Anyone have experience with maddening, recurrent hiccups?

[AuntieM]

DH has had 5 cases of the hiccups in the last 24 hours, the longest episode lasting a little over 2 hours last night. He has tried every trick in the book to shake 'em, but to no use.

 

Of course we have totally googled this, we are just wondering if any of you have had this experience and whether or not you ended up going to the doctor, and if there was anything really serious causing it. Thanks!

[dangermom]

I've had that problem, but I've never gone to a doctor about it--for me it seems to be something that lasts for a day and then goes away. I've always had difficult-to-cure hiccups. You probably don't want a long list of cures you've already tried, but the only thing that has ever worked for me is to plug my ears and nose and drink water simultaneously. Sometimes it takes a few tries.

[Jen in PA]

I had them once for 6 days straight as a teenager. My mother called the doctor, who said he would prescribe a muscle relaxant if they persisted for a whole week, and I am glad it didn't come to that. No harm done, but it was very hard to sleep!

[klmama]

I used to get them that way when I was a child and a teen, and my dc do sometimes, too. The only thing that seems to lessen the discomfort for us is to lie down on our backs and breathe deeply. Sometimes they go away, sometimes not, but the muscles do relax more and the hiccups become less frequent, even if they take awhile to stop.

 

A doctor told me it's neurological, and that it lessens as the individual matures. I'm not sure if that's right or not, but it is true that I don't get them as often and that they don't last as long as when I was young.

[tibbyl]

Try massaging the upper soft palate with a Q-tip or something similar.

[katemary63]

My daughter gets hicups everyday, sometimes several times a day. Nothing works to get rid of them.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

My dd gets them all the time. She believes eating helps. I'm not convinced, but she's very thin, so I let her eat all she wants! :)

[melissel]

I've had that problem, but I've never gone to a doctor about it--for me it seems to be something that lasts for a day and then goes away. I've always had difficult-to-cure hiccups.

 

Me too. I don't get that as often anymore, but when I do, they recur often in a short period, then they're gone. I wouldn't worry about him--though I agree they sure are annoying. The one thing that used to work for me as a kid was to drink out of a cup the opposite way--as in, instead of my nose going inside the cup, I'd drink so my chin was going in. It involves leaning forward to drink, and I suspect it worked because it was a distraction and because you really have to regulate and slow your breathing so you don't choke! Also, make sure to force all giggling family members to leave the room :lol:

 

Now, the only thing that works is to hold my breath and gulp in so much air that sometimes my chest muscles are pulled a little the next day. I hate hiccups :rolleyes:

[way2cross]

Put sugar under your tounge. I swear it works everytime!!