Ecstasy and cannabis may help Parkinson's

[Torsten]

http://www.smh.com.au/text/articles/2002/1...34561551322.htm

Ecstasy and cannabis may help Parkinson's

Date: October 24 2002

Experimental drugs which mimic some chemical aspects of ecstasy and

cannabis look increasingly likely to improve treatments for incurable

Parkinson's disease, says a senior international researcher.

And the combination of effective drug therapies with screening which

detects the debilitating disease before people know they have it may

eventually lead to the disappearance of its symptoms from society, Dr

Jonathan Brotchie said.

The senior scientist at Canada's Toronto Western Research Institute told

New Zealand's second annual International Parkinson's Conference that

although valuable clues had been gained from Parkinson's patients who used

ecstasy, the street drug itself would never be a treatment for the disease.

But it had shown how other drugs, including one known as a 5HT-1A agonist,

could improve the effectiveness of the current main drug treatment,

Levodopa (L-dopa), without ecstasy's side effects of changing moods or

killing more brain cells in the patient.

Dr Brotchie, formerly the chief executive of a small drug development

company, Motac Neuroscience, in Britain, said the ecstasy connection was

highlighted two years ago when a former professional stuntman, Tim

Lawrence, took an ecstasy tablet while clubbing and that extended the

effect of his regular medication, L-dopa.

In a two-day test Mr Lawrence took his regular medication, but on one day

was given ecstasy and on the other a sugar pill. His movement was freed up

for up to 50 per cent longer than with L-dopa alone.

Animal tests had shown that ecstasy could counter some of the side-effects

of longterm L-dopa treatments, such as a lack of control over movements.

"That raises the question: is ecstasy going to be a treatment for

Parkinson's?" he said.

"The answer is: no."

Dr Brotchie said even Mr Lawrence did not use ecstasy as a form of

treatment, because it interfered with his thought processes, and stopped

him from working as a scriptwriter.

The drug reduced the capacity to learn, the ability to remember, and killed

brain cells. Instead scientists had searched for chemicals which could

mimic ecstasy's beneficial effects, without further damaging brain cells.

After his speech, Dr Brotchie told NZPA that while he did not want to be a

scaremonger, it was a "theoretical possibility" ecstasy could actually

trigger Parkinson's disease symptoms in recreational drug users. A lot

would depend on their genetic susceptibility, and aspects such as how they

took the drug and in what circumstances.

Dr Brotchie said he was cautious about how he phrased such concerns because

he did not want to stigmatise younger Parkinson's patients - there was a

danger people might incorrectly assume that because a young person had

Parkinson's disease it was self-inflicted through party drugs.

"I don't want to give the impression that all young people with Parkinson's

have it because they took ecstasy, because that's not the case," he said.

But there were concerns the widespread use of ecstasy among young people

could lead to an increased incidence of Parkinson's-type symptoms in future

years.

Parkinson's disease slowly renders sufferers increasingly immobile and

eventually leads to death. Patients find increasing difficulty in moving

their arms and legs, and develop tremors and facial tics.

NZPA

[Torsten]

Some of the anti ecstasy and anti pot assumptions in this piece are ludicrous. Both drugs have been around for long enough and have been researched in respect to parkinson's and there has been no statistically relevant increase in the disease in comparison of previous drug users compared to non users (and they tried VERY hard to establish such a connection). Such assumptions are highly unscientific and reflect just how scared these people are that ecstasy may actually be a suitable treatment. I am sure a large percentage of totally debilitated parkinsons patients wouldn't mind putting up with some psychoactive effect if it gave them a bit more time for a meaningful life. They are going to die soon anyway for fucksake, so why not let them make their own choices at least until a nonpsychoactive version is available. We would rather watch them suffer for another decade than to let them have a bit of fun. Medicine can be so cruel.

[Guest electro]

"Medicine can be so cruel"

No, medicine is wonderful.

Small minded people in positions of power who would rather let people suffer than stick their neck out (possibly causing a little controversy) are the cruel part, medicine just happens to be their profession (in this case).

[woof woof woof]

I believe that XTC can help tremendously with parkinson and tourette syndrome.

(tourette = Research is ongoing, but it is believed that an abnormal metabolism of the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin are involved with the disorder)http://members.tripod.com/~tourette13/

A close friend of mine has Tourette Syndrome , although his ticks were not that pronounced he says that especially XTC boosted his self confidence, and that he has much less ticks now. He stopped using Mdma quite a while ago now..... I mean dudes this guys self confidence has soared.... he does not stutter anymore.

He also claims that cannabis helps to reduce the ticks.... he swears by it!

_____________________________________________

I believe that it should be used more consciously instead of just gulping down and letting the rush take over.

mdma in low doses stimmulate postive & constructive thinking, I believe that the settings and meditation + proper guidance are crucial to stabelize thought patterns. (to make a sound foundation)

Since the ",.....*" are being oxidised you , wont be able (or be less flexible) in that particular brain region and therefore less able to addapt.

It is really important where you focus on and what you want to heal.

......uhhhh, something like that.

*I believe it is the dendrite walls, correct me if I am wrong!

Irie