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'Physical dependence' refers to a state resulting from habitual use of a drug, where negative physical withdrawal symptoms result from abrupt discontinuation.^[1]

Contents

Symptoms

Treatment

Difference from Addiction

Drugs that cause physical dependence

References

See also

External links

Symptoms

Increased heart rate and/or blood pressure, sweating, and tremors are common signs of withdrawal. More serious symptoms such as confusion, seizures, and visual hallucinations indicate a serious emergency and the need for immediate medical care. Alcohol, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates are the only commonly abused substances that can be fatal in withdrawal. Though extremely unpleasant and potentially dramatic, withdrawal from opiates does not pose a direct medical threat.

Treatment

Treatment for physical dependence depends upon the drug being withdrawn and often includes administration of another drug, especially for substances that can be dangerous when abruptly discontinued. Treatment usually requires the initiation and then tapering of a medication that has a similar action in the brain but a longer half-life.

Difference from Addiction

Physical dependence is different from addiction. The latter is often characterized by a psychological need for a drug, while the former can often be the result of legal, long-term use of medicine.^[2]

Drugs that cause physical dependence

★ barbiturates

★ benzodiazepines

★ caffeine

★ ethyl alcohol (alcoholic beverage)

★ GHB

★ methaqualone (Quaalude®)

★ nicotine

★ opioids

★ Amphetamines

References

1. Drug Addiction
2. Drug Abuse - Addiction vs. Dependence

See also

★ Discontinuation syndrome

★ Rebound insomnia

External links

★ National Institutes of Health MedlinePlus Encyclopedia

★ ''Drugs causing physical dependence taken from Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, Section 15, Chapter 195" Merck Manual.''