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Smoking and Parkinson's ... Cigarettes (maily nicotine), raises dopomine levels in the brain. This is why many young people turn to smoking who are experiencing depression or stress. Dopomine helps them to feel better. As for Parkinson's, cigarette smoking can increase the levels of dopomine, thus lessen symptoms or help to mask them. My husband's symptoms didn't start becoming more pronouced until he quit smoking! It didn't take long either for the effects of the nicotine to leave the body and free the Parkinson's. However, smoking is of course damaging to the body, causing free radical damage among all the other ill effects of smoking. Free radical damage causes the death of brain cells and cells in general. Therefore, nicotine raises the dopomine levels in the brain, while it helps to kill some of the very cells responsible for producing it. I mention the above just in case anyone was thinking they should take up smoking. And if anyone who has Parkinson's smokes -- the best thing you can do for your brain and your body is quit. Take care, Tami Abiuso