Why do our bodies build up a tolerance to some medications but not others?

Question

Why do our bodies build up a tolerance to some medications but not others?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Here’s an actual ELI5

Say you’re deficient in X. Or, say you have too much of Y. So, you take the medication. When you take medication for X, hopefully it increases your production of X. When this happens, your body’s mechanisms it used to produce (subpar) amounts of X will switch off. So, you will need more of it to feel the effects at the beginning. Combine this with the fact that it’s akin to taking a pebble out of your shoe (the immediate difference is always the most pleasurable).