Background: Chronic opioid therapy for pain management has increased dramatically
without adequate study of potential deleterious effects on breathing during sleep. Methods …

Opioids are widely prescribed for pain management, and it is estimated that 40% of adults in
the United States use prescription opioids every year. Opioid misuse leads to high mortality …

The use of opioids has been associated with development of sleep-disordered breathing,
including central apneas, nocturnal oxygen desaturations, and abnormal breathing patterns …

There is a complex relationship among opioids, sleep and daytime function. Patients and
medical providers should be aware that chronic opioid therapy can alter sleep architecture …

Objective Animal models have shown a quantal slowing of respiratory pattern when
exposed to opioid agonist, in a pattern similar to that observed in central sleep apnea. We …

Objective. To assess the relation between medications prescribed for chronic pain and sleep
apnea. Design. An observational study of chronic pain patients on opioid therapy who …

Study Objectives: The use of opioid medication for chronic pain has been increasing. The
main aim of this study was to assess how many patients on opioids for chronic pain had …

Opioid use whether acute or chronic, illicit or therapeutic is prevalent in Western societies.
Opioid receptors are located in the same nuclei that are active in sleep regulation and opioid …

Three patients are described who illustrate distinctive patterns of sleep-disordered breathing
that we have observed in patients who are receiving long-term, sustained-release opioid …

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of chronic pain that may be
experienced by patients. Historically, chronic pain has been given less importance or simply …