Parkinson's Disease Support Group

The article mentions the herbicide paraquat as a possible culpret. Does anyone now how many people have smoked marijuana tainted with this herbicide?

I have just received info from a friend who is now practicing alternative medicine. he is suggesting using an infra red sauna which removes toxins. You must shower after it to prevent the toxins returning back to the body via the pores.
www.get-fitt.com
It seems worth a try....also for diseases like MS or ME as well

A couple of things you might want to consider if you're going that route.....
N-acytlecystine does remove toxins....you need to make sure you replenish yourself with certain metals like iron and selenium. Be sure to look this one up first. Its imperative to take vitamin C along with it.

A great choice of alternative medicine is Low Dose Naltrexone. Though there isn't much info out there, it's been proven to help with MS and is slowly being used for Parkinson's too.

As well, Coenzyme Q10 has recent studies that 1200mg helps greatly. I posted a link for this on one of the posts. I know they don't know for sure if it's stopping the progression or if it's temporarily improving symptoms. Either way, rather than waiting for research to find definite answers, I personally think it's best to just go for it.

Best of luck to all,
Sarah Keturah

Thanks Sarah . I think I will have to do some research now to find out what is best!

eeek!! thats a bit scarey as l totally indulged in smoking the wicked weed when l was younger!!

What l gauge from pd is that it possibly comes from many areas, being toxic from chemicals, or even being toxic from stress.

anyway how would we know what we smoked was tainted with a herbicide, as buying and smoking is illegal (well in australia it is)

do we ask the dealer if his marijuana was pure or tainted. I think not

As for the paraquat-marijuana issue, Wikipedia has a good article here...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraquat

Marijuana doesn't seem like a great drug for PD in general, though I support legalizing it because it is one of the least-toxic intoxicants.

The pesticide link is a very interesting one. My mom lived in a rural area growing up and was probably exposed to lots of pesticides growing up. On one bicycle trip in the 70s, we rode through a field that had just been sprayed with something terrible.

Sometimes, I think that may be what gave her PD and what gave me MCTD.

What they are pretty sure of at this point is that genetic susceptibility plays a factor as well. So, if you have certain genes in certain places, your body can handle the pesticide exposure. If you don't, it could cause problems... they are still studying this, but from what I've read, this is what researchers tends to be thinking now...

Best,

--Cat

I've been wondering about the pesticide/herbicide connection since my diagnosis. I grew up in a farming community, my grandfather had a dairy farm. It wasn't uncommon for community kids to play ball in a hay field or hide and seek in a corn field. Corn fields also made good escape routes when being pursued. Also worked for a lot of farmers baling hay etc.. I'm sure I have been exposed to my share of farming chemicals and chemicals not related to farming.

Skip,

Research tends to group the causes of PD into one of these categories: (1) genetic, (2) head/neck trauma, and (3) pesticides/herbicides. With respect to the latter, the reason for this third group is that there is a higher percentage of people with PD in rural/farming communities than in urban populations.

During
all
of
1970
I
exposed
to
high
levels
of
Agent
Orange
whichmay
have
contaained
PARAQUAT
In1998
Iwas
dxe'd
with
Early
Adult
Onset
Parkinson's
Disease.
Thanks
Uncle
Sam..>.......

Pesticides were commonly used to spray mosquitoes at night. Not only did towns spray ditches but people sprayed in their homes almost every night.
I also know of small landing fields where cropdusters were emptied of chemicals upon returning from spraying crops. The land, next to a school, was turned into a farm and then into subdivisions.
For me it's too late to avoid being exposed to toxins. Perhaps now I can find ways to cope.