
She added: “We encourage patients and carers to report any adverse drug reactions they experience with montelukast to us via our Yellow Card scheme.
“We also advise patients and carers to speak to their GP or pharmacist, if they do experience any neuropsychiatric symptoms while using montelukast.”
An Organon spokesperson said: “Nothing is more important to Organon than the safety of our medicines and the people who use them.
“Reports of adverse events are taken seriously and, as with all of our medicines, we continually monitor the safety of Singulair.
“We remain confident in the safety profile of montelukast sodium when used in accordance with the MHRA-approved Summary of Product Characteristics and the Patient Information Leaflet.
“We are committed to working with regulators to label our products appropriately, enabling healthcare professionals to make informed decisions about the products they prescribe.
“We are confident that, in conjunction with the MHRA, we have communicated to healthcare professionals and patients complete and appropriate information regarding the safe and effective use of montelukast sodium.”
YOU'RE NOT ALONE
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123