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Are opioids associated with sleep apnea? A review of the evidence

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Abstract

Chronic opioid use for nonmalignant pain has increased dramatically; nonillicit unintentional deaths have also increased. This article reviews the physiology of breathing, effects of sleep on respiration, effects of opioids on respiration, potential interactions between sleep and opioids on respiration, and current evidence that chronic opioid use is associated with sleep-disordered breathing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Intermountain Sleep Disorder Center, LDS Hospital, 325 8th Avenue and C Street, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84143, USA

    James M. Walker

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  1. James M. Walker
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  2. Robert J. Farney
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Correspondence to James M. Walker.

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Walker, J.M., Farney, R.J. Are opioids associated with sleep apnea? A review of the evidence. Current Science Inc 13, 120–126 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-009-0021-1

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