Sleep-related breathing problems in people taking opioid medicines
Official title: The Impact of Sleep Disordered Breathing in People who use Opioids
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11126882 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how sleep-related breathing problems affect people who take chronic opioid medications and tests ways to improve their breathing and health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $169,893 |
| NIH project number | 5K23HL151880-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11126882 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults taking long-term opioid medications who have symptoms like loud snoring, pauses in breathing, frequent awakenings, or daytime sleepiness would be the most likely candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not take opioids or whose sleep symptoms are caused by conditions unrelated to opioid use may not benefit directly.
What this research studies
Over five years, Dr. Orr will work with a multidisciplinary team at UC San Diego to understand how opioids change breathing during sleep and to identify treatments. They will use advanced sleep-lab measurements and signal analysis to study breathing patterns and the underlying physiology. The program includes designing patient-oriented studies and clinical trials to try interventions such as breathing devices or medications. The focus is on finding practical strategies to improve sleep quality and reduce health risks for people on long-term opioid therapy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better diagnosis and safer, targeted treatments that reduce sleep-related breathing problems and their health risks for people taking opioids.
How similar studies have gone: CPAP and other treatments help many people with common obstructive sleep apnea, but applying these approaches specifically to opioid-related breathing problems is less proven and remains an active area of research.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Orr, Jeremy Elliot — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Orr, Jeremy Elliot
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.