What Does Respiratory Depression Feel Like

[daddysgone]

Hi all
I know this seems like an absurd question, but Im wondering if someone can describe what opioid related respiratory depression feels like.

Is it like you are trying to breathe but have difficulty drawing a deep breath?

Or is it simply that you are half falling asleep and without even being aware of it, your breathing becomes slow and shallow?

Lastly, Im wondering if there is any chance that someone could experience any sort of dangerous respiratory depression if they are capable of walking around in a very "soberish" manner, not "nodding" in any way, able to carry on a completely intelligble conversation with no slurring or anything like that.


I ask because though I take opioids often, I never take doses high enough where I am nodding out, staggering, sloppy, etc. So Im wondering if I am ever in danger of respiratory depression without my knowing it.

 

[daddysgone]

Yes, I understand that SOME amount of respiratory depression occurs whenever you take ANY amount of any CNS depressant.

What I was trying to ask concerns "dangerous" levels of respiratory depression.
When people OD on opioids, its almost always because their breathing becomes so slow and shallow, that they essentially die from lack of oxygen due to their depressed breathing.

What Im asking is, is can this level of respiratory depression occur if someone is walking around, appears sober, fully capable of carrying on a normal conversation, not nodding off, etc.

I tend to think that "dangerous" respiratory depression only occurs when someone is at the point that they are essentially nodding out, barely able to stay awake.

Is this not the case? Can someone who appears sober and is totally "with it", still be in danger of serious/dangerous respiratory depression?

 

[QuasiStoned]

Or is it simply that you are half falling asleep and without even being aware of it, your breathing becomes slow and shallow?

That's probably the closest fit. I don't think that I have ever had significant respiratory depression unless I was nodding out. You can force yourself to breathe (unless you lose conciousness) but it just feels like you can get by on less breaths per minute and these breaths are usually quite shallow.

I can remember a few times where I woke up from a nod taking in a gasp of air. That means that I was probably pretty damn close to the overdose level and had probably stopped breathing for too long when I nodded out. Luckily I came to before something terrible happened

 

[daddysgone]

That's probably the closest fit. I don't think that I have ever had significant respiratory depression unless I was nodding out. You can force yourself to breathe (unless you lose conciousness) but it just feels like you can get by on less breaths per minute and these breaths are usually quite shallow.

I can remember a few times where I woke up from a nod taking in a gasp of air. That means that I was probably pretty damn close to the overdose level and had probably stopped breathing for too long when I nodded out. Luckily I came to before something terrible happened

Yes, sounds like you were lucky-though I think your story is quite common. I believe that very often when people are on high doses of opioids, they will "nod out" and either stop breathing, or breathe very shallow, but luckily our bodies have a mechanism which (usually) snaps us out of it and causes us to wake up and gasp for air.


So would it be very unlikely to fall into this sort of dangerous respiratory depression if you are at the point where you are still quite functional, can walk around smoothly, speak, type, etc?

 

[rollingrainbow]

its basically when your body forgets to breath and your have to manually :{
not fun

 

[Venturaraza13]

Yes, I understand that SOME amount of respiratory depression occurs whenever you take ANY amount of any CNS depressant.

What I was trying to ask concerns "dangerous" levels of respiratory depression.
When people OD on opioids, its almost always because their breathing becomes so slow and shallow, that they essentially die from lack of oxygen due to their depressed breathing.

What Im asking is, is can this level of respiratory depression occur if someone is walking around, appears sober, fully capable of carrying on a normal conversation, not nodding off, etc.

I tend to think that "dangerous" respiratory depression only occurs when someone is at the point that they are essentially nodding out, barely able to stay awake.

Is this not the case? Can someone who appears sober and is totally "with it", still be in danger of serious/dangerous respiratory depression?

Yes. Cigarettes also cause this. Im 14 now, and It's good to be on this site because so many people relate to something. I've started smoking once in a while at 13, and full 1 - 3 packs a day by 14. Now, yeah, I have to keep breathing manually once in a while. I go about my day normally, and If I don't concentrate on it, I'll be fine. But if I pay attention to my breathing it acts up again. My breaths become shallower and It feels unsatisfactory. I have to keep taking huge inhales so I may feel like it's doing something. Sometimes I feel my body just isn't taking the oxygen in. It usually happens after smoking. I guess the coating in my lungs make it harder for oxygen to get absorbed. Either way, In half/consciousness it acts up, but in full-blown sleep it's perfectly fine. Only problem is that concentrating on it sometimes makes it harder to fall asleep.

 

[8L4YN3]

^Little one, that is nothing like opiate-caused depressed breathing.

And quit smoking now, it only gets harder and harder to quit that shit, lol, havn't you seen the amount of shit that comes out of a 30 year old smokers arteries? (according to the government ads on tv)

Seriously, quit the ciggarettes before you've been smoking 15 years and its damn near impossible.

 

[anxiousMoFo]

How to stop it

Is there a way to prevent or treat respiratory depression? Other than Narcan.
For example, would a broncodilator (sp?) like ephedrine or pseudoephedrine work? What about exercise?

I took 90mg oxycodone at 11PM last night, 10mg hydrocodone, 1mg alprazolam and some weed. High as fuck and nodding for hours. Fell asleep around 3 or 4 AM. This morning I woke up feeling great! At 10AM I smoked some herb and had a drink (1 shot of whiskey + pepsi). Now I'm afraid that if there are opiates in my system from last night, this morning's alcohol might have been a bad mix.

I'm feeling some symptoms of R.D. right now. I feel spacey and drowsy, but not nodding. I can literally feel my lungs are working a little slower than usual. I'm sometimes having effort staying awake and concentrating. Maybe I'm just too sleepy from last night? It also kind of feels like the opiate afterglow is enhancing the alcohol buzz.

 

[MgmtBlue]

Is there a way to prevent or treat respiratory depression? Other than Narcan.
For example, would a broncodilator (sp?) like ephedrine or pseudoephedrine work? What about exercise?

I took 90mg oxycodone at 11PM last night, 10mg hydrocodone, 1mg alprazolam and some weed. High as fuck and nodding for hours. Fell asleep around 3 or 4 AM. This morning I woke up feeling great! At 10AM I smoked some herb and had a drink (1 shot of whiskey + pepsi). Now I'm afraid that if there are opiates in my system from last night, this morning's alcohol might have been a bad mix.

I'm feeling some symptoms of R.D. right now. I feel spacey and drowsy, but not nodding. I can literally feel my lungs are working a little slower than usual. I'm sometimes having effort staying awake and concentrating. Maybe I'm just too sleepy from last night? It also kind of feels like the opiate afterglow is enhancing the alcohol buzz.

I'd avoid alcohol w/opiates all together, just to be on the safe side. I'm sure you are fine though. I find that alcohol kills the opiate buzz anyway, but I guess everyone is different.

To the OP, the best advice I was ever given is know your limits. Don't take more than you can handle and stay educated about dangerous drug combos and you should be fine.

 

[ro4eva]

Respiratory depression to me simply feels like I'm breathing very slowly and very quietly. I've actually caught myself doing this while nodding out more than a few times and at first it freaked me out but now I don't think much of it anymore because I know my tolerance and I don't mix other than what I'm prescribed by the same doctor.

I've done my fair share of almost all the different types of opiates/opioids available legitimately and illegitimately and the only time an opiate/opioid caused me physically uncomfortable respiratory depression (as in I was struggling to breathe) was the first time I was IV'd Dilaudid (Hydromorphone). It really kicked my ass.

 

[hobhead]

lost 2/3rds of left lung decades ago because of an oil burning junk addiction . respiratory depression did not seem to be something that i felt but rather friends and loved ones kept on my case because i was hacking blood for months .
my lungs were compromised because of childhood resp. diseases . but heroin did bring all that to an end .

 

[taste of class]

From my experience you don't really notice if you're having respiratory depression, which is the scary part. Occasionally you'll notice that your breathing is shallow, like your not taking deep breaths and you cant wait a few seconds before taking another breath, but usually it's pretty unoticable.

 

[WorldWarMe]

Is there a way to prevent or treat respiratory depression? Other than Narcan.
For example, would a broncodilator (sp?) like ephedrine or pseudoephedrine work? What about exercise?

I took 90mg oxycodone at 11PM last night, 10mg hydrocodone, 1mg alprazolam and some weed. High as fuck and nodding for hours. Fell asleep around 3 or 4 AM. This morning I woke up feeling great! At 10AM I smoked some herb and had a drink (1 shot of whiskey + pepsi). Now I'm afraid that if there are opiates in my system from last night, this morning's alcohol might have been a bad mix.

I'm feeling some symptoms of R.D. right now. I feel spacey and drowsy, but not nodding. I can literally feel my lungs are working a little slower than usual. I'm sometimes having effort staying awake and concentrating. Maybe I'm just too sleepy from last night? It also kind of feels like the opiate afterglow is enhancing the alcohol buzz.

Caffeine can help an opiate overdose, it stimulates breathing and increases your heart rate.

 

[BASEjumper]

Is there a way to prevent or treat respiratory depression? Other than Narcan.
For example, would a broncodilator (sp?) like ephedrine or pseudoephedrine work? What about exercise?

I took 90mg oxycodone at 11PM last night, 10mg hydrocodone, 1mg alprazolam and some weed. High as fuck and nodding for hours. Fell asleep around 3 or 4 AM. This morning I woke up feeling great! At 10AM I smoked some herb and had a drink (1 shot of whiskey + pepsi). Now I'm afraid that if there are opiates in my system from last night, this morning's alcohol might have been a bad mix.

I'm feeling some symptoms of R.D. right now. I feel spacey and drowsy, but not nodding. I can literally feel my lungs are working a little slower than usual. I'm sometimes having effort staying awake and concentrating. Maybe I'm just too sleepy from last night? It also kind of feels like the opiate afterglow is enhancing the alcohol buzz.

You may want to be careful bro... from what you described and the meds you listed, you could have OD'd with not much more... or your body could have reacted differently than the last time you mixed those... just sayin' from my studies, experience with meds, and EMS response I did in the medical field.

 

[BabyGurl3171]

The only time I've had R.D. was after a dose of Dilaudid. I would nod off and wake up choking and gasping for air. Every time I fell asleep, I quit breathing. I had to concentrate to breathe. This went on from about 9 pm till the next morning. Was probably one of my worse experiences.

 

[anxiousMoFo]

You may want to be careful bro... from what you described and the meds you listed, you could have OD'd with not much more... or your body could have reacted differently than the last time you mixed those... just sayin' from my studies, experience with meds, and EMS response I did in the medical field.

Thank you for the advice.

I feel stupid looking back and reading this now, and I blame my bad judgement on my part and the loss of inhibition and memory from the Xanax, which I rarely mix with anything now, except just weed. Wtf was I doing drinking at 10am?! I don't remember what was going on back in may, I must have had the week off or some shit to be doing this.

I have never mixed alcohol with opiates during the same session, but I guess I wasn't sober enough when woke up to even think that a lot of that stuff was still in my system even though I wasn't high anymore. Stupid me and stupid Xanax, I don't even remember that night either :/

 

[RisenFromDeath]

This one particulary day I had already done a couple lines as usual. About mid-day I was out in my car and did another big line. After when I pulled in to my driveway, I noticed it was very difficult to breathe. I said to my girlfriend who was outside at the time that I wanted to go to the hospital. While we were in the waiting room my breaths were extremely short, my lungs hurt with every breath so much that tears were coming down my face. I thought I was dying. I vomited in the doctors room after I tried to eat something. All they did for me was hooked me up to an I.V. and drew my blood. They didn't have a clue what was wrong even after telling the doctor I did oxy. Six hours in the hospital at about 2 am I was finally stable. They wanted to keep me all night long just to draw more blood in the morning. I said fuck that and drove home to bed, but not before doing another line. I know, but keep in mind I had no clue what had happened to me or what had done it. Later on when I visited my family doctor, he had my blood test results and told me my liver was in bad shape. He also told me opiates could do that to my breathing. I had trouble believing it because it made no sense. After reading an Oxycontin fact-sheet, I noticed that R.D. is one of the side effects of the drug. A few months later I was still doing lines, but not as much. I ended up driving myself to the hospital again because of excruciating pain in my abdomen. This time my appendix had ruptured. It was the worst pain I had ever felt in my life. The next day I was operated on. I was in such bad shape that I spent a week in the hospital recovering. What hurt even more was vomiting with fresh surgery incisions. They gave me dilaudid and oxys while I was recovering though so it was alright, and they sent me home with morphine pills. A couple weeks later I spent a week in jail. Feeling sorry for me yet? The chances of getting bail were against me since I had already been bailed out twice with about 40 outstanding charges. But here I am telling my story. Over this past year of 2010 I escaped death twice, and escaped indefinate imprisonment. I must have a guardian angel or something, either way I'm one lucky bastard and ten times the wiser.

To answer "daddysgone's" question. Yes you can experience R.D. while completely "with it", without being drowsy or nodding off at all, but believe me you will know it.

My advice would be: Opioids are very dangerous on high levels, AND over steady prolonged use. It will take your breath away, and rip your appendix out of you. Either of which you'd be lucky to survive. Not to mention draining your wallet, promoting illegal behavior, and destroying relationships with all those close to you. Those of you addicted, wake the fuck up and take back control of your life before the drug rides you into the dirt.

 

[BananasAndOranges]

it feels like your fading off, but youre just getting very very sedated. Its like a heroin nod but longer than normal. Its not a pleasant feeling I'll tell you that much..

 

[Psychedelic Jay]

Always remember you CNS will tell you whether you notice or not. You will have to be on the very edge of life to die from R.D. If you are walking, talking, eating, laughing, you are no where near R.D. If you take pills, make sure you wait for them to kick in fully before you O.D. accidentally.

Caffeine is rather nice with pod tea, it's very pleasing. It is rather dangerous to I.V. users as it will not kick in fast enough orally. So I would have a nice sterile micro-filtered shot of "No Doze" tablets in a freshly pre-made shot right before you hit the big H. Theophylline would be better for this though.

 

[Nortyy]

The one time I "thought" i was having bad R.D. I was laying in bed high on oxycodone and everytime I would nod off and come back around I would be gasping well not like gasping but quickly trying to get alot of air in my lungs. It felt like i just got done holding my breath. Very scary but did i still do oxycodone the next day...probably...