Opioids When to worry about slow breathing?

[stevearoo]

When to worry about slow/shallow breathing while using opiates/opioids?

What is a resting breathing rate that would be cause for concern while taking hydromorphone? Same with heart rate.

 

[wallace27]

good question don't know but id like to. Im always checking my friends pulse and rate of breathing when we get on some nod inducing drugs. overdoses are scary even when they don't end in a bad way. Shirley there's a nurse in the BL community who can enlighten us.

 

[XANAX XR]

If this helps, I can safely take a large amount of downers and/or opiates with an avg. pulse of 42-70... it can hover around 42-48 as long as 8-10 hours. That is OFF them, so I'm not sure if it decreases anymore, on them. If I keep moving when I'm that low, it will rise to about 55-60, so that plays a roll... for me at least.

 

[keeping]

"There are several caveats about monitoring. Most importantly, when you arouse a patient who is oversedated with opioids they may, in fact, appear to be breathing at a normal rate and be able to respond appropriately to questions. Therefore, observing the patient before you stimulate them is extremely important. Anecdotally, there are also many reports of patients having respiratory depression at times when their level of arousal appears to be reasonably normal. And respiratory rate is a notoriously poor predictor of opioid-induced respiratory depression. The respiratory rate may be normal despite significant hypoventilation. Also mentioned anecdotally (Weinger 2007) is that changes in patient status may take place very rapidly and not be detected by conventional monitoring techniques used in most settings today."

couldn't say,

 

[rhun]

^ agree with poster above.

We just don't know, there are too many factors at play. Safe for one person could be lethal for another, especially since everyone has different resting heart rates.

Even nodding out, someone could always wake me up and I'd be pretty responsive. I'd be highly concerned anytime someone is unconscious, unresponsive, or high to the point where they can't sit, stand, or talk. And would seek urgent medical attention. If they're borderline, opioid tolerant, and I knew without a doubt they weren't in immediate danger, I'd call a 24 hour nurse hotline or something similar and list the symptoms and see what they advise... though I'd keep them awake and monitor them even if a medical professional told me they'd be okay.

 

[lazylazyjoe]

Simple solution : Always keep narcan/bupe kits nearby and don't use alone if possible. Get trained and, in turn, train as many others as possible in rescue breathing, CPR, etc.

If someone passes out, constantly monitor their breathing by looking at the chest rise and fall. If no breathing, administer narcan & rescue breathing.
If still breathing but unresponsive to stimuli after 15 min, you may have to administer narcan
(or call emergency - say friend is "not breathing" - no mention of drugs).

 

[Treefa]

Bupe kits huh?? Don't wanna sound like new junkie on the block lol, but what on earth is a bupe kit, and where do I get one??!

You should know if somebody has had too much though...respritory depression doesn't just strike out of the blue, the more opiates/benzos you use, the nearer RD creeps to the door of your soul...

Personally, if my breathing gets too slow, I feel it...idk how to elaborate, I just feel different, lightheaded sorta, which alerts me that i'm breathing slower than normal, at which point I usually just get up and do something productive until I no longer notice it..