What is Drug Tolerance?
Learn about drug tolerance and how it affects your physical and mental health. Locate available resources for addiction and dependence.
Learn about drug tolerance and how it affects your physical and mental health. Locate available resources for addiction and dependence.
Drug tolerance, also known as insensitivity, is a concept describing diminished reactivity to a medication or drug with repeated usage. Increasing the drug’s dosage may re-amplify its effects; this may also hasten the effects of tolerance, further diminishing the drug’s effects. Drug tolerance is a sign of drug usage, but is not always linked to drug addiction or dependence.1
When a person’s body or brain no longer responds to a prescription or drug in the manner it previously did, it is referred to as drug or medication tolerance. If a patient has acquired tolerance to their drug, their doctor might have to increase the amount.2
While genetic variables can predispose someone to addiction, there is no solid proof suggesting that substance tolerance is inherited. Several things can influence a person’s medication tolerance. People with kidney or liver diseases, the organs that break down or metabolize medications, may require different prescription dosages.
In order to effectively diagnose and treat tolerance to drugs, it’s vital to learn more about what it is, how it occurs, and if it’s preventable.
Regarding drug prescription, there is often no way to avoid the development of tolerance. Abusing or failing to take prescribed medications as directed might raise the possibility of medication tolerance, which is why it’s important to seek medical guidance.
Certain drugs can raise or decrease the blood concentrations of other medications, which may interfere with their effectiveness or mechanism of action.
External variables such as illnesses and stress can affect a person’s medication tolerance. People who have unanticipated alterations in their capacity to acquire pharmaceuticals or changes in drug quality, such as purity, strength, and composition, may also change their tolerance.
Many individuals use the phrases “tolerance,” “addiction,” and “dependency” interchangeably. While they might have similar meanings, they describe different circumstances. These differences will be detailed below.
Tolerance occurs when the same drug dose has less effect on a person’s body over time than it did initially.
Drug dependence occurs when a person’s body can no longer operate normally without a specific drug dose. This usually happens after long term use of the same drug.
Withdrawal occurs when a person with dependence decreases their drug dose or abruptly stops taking the drug, resulting in a number of physical and mental problems. People who are dependent on drugs must steadily lower the quantity of the drug they consume each day to diminish, limit, or even totally eliminate withdrawal symptoms.
Addiction is described as losing control over use of a specific drug while ignoring the negative consequences of doing so. Addiction is connected with long-term functional alterations in brain networks that govern learning, reward, and stress.4
A person can get addicted to a substance if they use it regularly, which is similar to tolerance and dependence. However, drug addiction is a neurological disorder, unlike tolerance and dependence. According to some estimations, genetics can account for up to 50% of the chance of developing a drug addiction. Addiction is a complicated condition that may be controlled and treated, but there is no known cure at the moment.5
Tolerance doesn’t have to catch you off-guard. There are many signs of increased drug tolerance, including:
Because the body is less tolerant of a specific drug, the patient has to use more of it to get the same result.
Patients frequent stores that stock the particular drug they are craving, constantly refilling their prescriptions to get more of the substance they are hooked to.
People suffering from drug tolerance can be found hiding pills to ensure they always have a stash at hand.
Drug-tolerant people often move through moods, a characteristic of alcohol and drug addicts.
This happens in two ways. Drug-tolerant patients suffer from worry and anxiety when they do not have their pills at hand. They also suffer from worry and anxiety during withdrawal and non-use periods.
Just as with drug addiction, drug-tolerant people constantly talk about how great the new drug is.
Because drug tolerance increases the more a drug is ingested, patients progressively complain about how much less effective the drug is, not knowing their system is getting less tolerant of that same medicine.
Mechanisms of tolerance refer to how individuals get addicted to certain drugs. Some of the mechanisms of substance tolerance will be discussed further below.
Pharmacodynamic tolerance develops when the biological reaction to a chemical diminishes after repeated usage. High absorptions of a chemical interact with the body receptor, desensitizing it over constant engagement–a common basis of pharmacodynamic tolerance.
Other causes include decrease in receptor density (generally linked with receptor agonists) or other processes resulting in changes in action potential firing rate. However, tolerance to a receptor antagonist entails the opposite (increased receptor firing rate, receptor density, etc.).
Metabolic tolerance is when the body metabolizes medications quicker. Drugs still have identical effects on the brain, but will be eliminated swiftly by the body. Although the medications continue to influence the brain, the drug’s effects will reduce as the body processes the drug faster.
Learned tolerance, or psychological tolerance, is when a person becomes accustomed to the environment where the drug is constantly ingested and does not “feel” its effects. Similarly, a person might act as if they are not using the medication and adjust to how it affects them. Finally, if a person is told or believes a substance is more or less potent, they will behave as reported.
When environmental cues related to past medication administration are present, a larger dose of a medicine can be tolerated. In the absence of such stimulation, delivery of the drug may result in an overdose.
Drug tolerance carries several hazards and consequences relating to physical and mental health conditions. The following are some of these risks:
No singular method for treating drug tolerance has been found. Depending on the individual and their health, doctors typically provide specific plans to consider potential benefits, side effects, and dosages.
A doctor might advise you to take medicine in larger or more regular dosages. Alternatively, they may advise someone to wean off their medication by progressively taking less and less of it, so they can then begin taking a new drug.
The development of tolerance is a reversible process. Cross tolerance to the impact of pharmacologically similar medicines may develop, particularly those acting on the same receptor. It is important to note that both physiological and psychological reasons can lead to drug tolerance.
Acute tolerance develops over a short amount of time, as seen in new cocaine users. Chronic tolerance develops over a long period of time, as observed in persons who use prescription opioids.
To transition off drugs and mitigate potential withdrawal symptoms, many individuals require supportive and comprehensive treatment such as counseling or therapy. While the effects of tolerance can often be reversed, this is largely contingent on seeking swift and effective treatment.
Withdrawal symptoms can sometimes be fatal, especially if alcohol or benzodiazepine dependencies are involved. If you are experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms or drug side effects, do not hesitate to reach out for help.
Age, sex, underlying mental conditions, weight, drugs, or substance use may impact the effects of tolerance. You deserve treatment that is individualized for your medical history and desired outcome.
If you find yourself or your loved one(s) suffering from drug tolerance and think you need guidance, then help is available at Soledad House. Here, we offer top-notch drug rehab services and offer drug tolerance psychology, ensuring you get the most value for your money.
Contact us today for more information and resources, and to discuss various available treatment options with our professionals.
Certification Number: 370116CP
Expiration Date: August 31, 2025
© 2025 Soledad House| San Diego Rehab Center for Women | San Diego Drug Rehab | Soledad House Alumni Program | Privacy Policy