Have you ever had hiccups with or after chemotherapy?

Posted by Colleen Young, Connect Director @colleenyoung, Jun 11, 2019

We all know what hiccups are, right? They are involuntary contractions of the diaphragm — the muscle that separates your chest from your abdomen and plays an important role in breathing. Each contraction is followed by a sudden closure of your vocal cords, which produces the characteristic "hic" sound.

Mayo Clinic investigators want to learn more about hiccups in people who are receiving cancer treatment and, if you have experienced hiccups, how they may have affected your quality of life.

So, whether you’ve had hiccups or not, we asked Connect members to take part in a survey. Responses in the survey remain anonymous and are kept completely confidential. The survey is now closed. I will share the results of survey after analysis.
In the meantime, feel free to take part in this discussion about hiccups, if you want to share.

Have you had hiccups after chemotherapy? If yes, were they different than you’ve experienced before? Did they bother you or affect your daily living?

+++Study Results+++
Frequency and Symptomatology of Hiccups in Patients With Cancer: Using an On-Line Medical Community to Better Understand the Patient Experience
By C Ehret, C Young, C Ellefson, L Aase, A Jatoi
Published April 1, 2021
https://doi.org/10.1177/10499091211006923

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Cancer: Managing Symptoms Support Group.

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Nov 22, 2025

In reply to @bobgallen "Where can I find the survey results fo hiccup I did the survey at the time..." + (show)

@bobgallen, here it the link to the journal article with the results of the study.
Frequency and Symptomatology of Hiccups in Patients With Cancer: Using an On-Line Medical Community to Better Understand the Patient Experience
By C Ehret, C Young, C Ellefson, L Aase, A Jatoi
Published April 1, 2021
https://doi.org/10.1177/10499091211006923
Thank you for participating at the time of the survey!

djchambers | @djchambers | Nov 22, 2025

I have hiccups sometimes about 30 minutes to an hour after taking capecitabine. I take a Pepcid and that helps.

pamcatl | @pamcatl | Nov 21, 2025

It's been a year and a half since my last chemo and still get hiccups every once in a while. Not as bad as before I even started chemo. I was at work and the hiccups got really bad, so my boss told me to go see the oncologist on my lunch hr, and was rushed into chemo treatments. (I worked in a hospital)

stevebjerke | @stevebjerke | Nov 14, 2025

10 days later hiccups have been gone since day 3!!
Good luck!

bobgallen | @bobgallen | Nov 14, 2025

Where can I find the survey results fo hiccup
I did the survey at the time
Bob allen

ohiogal8860 | @ohiogal8860 | Nov 13, 2025

In reply to @colleenyoung "@susu2 @odette @merpreb, thanks for sharing your experiences. Susu, technically speaking hiccups are involuntary contractions of..." + (show)

@colleenyoung

I know I am chiming on this topic but since this is just the third day of my husband’s first cycle, he did experience hiccups yesterday afternoon just after his second treatment. He only had one chemo med which was Etoposide. We figured it was related but was going to ask today during treatment.

stevebjerke | @stevebjerke | Nov 10, 2025

Things are going well, Thank You.

Turkey, Volunteer Mentor | @tomrennie | Nov 10, 2025

In reply to @stevebjerke "Diagnosis started with stage 1 upper right lobe lobechtemy. Changed to 3b after spread to 2nd..." + (show)

@stevebjerke I know that it is early in the process, but how are things going so far?

stevebjerke | @stevebjerke | Nov 10, 2025

Diagnosis started with stage 1 upper right lobe lobechtemy. Changed to 3b after spread to 2nd lung and lymph nodes. Changed to stage 4 when lower spine was found to have cancer also. Started Chemo and Immunotherapy November 5, 2025.