Posted by utopizen on August 29, 2005, at 20:12:04
In reply to Re: Neurotoxicity is a pretty sketchy term, posted by linkadge on August 29, 2005, at 9:03:32
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> Let me give another example. Parkinsons is not caused by a lack of dopamine, but rather problems in dopamine reception due to neuronal loss. While amphetamines have been found to provide symptomatic improvement to the condition, they may infact worsen the course of the illness, due to their neurotoxic potential.
>I'm not sure if it could actually be proven that this is why Parkinson's disease is somehow worsened, since the disease itself is incredibly and rapidly degenerative as it is.
Whether you give an amphetamine or not, it's going to worsen either way. Isolating that to amphetamines is not any task I'd like to prove if my life depended on it.
A lot of things, for a lack of a more precise explanation, don't havbe a more precise expanation than we'd like to isolate them to.
That's just the way life works. Most things are a result of multiple factors-- even taking a hot shower will help to decrease inflammation caused by amphetamines. So, to what extent does this alter anything? Who cares?
If you can manage your life without amphetamines, I applaud that.
Not because of neurologists trying to pretend their rat research makes any sense-- just because it's proof you are willing to live your own life, and find it okay without needing further support.
But if you feel your life is impaired, let's not make neuronal salvation into a religion, and don't worry about it.
Seriously, I have serious doubts about the mere association being placed on the use of amphetamines and the increased risk (is that what is being suggested??) of Parkinson's.
There's enough people who eat meth in place of food each day to know this simply is not true.
Certainly not anything to lose sleep over if you're taking low doses like ADD meds are prescribed at.
I might also remind folks they've found oral Nizoral effective at Stanford for cocaine cessation in rats. So effective, they felt convinced it would work in humans.
The humans were found, in controlled trials, to increase their use of the coke.
So I don't worry about my life's future based on how rats-- the only means to research just about anything in neurology to the depths we're discussing here- bear any signifigance of merit whatsoever. It's nothing to do with you, it's just the rats. I hate rats. =)
poster:utopizen
thread:547372
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050827/msgs/548464.html