My husband has dealt with a perpetually runny nose forever thinking it was allergies. What we learned following his Parkinson’s diagnosis was that Rhinorrea, the medical term for excess clear nasal drainage, is three times more common in people with PD than it is in the general public. Additionally, studies have been conducted on PD and seasonal allergies and the jury is still out. Regardless of whether the drainage is caused by PD or pollen, it was annoying and needed to be treated. Thankfully his neurologist agreed and was able to prescribe a nasal spray helps some.

We could have gone to the drug store and picked up something off the shelf, but most over the counter medications warn against long term usage. One drug in particular, Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) is no longer used with those of us over 65 due to the possible connection to dementia. Many allergy medications list drowsiness as a possible side effect so we felt it was essential to ask my husband’s neurologist what she could recommend as a safe, long-term treatment for this condition.

My husband was prescribed a nasal spray called Ipratropium Bromide that he uses twice a day with some success. I am not mentioning this as a recommendation, but as a potential question you could take to your medical team. Being an old fashioned guy, he also carries a handkerchief in his pocket at all times to catch those drips. Unfortunately we have had to accept that runny nose is just another component of his journey with Parkinson’s.                                                          

For more on runny noses see this fact sheet on the APDA website uncommon-non-motor-symptoms-of-pd and to read more about studies regarding seasonal allergies visit Quality of life: Seasonal fluctuation in Parkinson’s disease – PMC (nih.gov).