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Have you ever had hiccups with or after chemotherapy?
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
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Thank you so much Brandy
Sorry to hear his passing
Like you say side affects are terrible
I always felt that the steroids were worse than the chemo
No luck with my hiccups yet but last episode was the easiest yet only lasted 1 1/2 days a new record good for a week off til next time
Bob a.
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1 ReactionMy husband was also on Dexamethasone. I always felt like it had something to do with the steroids because the side effects were horrendous to the point that he stopped taking it. He got huge pustules & boils on his face & neck. He swelled so much. He still had the hiccups even after he stopped taking the steroids. They left so many permanent, lasting effects, even when the side effects were not as bad as when he was taking steroids.
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1 ReactionMy husband had the hiccups non-stop to the point that we even talked to his care providers about it hoping to find a solution to bring him some relief. He had Glioblastoma. It was diagnosed at Grade 2, left temporal lobe. Initial treatment was radiation, keppra, steroids, and temozolomide. It progressed to Grade 4 and we opted for a clinical trial. He died before ever completing the initial,full first round of the IV chemo combo. He had hiccups until he died and never got any relief. They drove him crazy & made me feel even more helpless. He had so many different & extreme side effects from everything. He's one of the strongest people I've ever known.
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3 ReactionsWhat meds if you do not mind
Wondering if it is my blood pressure med
I have hiccups for two days then nothing for 8 days then it repeats the cycle again and again for past year
Thanks
Could you give us details of time and cure of hiccups
Yes, my partner did after round 1 of chemo. It was a known side effect.
Hi @tracielm, may I ask what type of cancer you have? What treatment are you getting?
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1 ReactionI have noticed that I get the hiccups for some reason since my treatments have started. They are not constant but enough for me to notice.
Yes. I had hiccups after every cycle. It was weird and it went away after several hours.
I had continuous hiccuups from memory the first time I had Fulfirinox treatment which almost drove me crazy. It lasted almost continuously for a day and night and then just stopped... In fact stopped, once I got a prescription for some drug which was supposed to stop it!
So I now have an unopened bottle of tablets to stop hiccuups to add to the plethera / collection of other drugs in my bathroom sink! 🙂