Have you ever had hiccups with or after chemotherapy?

Thank you. Yes, I get them all the time, from that day to this. I have a couple of ways to try and stop them, and mostly I just roll my eyes like it’s just another hot flash. There occasionally is hiccups that frighten me because they are so close together and I can’t get a breath. I have had 14 years to get used to my new different life and I believe a sense of humor is a big part of accepting that.
I always try to bring a sense of humor to when I talk about side effects, because living with cancer and cancer treatments often require them. We cannot always laugh, but it sure helps.

@auntieoakley- Good morning. You've been hiccuping for 14 years without any relief? I don't know how you do it. Have you had your frentic nerve checked out? There seems to be some connection between. Have you read this?
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hiccups/symptoms-causes/syc-20352613

Wow, there is more information there now than 8 or 9 years ago when I looked. Thanks for sending that. I do not have them continuously, I will get them 5 to 10 times a day. Almost always with the first bite of food or swallow of drink. I have learned a few techniques to stop them that are around 50% successful. I avoid eating or drinking if I have to be in a meeting or speak, then I pray because sometimes they can just start. Sometimes I will get a round of them that is very difficult, or it seems I will have them more often over a few days. But I met a lady online who had them continuously for years and it scared me a bit. Thankfully, my advocacy work only means sporadic meetings or speaking and my husband rarely notices unless it is a scary one or the occasional round at night now. When we go back to Mayo for his next check, I might just ask for an appointment as well. Maybe there is something. My local doctors just shake their head and look at me like “hiccups! Get serious”. Truly a sense of humor is necessary! Haha I am not sure why the survey asked if we were over 6 ft tall? Do you? I was exactly 6 ft until last year. I still say I am but well aging ain’t for sissies.

@auntieoakley- Haha- Over 6" tall? I'm 5'1", down from 5' 2 1/2". I have no idea why height should be a factor.

"When the air rushing in hits your voice box, your vocal cords close suddenly and you're left with a big hiccup. Some things that irritate the diaphragm are eating too quickly or too much, an irritation in the stomach or the throat, or feeling nervous or excited."

"On rare occasions, hiccups persist even longer than a month or recur frequently over an extended period of time. ... Some illnesses for which continuing hiccups may be a symptom include: pleurisy of the diaphragm, pneumonia, uremia, alcoholism, disorders of the stomach or esophagus, and bowel diseases."
These explanations are on Google. Have you had any experiences with any of these prior to your hiccuping?

No, I used to look it up all the time, but there just didn’t seem to be many answers. I have seen all of these on the list and tried to figure if one could be the problem. Hahaha, searching for that easy fix. I eventually just quit looking, I had not even really thought of it as more than annoying in a long time, until that survey popped up. Then I got really curious all over again. Then the question about 6 ft. Made me curious too!

@colleenyoung I finally saw this post and thought, I’m not a cancer patient but I do get a biologic, rituximab. And I’ve had hiccups ever since I first started! Mine seem to come around a mealtime or when drinking water. They never interfere with anything, but are a pain in the neck!

I have been wondering what happened to this topic. Is anyone doing research? I get them occasionally and seem to connect them to the fact that whatever I have just eaten has not gone through the digestive process because my stomach is off center due to a hernia following hysterectomy. See my comment about not taking Lynparza underoveraiancancer discussions.

We are doing research here at Mayo Clinic on this topic. We would like to get more survey responses and will be posting the survey again in early September. I will certainly keep you posted @susu2 and everyone participating in this discussion.

My hiccups come when I lay down also. My timer is in right lung and back and breast give me problems also.

@richcolleen, can you explain what you mean by "my timer"? I think it might be a typo, but I'm not what the word should be.