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Hiccups with esophageal cancer
My husband's tumor is at the esophageal/stomach junction. He had his first chemo and radiation treatments lat Thurs. He woke up with hiccups at 2 AM on Friday and has had them almost constantly since. It is now Sunday night. If he lays down they stop after a few mins but start again if he gets up. Has anyone else experienced this? He has radiation tomorrow and will check with the dr regarding this.
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I wonder if a mild muscle relaxer would help to settle the diaphram down so it don't spasm.........
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2 ReactionsHad the same side effect after second chemo. Medication to control costs $600 because Plan D doesn’t fully cover it. Now waiting for third chemo. Hopefully, nothing happens. Fingers crossed.
Dr. ordered Thorazine in case he gets the hiccups again after chemo. CVS just sent a text saying the cost is $125.99. My husband took compazine (prescribed for nausea) last Sunday and the hiccups stopped. We don't know if the compazine helped or of the hiccups just ran their course. They stopped and that's all that mattered. He's getting his 2nd chemo now as I'm writing this.
Hope your 3rd chemo goes well and no hiccups!
I have had occasional hiccups during my 28 radiation and chemo treatments which I complete today. The hiccups have only lasted a minute or two so I have just ignored them. Now I have to wait 6 weeks until CT scan to see if all my cancer is really gone.
The infusion nurse told us that the steroids given prior to the chemo can sometimes cause hiccups. My husband gets hiccups on Fri-Sun but not continous this last week. His infusion is on Thurs.
Try Baclofen. Expensive but magically effective.
@sunray, I thought you might also be interested in this related discussion:
- Have you ever had hiccups with or after chemotherapy? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/have-you-ever-had-hiccups-with-or-after-chemotherapy/
I'm glad to hear that your husband's hiccups have are not continuous. How are you managing them from Fri to Sun? What helps?
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1 ReactionCompazine has helped temporarily. Magic Mouthwash that is swallowed sometimes helps. Gummie edibles (he takes 1/2) has also helped.
My husband can't eat or drink anything without being in extreme pain. The movement of food or liquid down his esophagus causes a severe spasm which causes him to cough, choke, gag and vomit. It's all so painful. The Magic Mouthwash helps a lityle but, instead of using it before he eats, he has to use it to take his meds. Then, once taken, he has to wait 4 hrs to take the next dose. He has lost 14 lbs so far. Beginning tomorrow he will get IV hydration Mon-Fri. A feeding tube is being considered. Has anyone else experienced terrible pain when trying to eat or drink?
I know this post is about a year old, but I wanted to agree about the steroids being the culprit, at least for my husband. They'd start before he even finished chemo, couldn't eat or drink much because he'd be just constantly hiccuping. Then the vomiting, etc. This continues til Sunday evening. He has great Mondays and Tuesdays, but then chemo again Wednesday. The dr had been having him take 2 dexamethasone pills over the day before chemo, plus whatever is in the actual chemo. He said no extra pills this time and reduced the steroids in the chemo. We got home around 3:00, no hiccups yet.