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Just curious to hear what some of you are willing to accept as far as side effects are concerned while on finasteride? That is IF you are experiencing any. How much are you willing to put up with to stay on finasteride?
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This is a tough question to ELI5, but drug tolerance is controlled by a complex series of counter-regulatory systems, and some systems are simply more responsive than others.
Opiates are an interesting example because they act on multiple receptors, and only some of those receptors develop tolerance. The opioid receptors that reduce pain sensation and cause euphoria become much more tolerant over time, while the receptors in the GI tract and respiratory center of the brain do not develop tolerance. Because of this, people need increasing doses to relieve pain and/or get high, but they do not become resistant to the respiratory and GI side effects. -
Not sure about your last question, but as for the needing/wanting more bit, opiates act on multiple receptors. The biggest craving comes from the drug's affect on the dopamine system, which is the brain's reward system. Dopamine activating drugs like cocaine and heroin create enormous spikes in dopamine, much higher than anything that can occur naturally. This tells your brain, 'hey, this thing here is essential for our survival and well-being. We need more of it asap.'
Who are you to argue with your brain chemistry? It tells you when to eat, sleep, run away, etc. It is designed to keep you living and procreate. So now your brain is telling you that this thing you just ingested is more important than anything else. More important than any resource you have encountered so far, and getting more is a top priority. It's not logical, it's chemical. The craving is overwhelming. vidmate
When an addict gets clean, after dealing with withdrawal symptoms, they are left with a dopamine deficit. The brain has been overproducing it in the presence of drugs, and underproducing it when the drugs are absent. So there is a definite feeling of joylessness and depression in the first few months of recovery, which leaves an addicted person at a higher rate of relapse. (Anecdotally, I experienced this in the first year of sobriety. I also experienced a much lower pain tolerance - I think because my body was not used to creating its own endorphins anymore. Adding outside chemicals to your body really dysregulates things.) 9appsComment
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