I mean we are biologically the same but our "tolerance" is different. I found out when I was 11 and tore some ligaments and was given tylenol 3 that it took more for me and I was wayyy too young to have built a "tolerance". It just takes more so you run out sooner. That doesn't always mean you're an addict- it makes you one! Who's "fault" is that, mine? Jeez, if you specify, your doc thinks you're "experienced' and it throws up red flags and tries to give you vicodin for punishment.
2006-11-07 01:05:19 · 7 answers · asked by Silky 1 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Pain & Pain Management
When a drug enters your body it attaches to receptors on your cells. These receptors initiate the appropriate response. When these receptors are fired over and over again, then they can start they start to wear out. It takes more of the drup to get a response.
2006-11-07 01:11:08 · answer #1 · answered by peanut509 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We are NOT biologically the same. We are all VERY different. How you handle a drug is a function of your age, size, liver and kidney function, and probably a whole lot of other things we haven't discovered yet (like differences in opiate receptor physiology)
I am an anesthesiologist, and I give drugs to people all day. Sometimes little old ladies take huge amounts, and big burly guys take almost nothing. You just never know.
It is true that if you ask for a specific painkiller, you will be suspected as being a drug abuser, because that is what drug abusers do. That doesn't make you an abuser; I'm just saying that you are innocently copying the typical abuser's behavior.
A better way to approach the situation is to explain to your doctor that you have trouble with pain control. Tell him/her what has and has not worked for you in the past. You might do better with non-narcotic analgesics, or injections of long-acting local anesthetics.
Good luck to you.
2006-11-07 09:15:27 · answer #2 · answered by Pangolin 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some people metabolize meds quicker than others, other people are skeptical of the meds and "feel" the effects more than others. Some people who take meds daily for chronic conditions, obviously, have a built up tolerance.
There are many reasons for a difference in tolerance, but usage and biological factors are the two main ones that spring to my mind.
2006-11-07 10:02:41 · answer #3 · answered by gtrplayer5555 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The best way to deal with this is to have the doctor prescribe whatever they want. Take it and if it works, fine. If it doesn't work, call the doctor and tell them that you are still in pain and that the prescription isn't helping. Most often they will give you something stronger after you have tried what they gave you. It's a hassle, and you are right - if you tell them what you need based on your own experience, they quickly assume you are just after drugs.
2006-11-07 09:11:23 · answer #4 · answered by Random Precision 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on your body mass, how your metabolism is, your age and stage of life...there are many factors. You could be sensitive to some drug families and not others. And as you age your sensitivity changes as the chemical make-up of your body changes. You could have a tolerance to Tylenol products because you have used them growing up. I find Tylenol to be useless all the time...for me. It is truly a chemical thing and your doctor should understand that. Tell him to get real and get a grip. It is not a crime to know your own body!!
2006-11-07 09:14:26 · answer #5 · answered by Barbiq 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
simplest explanation is different muscle mass and different hormonal levels
2006-11-07 09:08:03 · answer #6 · answered by q6656303 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
thats the nature and you have to bear with it.
2006-11-07 09:07:34 · answer #7 · answered by ssmindia 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋