tachypnea symptom.

6 years as a hospice nurse, and i recently had a new situation tha36-5t i was not sure how to handle symptom control. this patient was actively dying, peaceful,unresponsive,pain-free,afebrile...yet, so tachypneic! his respiratory rate, though non-labored , was 36-52 rr./min. regular for over 12 hours before he finally passed. there seemed to be no associated distress-and i felt that using roxanol to slow him down did not seem appropriate, somehow. it was like he was 'finishing a race'-which of course he was...and i let him do it. any comments? his underlying disease was motor neuron (als)and he was not congested.getting occas.dosing of roxanol to assure comfort only. any ideas on cause or treatment options, or your own experiences -let me know. thank you!