Acknowledgement
We would like to acknowledge use of information contained in The Parkinson’s Disease Society (UK) information sheet ‘Eating, Swallowing and saliva control in Parkinson’s '.
Our thanks also to Julia Johnson for her help in reviewing this article.
There are a number of ways you can help yourself, but your doctor may also be able to adjust your existing medications, or may prescribe additional ones, to reduce the production of saliva. Some Parkinson’s medications, including levodopa, improve mobility and muscle movement and may therefore help reduce drooling by improving the action of the muscles involved in swallowing.
Anticholinergic medications can be effective in reducing the amount of saliva produced but they are not suitable for everyone and must be taken only on the advice of your doctor. For more information see medication.
Botulinum toxin can also be helpful in some cases when injected into the salivary glands. This interrupts the messages the nerves send to these glands to produce saliva, and as such production is reduced. Again, this drug may not be effective for everyone and injections may need to be repeated at intervals of approximately three months.
In severe cases radiation treatment may be given to the salivary glands to limit their effectiveness, or they may be totally removed. But this is generally only in extreme cases when other treatments have proved ineffective.
Some medications, such as Clozapine, which is prescribed for psychiatric problems, can actually increase saliva production.
Your doctor may also refer you to a speech and language therapist, physiotherapist or occupational therapist.
If the problem is severe they may refer you to a neurologist or a doctor with a specialist interest in Parkinson’s.
It is estimated that we swallow approximately 500 times a day!
The main type of drug prescribed to treat Parkinson's disease and has been in use since the late 1960s. The aim is to increase the levels of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine cannot be directly replaced because it cannot cross the blood-brain barrier that prevents potentially harmful substances in the blood from entering the brain. Levodopa is a chemical compound that can cross this barrier and is then converted into dopamine.
See also Types of medication available.
A class of older drugs that are used to treat Parkinson's. They work by reducing the amount of acetylcholine in the body and thereby facilitate dopamine cell function.
Also called antimuscarinics.
See also Types of medication available.
A neurotoxin used in minute doses as a treatment for muscle spasms and dystonia.
Health profession who help people of all ages who have problems with communication, swallowing, drooling, eating and drinking.
Health profession that treats people of all ages who have physical problems that occur as a result of injury, illness or ageing. Methods they use include exercise, heat treatments, manipulation and hydrotherapy.
See section on Physiotherapy.
Health profession that helps people of all ages who are disabled, ill or aged to remain independent and lead fulfilling lives at home, in work and through leisure pursuits. The methods they use include specific activities and equipment.
See section on Occupational Therapy.
Physicians specializing in the field of neurology (a branch of medicine dealing with disorders of the nervous system ) are called neurologists and are trained to diagnose, treat, and manage patients with neurological disorders. Most neurologists are trained to treat and diagnose adults with neurological disorders.
Pediatric neurologists, nearly always a subspecialty of pediatrics, treat neurological disease in children.
Neurologists may also be involved in clinical research, clinical trials, as well as basic research and translational research.
