Sedatives like alcohol, benzodiazepines, and opioids can dangerously slow breathing at high altitude, increasing the risk of severe altitude sickness. Learn which sleep aids are safe and what to avoid.
When your breathing slows down too much—so much that your body can’t get enough oxygen—that’s respiratory depression, a serious condition where the brain fails to signal the lungs to breathe properly. Also known as hypoventilation, it’s not just feeling sleepy after a long day. It’s when your breaths become shallow, slow, or stop entirely—and it can kill you if not caught in time. This isn’t rare. It’s one of the leading causes of death in drug overdoses and a known risk with common prescriptions.
Respiratory depression most often happens when the central nervous system gets too suppressed. opioids, painkillers like oxycodone, fentanyl, and morphine are the biggest culprits. They bind to brain receptors that control breathing, and too much of them shuts it down. But it’s not just opioids. sedatives, including benzodiazepines like diazepam and sleep aids like zolpidem, can do the same—especially when mixed with alcohol or pain meds. Even some antibiotics, like erythromycin, can cause it in rare cases, particularly in people with existing lung or kidney issues. The danger isn’t just in taking too much—it’s in combining drugs that each alone might be safe.
What does it look like? Slow, irregular breathing. Blue lips or fingertips. Confusion. Unresponsiveness. A person might sound like they’re snoring when they’re actually struggling to breathe. If you’re on any of these medications, especially if you’re older, have sleep apnea, or take more than one drug, you need to know the signs. And if you’re caring for someone who is, don’t assume they’ll wake up if they stop breathing. They might not.
Many of the articles here focus on drug interactions and side effects that can quietly lead to this kind of crisis. From how warfarin and herbal supplements like Dong Quai can increase bleeding risks, to how serotonin syndrome and drug-induced TTP are sudden, life-threatening reactions—these posts show how easily medications can go wrong when not understood. Respiratory depression is another silent threat in that same family. It doesn’t always come with a warning label you can see. But you can learn to spot it.
Below, you’ll find real-world guides on medications that affect breathing, how to recognize danger before it’s too late, and what to do if someone you care about stops breathing. These aren’t theoretical. These are stories and facts from people who’ve been there—and the experts who help them survive.
Sedatives like alcohol, benzodiazepines, and opioids can dangerously slow breathing at high altitude, increasing the risk of severe altitude sickness. Learn which sleep aids are safe and what to avoid.