How to cure long term hic-cups?

[yooperdave]

I thought I had these damn things beat as I haven't had a case in a few years. Well, "They're back" and this is the third day that I've been blessed with them. They used to last from 3 to 5 days and sometimes a real bad long-term of over a week long. I think I've tried all the usual remedies...some work, some don't, but they are all only for short term cure. Sometimes not even long enough of a break to be able to fall asleep.

But I'm willing to try anything before I commit Hari Cari .

Thanks to any help!

 

[ScotO]

Wow, that would suck, YD! I honestly don't know what you could do to cure them. I tell you one thing, I used to be able to SHOVEL super hot sauce like it was nothing. But now, just one dab of habanero sauce (the really hot stuff) gives me VISCIOUS hiccups....I mean almost convulsive, uncontrolled hiccups.....They last for around 1 to 3 minutes and go away....

Wierd......

 

[heat seeker]

Well, there must be a gazillion cures - here's mine. I fill a glass to the rim with water, then drink some water from the FAR side of the glass. That means my nose, which would normally be above the water, is outside of the glass, my lower lip inside of the glass. It's a bit strange, but it works for me.

Sometimes just holding a deep breath as long as I can, then breathing very shallow while keeping my lungs inflated as much as possible works.

Good luck, it really sucks having hiccups for ½ hour, never mind for days!

My FIL had his cure - hold a mouthful of water, sit on a hot stove, and when the water boils - you're cured! I never tried it, though...

 

[Hearth Mistress]

I know you may think I'm nuts but there really are medicines that can be prescribed for persistent, more than 48 hour, hiccups. The most commonly used one is an antipsychotic called Thorazine but can have other side effects. Reglan is a better choice IMHO as it is an anti nausea drug with little worry of side effects. The other option, for more extreme cases is an injection of an anesthetic to dull your vagus nerve or one of its branches, phrenic nerve, which controls the diaphragm. I know of these two treatments because a close friend was going through chemo for breast cancer and every time she ate anything cold, she'd get hiccups. The injection was just short term but the Reglan worked really well for her.

Home remedies...The vagus nerve runs from your brain to your stomach so by introducing other sensations, like gargling with ice cold water it gets distracted and will stop triggering the phrenic nerve to your diaphragm causing the hiccups. Sugar on the BACK of your tongue can work too as that is where the sour receptors are so sweet confuses the signal creating a distraction. Lastly, holding your breath or breathing into a paper bag my work because you raise your carbon dioxide level in your blood and your body is shocked into reacting, trying to get oxygen again and forgets all about your hiccup trigger.

Good luck!!

 

[firefighterjake]

Dave . . . I just went by your house and someone was loading up all of your firewood into the back of their truck.








Did that scare you? I hear a sudden scare can stop hiccups.

Sounds like the usual solution of holding one's breath or drinking a glass of water may not work in this case . . . good luck.

 

[Jack Straw]

I seem to get them when I over consume alcohol, so I would avoid that! I have no cure, but you do have my sympathy. I can't begin to imagine. Do you hiccup while you sleep?

 

[woodgeek]

YD, could be the way you're wired....others cures might not work. I used to use all kinds of remedies, talked to other people, and figured that there had to be a 'placebo' effect going on with some of them. Then I discovered I could 'clench' myself and just 'will' them away.

I'm not telling you it is all in your head...you might have an organic predisposition.....but for most folks, hiccups are mental, and triggered by a simple gag reflex.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

My mom taught me a trick a long time ago and has not failed once....you might all laugh at this, but I am dead serious.

You need another person to help, but hear it goes.

Have a person (perhaps significant other) stand behind you and have them place a finger in each of your ears and pull back/down at appx a 45% angle. (I usually use my ring finger if my kids have the hiccups)
At the same time, have the person hold their breath for 15-20 seconds or so.

I know that this may sound silly....but I have not seen it ever NOT work. Just a suggestion if you are at last straws.

 

[bmblank]

Sometimes i can take a real deep breath and hold it, then push my stomach out then stomach in and chest out, and do that a few times. Basically its stretching out the diaphragm, cause that's what is convulsing.

 

[midwestcoast]

Doesn't sound like a fun time Dave.
Maybe try meditation? When my girfriend would get them (not long-term like yours) I would help her to relax & then have her calmly do the breath holding thing. If that didn't work or they came back I'd lead her on a guided meditation. Worked every time within 5 mins.
If you've never meditated I don't imagine doing it while having the hiccups would be very easy, so try a guided meditation from a CD or download... That is much easier.
Nothing to lose & if it works, keep doing it regularly to keep them at bay.

 

[Hearth Mistress]

My mom taught me a trick a long time ago and has not failed once....you might all laugh at this, but I am dead serious.

You need another person to help, but hear it goes.

Have a person (perhaps significant other) stand behind you and have them place a finger in each of your ears and pull back/down at appx a 45% angle. (I usually use my ring finger if my kids have the hiccups)
At the same time, have the person hold their breath for 15-20 seconds or so.

I know that this may sound silly....but I have not seen it ever NOT work. Just a suggestion if you are at last straws.

There is a physiological reason why that should work as well as what the other things posted. The vargus nerve runs from your brain to your stomach with several branches going all over your upper body, including your phrenic nerve which controls spasms to the diaphram that cause hiccups. Anything you do to interrupt the nerves from triggering, like holding your breath, pulling your ears, drinking ice water etc have a tendancy to work

 

[ironpony]

BOOOOO.....................

 

[Hogwildz]

The Thorazine shuffle is not good......

 

[yooperdave]

Well thanks for all the ideas! Some "cures" are new to me-I thought I had heard them all!
As it turned out, it was the last evening with them. I woke in the morning with the feeling to hic-cup, but fought the impulse. It was like that throughout the day every once in awhile. "Proceed with caution!"

Heatseeker- I will be using your FIL's cure....for other people when they ask for advice!

Hearth Mistress-Thanks and I'll try not to "Tap" your medical knowledge too much! I hate taking meds and when i searched the thorazine, I'll be sure to stay away from that stuff!

Jake-funny!

Jack Straw-With the hiccups I get, I shake the whole bed and nobody sleeps!

daveswoodhauler-never heard of that one, I'll be sure to try it!

Also thanks to all the other replies and suggestions. I'll be trying them as soon as i need them.

 

[Scols]

Suck on a lemmon slice coated with sugar and worchester sauce. It works every time I get drunk,

 

[Highbeam]

BOOOOO.....................

Beat me to it! Though tough to joke when it sounds as serious as it does.

 

[Highbeam]

BOOOOO.....................

Beat me to it! Though tough to joke when it sounds as serious as it does.

 

[greg13]

My mom taught me a trick a long time ago and has not failed once....you might all laugh at this, but I am dead serious.

You need another person to help, but hear it goes.

Have a person (perhaps significant other) stand behind you and have them place a finger in each of your ears and pull back/down at appx a 45% angle. (I usually use my ring finger if my kids have the hiccups)
At the same time, have the person hold their breath for 15-20 seconds or so.

I know that this may sound silly....but I have not seen it ever NOT work. Just a suggestion if you are at last straws.

Same method I use, but hold have someone plug your ears AND plug you nose, drink a glass of water.