# LSD treatment for Parkinsons Disorder

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lsd-treatment-for-parkinsons-disorder/56517>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 2, 2001, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lsd-treatment-for-parkinsons-disorder/56517 "2001-03-02T16:36:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [March 2, 2001, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lsd-treatment-for-parkinsons-disorder/56517/1 "2001-03-02T16:36:27Z")

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It has been established that dopamine, a neurotransmitter,  
is the basis for two human diseases:  
Too much dopamine=schitzophrenia  
Too little= Parkinsons

The standard treatment for Parkinsons is a regular dose of  
L-dopa, an artificial dopamine supplement.

There are many treatments for schitzophrenia, which reduce the level of dopamine in the brain, but this causes a condition which mimics Parkinsons.

Is it possible to substitute LSD for L-dopa to treat  
Parkinsons?

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**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\
**Post date:** [March 2, 2001, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lsd-treatment-for-parkinsons-disorder/56517/2 "2001-03-02T18:17:25Z")

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Recently in Britain there has been coverage of a man who has used Ecstasy (MDMA) as a temporary ‘cure’ for advanced Parkinson’s Disease. He used to be an acrobat and the television coverage shows him walking with a usual Parkinsonian shuffling gait before the use of Ecstacy and then doing back flips afterwards. Press coverage ranged from the amazed to the rabidly anti-drugs position. Further research is promised.