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What is so hard to understand here??? Nicotine is a great poison .... it even works on the nasty bugs in our gardens ... are we so adicted to being "practiced " upon that we have to try another angle to introduce more toxins into our bodies. Levodopa by it self is a heck of a trade off .... we get rid of some short term, annoying, or embarising symptoms so that we can do the dyskenesia dance later on?? Time to wake up and be thankful that we are not battling the big C or some other equally teminal malady. They symptoms may be difficult, but there are other ways to deal with Mr. Parkinson and still enjoy and be thankful for our life experiences without introducing more toxins. I wouldn't give nicotine to my service dog, George, either! "drink upstream from the herd" ..... Rob ----- Original Message ----- From: "rayilynlee" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Sunday, October 28, 2007 12:02 PM Subject: Re: nicotine > I smoked from age 18 to 50 and at age 71 have no desire to resurrect this > bad habit. > Rayilyn Brown > Board Member AZNPF > Arizona Chapter National Parkinson's Foundation > [log in to unmask] > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "M.Schild" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Sunday, October 28, 2007 12:24 AM > Subject: nicotine > > > > Nicotine may ease Parkinson's symptoms: U.S. study > > > > > > By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor > > > > WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nicotine may help ease some of the debilitating and > > uncontrollable tremors and twitches caused by Parkinson's disease and its > > treatment, researchers said on Wednesday. > > > > Monkeys given a nicotine-laced drink before drug treatment for Parkinson's > > showed a 50 percent reduction in movements associated with the treatment. > > They showed a 35 percent drop in the movements, known as dyskinesias, when > > given the drink after treatments. > > > > The finding, to be published in the Annals of Neurology, suggests it may > > be > > possible to improve the lives of patients who have very limited options. > > > > "It may be the only drug that is useful for reducing dyskinesias without > > making Parkinson's disease worse," Maryka Quik of the Parkinson's > > Institute > > and Clinical Center in Sunnyvale, California, who led the study, said in a > > telephone interview. > > > > Parkinson's disease, which affects more than 1 million patients in the > > United > > States, is marked by the death of brain cells that produce dopamine. > > > > Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, or message-carrying chemical, associated > > with > > movement. Drugs can delay symptoms for a while but there is no good > > treatment > > and no cure. > > > > The main treatment, levodopa or L-dopa, itself causes the abnormal > > involuntary > > movements after a time. > > > > For years, researchers had noted that people who smoke and who drink > > coffee > > seemed to have a lower risk of Parkinson's, and some research has > > suggested > > that nicotine might protect brain cells and nerves in some way. > > > > Quik said her team's findings appear to uncover a separate effect of > > nicotine. > > > > The researchers caused Parkinson's in rats and then in monkeys by damaging > > the > > area of the brain where dopamine is made. They gave them a soft drink with > > nicotine before and after administering levodopa. > > > > "Not only is nicotine neuroprotective, it protects against L-dopa-induced > > dyskinesias. The two effects are exclusive," Quik said. Nicotine did not > > appear to interfere with the beneficial effects of L-dopa. > > > > Her team is now working with companies that make nicotine-like drugs to > > work > > up a trial in people. > > > > The key is probably chemical doorways into brain cells called nicotinic > > receptors, Quik said. Drugs that work to affect these more precisely than > > nicotine does might also work better and more safely in people. > > > > Nicotine patches are available over-the-counter for people who want to > > stop > > smoking but Quik did not advise that Parkinson's patients try them. > > > > "It is very important to work out the proper conditions and the proper > > dose," > > she said. > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > > mailto:[log in to unmask] > > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn