Tolerant in drugs means the diminished response to the drugs over the course of prolonged or repeated exposure.
When you become or have a tolerance to a drug it means that you require a higher dose for the same drug to work.
For example, if you take a sedative or sleeping pill to sleep, it may work very well at the first dose.
But over time, you can develop a tolerance to that drug.
What this means is you need a higher dose to get the same results.
The same thing happens with alcohol.
Tolerance is a physical effect that occurs when the body adapts to a substance after repeated use, resulting in the need for higher doses to achieve the same effects.
This is true for both drugs taken recreationally and those used for medical purposes.
Drug resistance is the reduction in effectiveness of a medication to cure a disease or condition.
Today, antibiotic-resistance is rising due to dangerously high levels worldwide and threatening our ability to treat even common infectious diseases.
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.
There are two types of drug tolerance: physiological and behavioral.
Physical tolerance occurs at the cellular level.
The body increases the rate at which the drug is broken down (metabolized).