Does anyone remember a documentary 10-15 years ago about friends who tried the change the composition of a legal high and they all ended up disabled?

[DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou]

Sorry for the long title.

It was years ago when legal highs were steadily become more available.

A new legal high will be made illegal, then the composition can be changed very slightly which makes it legal again.

A few friends, presumably scientists of some kind did this, I think there was 4 of them.
They took the new drug they created and they all ended up in a wheelchair unable to control their limbs or talk.

It was brutal, and I always remember thinking that I want to show my some when he becomes old enough that he might dabble, to show how dangerous it is to try 'legal' highs.

Now I can't find anything about it no matter what I search for.

Does anyone else know what I'm talking about?

That sounds horrible :(

I’ve got a vague memory that they essentially gave themselves severe Parkinson’s, and that’s how the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s was discovered.

I don’t remember a documentary about it, but that might give you some more search terms.

There was a channel 4 documentary called legally high. Not sure if it was part of that?

Case of the frozen addict

Book about it

Discussion

@Gingernaut

Case of the frozen addict

Book about it

Discussion

It wasn't this, it was a group of English friends

@Love2cycle

There was a channel 4 documentary called legally high. Not sure if it was part of that?

Great I will look, thanks

@MrsFionaCharming

I’ve got a vague memory that they essentially gave themselves severe Parkinson’s, and that’s how the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s was discovered.

I don’t remember a documentary about it, but that might give you some more search terms.

yes! That was it! They were shaking, you're right. I will look this up, thank you.

Ok it's not Legally High on channel 4, it's older than that.

It's definitely about the same thing though but not the 4 friends who ended up so disabled.

Posting as I'm interested if you found it. How long ago do you think it was?

The landmark observation on a cluster of young patients who presented with severe Parkinsonism that appeared to be typical Parkinson's disease except for the young onset and severity of signs led to the discovery that the causative agent was a self-administered narcotic derivative, MPTP, that selectively damages the substantia nigra (Langston et al. 1983). This product has provided a means to induce Parkinsonism in experimental animals and remains the “gold standard” model to study

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3234454/#:~:text=The%20landmark%20observation%20on%20a,MPTP%2C%20that%20selectively%20damages%20the

Ignore above, seems to be linked to the US cases, although I've just been down an interesting rabbit hole

I wonder if this is anything to do with what you're thinking of? (Part 1, Prologue, outlines the starting point).
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5345642/

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmethylprodine

This has part of your op, student changing drug but not uk

@Crockof

The landmark observation on a cluster of young patients who presented with severe Parkinsonism that appeared to be typical Parkinson's disease except for the young onset and severity of signs led to the discovery that the causative agent was a self-administered narcotic derivative, MPTP, that selectively damages the substantia nigra (Langston et al. 1983). This product has provided a means to induce Parkinsonism in experimental animals and remains the “gold standard” model to study

Hmm perhaps I'm misremembering then.

Perhaps the documentary was British but they talked about the case in which young people had taken the drug that caused the onset of Parkinson's like symptoms.

Just annoying that I can't get hold of the video to find out!

I seem to remember this being mentioned in 'Awakening'

@Prokupatuscrakedatus

I seem to remember this being mentioned in 'Awakening'

That was L-dopa as I recall.

@DGRossetti
You are right I checked the book - same outcome different substance.
Which is interesting, rabbithole opens .... off I go.

[quote Prokupatuscrakedatus]@DGRossetti
You are right I checked the book - same outcome different substance.
Which is interesting, rabbithole opens .... off I go.[/quote]
Brilliant film - de Niro and Williams at their best. I may have cried ...