Suboxone and Shortness of Breath

I have been off suboxone for 2 months after a long 3 years on it. I am having breathing issues. I pray it will get better.

I have been on buprenorphine 4 years and have had the same problem I went from 16-20mg/day down to now at When I was on the high dose I would wake up from a dead sleep gasping for air, feeling blessed everytime that I did wake up for that lifesaving breath. That doesn't happen anymore with the current 4-6mg that I'm at...BUT NOW that I am at a lower dose I have the same breathing problems that lead to anxiety, tingling in the arms and chest mimicking a heart attack, flem caught in throat feeling and thinking I'm going to die. . This feeling eventually always goes away my breath comes back I feel as though it has passed usually after I wait it out, drink some water, eat something small little bites at a time. There's not an episode that goes by and I don't ask myself, did I take too much?, but then I think, I used to take 2 1/2 to 3 pills a day now I'm taking a 1/4 of a pill and a couple small chunks throughout the day so how is this even possoble. WELL... I once read in a similar forum that because you have come down on the dose you are starting to feel more and the shortness of breath is really all in our head because we are not used to feeling or noticing our breathing because before we're basically high and didn't care. When I wake up in the morning I feel like a normal person most of the time, then I take my first dose usually feel pretty good afterwards. Then in the middle of the day i take another dose because I get some chills but maybe I should only be taking one dose in the morning and leave it at that. Another thing with sleeping is after a nap i feel normal but eventually need to dose again. And eating sometimes enhancea everything makes me feel like I took another dose, maybe has to do with the metabolizing. After almost 5 years of taking buprenorphine I do not have an answer except I pray for minimum withdrawals during my personal taper plan it seems as if everybody is different although we are really all the same addicts. If anybody has anything more to say about breathing problems please respond with possible solutions or even just justifying it...I don't know , maybe I just did help. Finally, I do not recommend taking benzo diazepam ever ever ever especially with buprenorphine Subutex or Suboxone. It can kill you.

Hey Guys.

I've had the same lung issues as you describe. It's very scary feeling that breath problems.
I've been checked all out by x-rays and spirometri tests, but everything seems normal.
These problems started for about 3 years ago, and I have now been taking subox (1mg) for nearly 6 years.

My lower left lung collapsed for 3 years ago, and since everything's just become more bad, with short breath and things like that, and x-rays showed that the lung was okay again after the collaps.
I even can't exercise anymore, cause it feels like there's not enough lung capacity.

My doctor has referred me to lung specialists, and I'm excited, and offcourse worried about if they are going to find something seriously. I just keep my fingers crossed.

It worries me, that suboxone can be the answer, for then I have to stop immediately.

I hope all the best for you guys. :-)

I know I am on subixone way too many years. 10 now. It did save my life and I am grateful, but the physical side effects are worsening. I am a nonsmoker and have developed terrible breathing problems over the past few years. like a suffocating where my body can't get air, and of course I do not sleep properly as my body is not getting oxygen. I try and force the air and it seems like my esophagus is constricted. It feels like a panic attack but it is not. The panic and extreme anxiety is my body fighting to survive. I've been to pulmonary thinking its asthma they think it'may be mild asthma, but are not sold. I never connected the Suboxone to it and never asked them to consider it (stigma)! but on occasion when I misuse it and take additional dosage (on occasion) I notice my breathing worsens I am using the film now, the pills were worse for my breathing. I have been hospitalized for this and they opened me up with a nebulizer and prednisone. It did work but God it's insane. I am shocked to see how many people have similar issues. I am on 24 mil now i do not think I will have these issues if I can reduce to a low doese, like 4 mil a day

no its not anxiety im going through the exact same thing and let me say its truley terrifying im hoping its from my subs to im fine when im on them but when i dont im in trouble

I was on sub for 3 years but the last year I noticed chest pains and shortness of breath.I'm 28 and workout everyday.so I went to the Dr and had blood work done and everything checked out fine but the chest pains were always there unless I was exercising,yes for some reason exercising made the pain go away.I finally just quit the sub.im on day 8 and the chest pain just went away immediately after quitting sub.

I was on Suboxone for about a year maybe. Before that I was taking Percocets for about 10 years. It wasn't until I got on the Suboxone that I noticed that shortness of breath. I wean myself off using Robert325's plan. Pretty much anybody that takes suboxone and reads these chat rooms knows Robert325 taper plan. But I only had enough to taper myself down to about a milligram and a half. I've been off for about 7 days now and I'm having a really hard time breathing. I am taking Xanax also and it's not really helping with the breathing I don't think it's anxiety.

I've been on suboxone for years and have had the same issue while on opiates as well as suboxone the issue is your dose, anything above 4mg's a day will give this to me anything below 2mg is a non issue, taper down and it will go away it's one of my main motivator for not abusing this stuff.

Both these medications cause breathing issues and is the key reason I stopped taking the medications all together.

On Suboxone for 9 years! I am finally tapering and down to 1mg.. Today I have serious shortness of breath as well. It's kind of scary.So hard to breathe that I almost considering heroin. Because even though opiates suppress breathing they somehow always make me breathe easier. I suppose because it makes me so relaxed and everything is right with the world. I wish I never got on suboxone

It seems as though you should have been tapered down a little more before you started skipping days. I am on 1/2 of a 2 mg tablet and I do quarters every couple of days, my doctor believes and tapering down as much as possible before skipping days. It's just too much

If you were having breathing difficulties then your tapering down too quickly. I am taking a half of a 2 mg tablet and if I were to skip days now I would not be able to handle it. They are supposed to do it comfortably. My doctor has a small pharmacy that actually mixes their own. He makes it in hard gel form and you can slice it with a razor blade. It makes it much easier for tapering down to the minimum before skipping days.

Goodness, you should have been tapering down a long time ago, you should be able to do one 2 mg tablet at least by now. Seems like your doctor doesn't care to taper you. Some are in it just for thee money, but if you are still taking it to get high sometimes, you aren't ready anyway . May need counseling. I would consider going into a treatment center to help you with your urges.

I recently quit suboxone and also find myself short of breath. In constantly trying to breath deeper until my lungs hurt. You are not alone. Let's wait a few months to see if it gets better. After that I'm not sure. I am solo done with this. All from back pain and pain management. Curse them !!

Hi I would recommend an albuterol inhaler it has helped me tremendously with shortness of breath while taking suboxone. Hopefully this helps