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.

pcallier | @pcallier | Nov 3, 2022

In reply to @philv "I am at chemo #6. I get the hiccups for a few days. Then they go..." + (show)

Occasionally I get hiccups it all started after session #5
Not real bad,but noticeable.

flyer115 | @flyer115 | Nov 1, 2022

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

I found that it was not the chemo but the Meds that are making you hiccup I quit taking the meds

nddenise | @nddenise | Oct 28, 2022

My daughter found a discussion online that said the drug Baclofen works for chemo related hiccups. I had used this medication just months ago for severe back spasms. So during my hubby's hiccups I gave him one an poof gone. So chemo morning an the next 3 days he gets a Baclofen. His Dr prescribed them for him. Good luck!

philv | @philv | Oct 27, 2022

I am at chemo #6. I get the hiccups for a few days. Then they go away.

chrisoula | @chrisoula | Oct 11, 2022

In reply to @colleenyoung "Hi Chris, thank goodness that your hiccups stop after a while. Do they only happen when..." + (show)

The hiccups start with all kind of food, not when I drink. I think it's a bit more with dry food like toasts, barley crackers and breadsticks. But I noticed that it's gradualy fading. Hoping that it'll stop after a few weeks?

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Oct 11, 2022

In reply to @chrisoula "Hi Colleen, I'm Chrissoula and I was diagnosed with HER2+ last year, stage 3A. I had..." + (show)

Hi Chris, thank goodness that your hiccups stop after a while. Do they only happen when you eat? Are there particular foods that trigger the hiccups?

Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Oct 11, 2022

In reply to @sonshine161 "I’ve had hiccups and belching since i started chemo/immuno. No radiation. I think it’s the drugs..." + (show)

Hello @sonshine161 and welcome to Mayo Connect. I appreciate you sharing your experiences with others on Connect. You say this, "comes and goes." Is there a certain time period when it happens after chemo? Were you told that this might be a side effect of this particular type of chemo?

May I ask what type of cancer is being treated?

chrisoula | @chrisoula | Oct 10, 2022

Hi Colleen, I'm Chrissoula and I was diagnosed with HER2+ last year, stage 3A. I had mastectomy & lympectomy (21 removed - 9 affected) and chemotherapy (TCHP) from 24/11/2021 till 22/4/2022 (weekly), then I had radiation for 25 sessions and now continuing with immunotherapy (Paclitaxel - Herceptin) till it's a full year since I begun. I'm having hiccups but I'm not sure when it started. I think it has started after I've finished radiation, mid June, though I think I had before but not so frequently. But then when I had chemo and with radiation I didn't eat really much, mostly I drank soups, hot tea and soft food easy to swallow, that's why I lost 15 kgr! That's one good think that happened, 'cause I really wanted to lose them for a long time!!! It starts with the first bite that comes in my mouth. I thought that I was eating fast, so I tried to eat slower but it doesn't work, I still get the hiccups. It is not so bothering since it stops after a while, but I thought it was strange because I didn't have hiccups so frequently before!

sonshine161 | @sonshine161 | Oct 9, 2022

I’ve had hiccups and belching since i started chemo/immuno. No radiation. I think it’s the drugs messing with my lungs and everything else. Seems like it comes and goes