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Beth Leslie: I wonder if a nicotine patch might be useful to give a smoother effect (and possibly easier to absorb) than nicotine tablets. Either way, let us know. I have an article called "Effects of Smoking on patients with early onset PD" from the Journal of Neurological Sciences, 117, (1993) pp28-32. Summary: "Smoking a cigarette relieved symptoms in 6 patients with early-onset PD. In these patients smoking reduced tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and gait disturbances including frozen gait. These effects lasted about 10-30 minutes, and relieved parkinsonian symptoms in the off period. Nicotine chewing gum had a lesser effect. Nicotine is thought to activate the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway and increase the release of dopamine in the striatum, and this can explain the effects of smoking in these patients." They don't rule out a placebo effect, neither do they recommend smoking. Interestingly, they also say smoking may relieve symptoms for those with Tourette's Syndrome.