Treatment of Huntington's Disease with Hypersalivation and Salivary Incontinence
In Huntington's disease, hypersalivation associated with salivary incontinence — arising from poor oral occlusion and/or faulty swallowing — is a troublesome complication that warrants a targeted management strategy. This page outlines the clinical approach for this specific scenario.
Clinical Scenario
Hypersalivation becomes particularly problematic in HD patients when it leads to salivary incontinence, a consequence of impaired oral occlusion and/or defective swallowing mechanics. Recognising and managing this symptom is an important aspect of supportive care in Huntington's disease.
Treatment Approach
Management centres on reducing salivary secretion using medications with anticholinergic properties. The choice among available agents must account for specific iatrogenic risks inherent to this drug class.
The complete protocol — including agent selection, monitoring criteria, and contraindication considerations — is available in the full structured regimen.
References
DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00710
- Hypersalivation can be troublesome in HD patients when associated with a salivary incontinence (caused by poor oral occlusion and or fault swallowing).
- In the absence of a specific treatment for HD, drugs used in other chronic diseases may be considered to reduce salivary secretion: scopolamine given percutaneously, atropine given orally or other drugs that have an anticholinergic effect (amitriptyline), whilst watching out for iatrogenic risks, in particular confusional state, constipation, ocular hypertension and urinary retention.
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