Q: I read that some people become hoarse when taking Advair.  I had this problem too.  My doctor switched me over to Singulair, an oral medication, to control my asthma.  My hoarseness went away, and my asthma is now under control.  Perhaps this will help someone else.

A: Montelukast (Singulair) is used to treat asthma and allergies.  It works differently from corticosteroids such as fluticasone (found in Advair and Flonase).

Singulair blocks inflammatory compounds called leukotrienes.  Because it is not inhaled, it is much less likely to cause hoarseness.

• article by Joe and Teresa Graedon
• copyright The Seattle Times