Drug withdrawal/rebound phenomena (clonidine, beta-blockers, benzodiazepines)
Core concept
- Chronic exposure causes receptor and pathway adaptation; abrupt removal leaves the adaptation unopposed
- Receptor upregulation after chronic antagonism -> rebound overshoot (beta-blockers, clonidine, H2 antagonists, PPIs)
- Receptor downregulation after chronic agonism -> withdrawal deficit (opioids, benzodiazepines, alcohol, corticosteroids)
- Rebound = the original problem returns worse than baseline. Withdrawal = a new syndrome, often the mirror image of the drug's effect
3 more sections, plus exam facts
Premium unlocks every note across every specialty, and the full exam fact library behind it.
Get premium access