Types Of Drug Tolerance: Metabolic, Functional, And More

When someone uses drugs or alcohol repeatedly, their body starts to adapt to the substance. This adaptation is called tolerance, and it means the person needs larger doses to feel the same effects they once got from smaller amounts. What started as one pill or one drink eventually isn’t enough anymore, so they take more to achieve the desired result.

Tolerance creates a dangerous pattern that can quickly get out of control. As the body adjusts to higher doses, people keep increasing the amount they use, which raises the risk of overdose and serious health problems. Tolerance also makes quitting harder because the body has become dependent on having the substance present. While tolerance isn’t the same thing as addiction or physical dependence, it’s often the first warning sign and can lead directly to both conditions.

What Are The Types Of Drug Tolerance?

Desensitization and tolerance can happen with alcohol, opiates, stimulants, benzodiazepines, prescription painkillers, and amphetamine, to name a few. Tolerance occurs when the substance of choice is used heavily and over a period of time.

Regardless of the type of substance being used, there are a few different types of tolerance that can occur.

Acute Tolerance

Acute tolerance occurs during a single use of a drug but with repeated doses and in quick succession, and oftentimes with high concentrations. This type of tolerance might occur during a drug or alcohol binge.

Behavioral Tolerance

Behavioral tolerance occurs when a person is able to hide their drug or alcohol use through certain demonstrated behaviors or in certain situations. For example, an experienced drinker may be able to maintain a sober disposition when speaking to law enforcement.

Metabolic Tolerance

This type of tolerance refers to how long a drug lasts. In some instances, the more often you use a drug and the more of it you take, the faster your body will metabolize it and get rid of it with digestive enzymes.

Learn more about metabolic drug tolerance.

Functional Tolerance

Functional tolerance occurs when a person’s brain functions become adaptive to the behavioral and bodily changes that a person exhibits while they are using drugs or alcohol. This is similar to pharmacodynamic tolerance in which a person’s brain chemistry becomes acclimated to the presence of the drug being used and loses some of its abilities.

Find out more about functional drug tolerance.

Is Tolerance The Same As Addiction?

Tolerance and drug addiction are not the same condition, though they are related and often found occurring in unison. Furthermore, tolerance can exist with or without drug dependence. Not all drugs are addictive, and some are more addictive than others, but it is generally possible to develop tolerance to any drug or alcohol when used enough. However, using a drug a lot can build a tolerance to it but not necessarily a dependence or addiction, if that particular substance does not have addictive properties.

How Drug Tolerance And Alcohol Tolerance Differ

Drug tolerance and alcohol tolerance share the same idea but work differently in the body. Alcohol is consumed and travels through the digestive system, while most drugs are smoked, snorted, or injected and typically travel straight to the central nervous system. This is why the effects and side effects of a drug are usually felt much longer than the effects of alcohol. A tolerance to alcohol is also more susceptible to certain influences, such as how much food a person has eaten prior to drinking during a particular instance.

Can Drug Tolerance Be Reversed?

Drug tolerance can be reversed for the most part, though a person may never quite reach their original baseline. Reversing drug tolerance will, however, take a lot of time and patience. The best treatment for reversing a drug or alcohol tolerance is to stop using the substances all together. If this is done for an extended period of time, there is a great chance that a person can reduce their tolerance drastically. A drug holiday is when a person takes a break from a drug in order to decrease their tolerance to it.

A healthcare provider may even recommend a drug holiday at times for prescription medications to increase their effectiveness. However, it is never a good idea to decrease use of a prescription drug or stop a medication without a treatment providers guidance.

Can You Treat Drug Tolerance?

When someone stops taking a drug, their body gradually readjusts and returns to its normal state over time. This process is called “resetting” tolerance. However, simply stopping on your own can be dangerous, especially if you’ve developed physical dependence. Withdrawal symptoms can range from uncomfortable to life-threatening depending on the substance. This is why professional help is so important when dealing with tolerance and dependence.

If you or someone you care about has developed tolerance to drugs or alcohol, seeking professional addiction treatment is the safest and most effective approach. Treatment programs don’t just address tolerance, they tackle the underlying addiction and teach skills to maintain long-term recovery. Most treatment centers offer both outpatient and inpatient options, allowing you to choose the level of care that fits your situation.

Effective Treatment Options Include:

• individual counseling to address personal issues driving substance use
• family counseling to repair relationships and build support systems
• behavioral therapy to change thought patterns and behaviors around drug use
• medical detox to safely manage withdrawal symptoms under doctor supervision
• medication-assisted treatment to reduce cravings and ease the recovery process
• 12-step programs like AA or NA for community support and accountability
• peer support groups to connect with others in recovery
• relapse prevention training to develop coping strategies for staying sober

Overcoming tolerance and addiction is challenging, but it’s absolutely possible with the right support and treatment. Professional treatment programs have helped millions of people break free from the cycle of increasing drug use and rebuild their lives. The longer tolerance continues unchecked, the harder recovery becomes and the greater the health risks. If you’re noticing that you need more of a substance to get the same effect, that’s your body telling you it’s time to make a change.

Written by the Addiction Resource Editorial Staff