In article <3jdtmj$p0q at dingo.cc.uq.oz.au>, lisao at psy.uq.oz.au (Lisa Olson)
wrote:
> Hi all ..
>> I just had a quick question for all you pros out there ..
> If Parkinson's is caused by degeneration of certain
> dopaminergic neurons, and L-Dopa is given as a treatment ..
> why isn't cocaine being used as a treatment as well or
> as an alternative if cocaine prevents the reuptake of
> dopamine. Wouldn't cocaine and L-Dopa cause the same
> thing?
Other posts certainly answer part of the question. I think the other
reason to use L-DOPA instead of cocaine is that cocain causes both
addiction and physical dependence and L-DOPA does not. Since L-DOPA is
the precursor of Dopamine, it will have less side effect compared to
cocaine.
YL Du
