Hiccups - Treating hiccups

Most cases of hiccups do not require medical treatment and will usually stop after a short period of time.

However, some simple techniques may help if your hiccups are particularly troublesome, and medical treatments are available if the problem is long-lasting.

Self-help techniques

There are a number of things you can try yourself initially that may help to stop your hiccups. These include:

sipping ice-cold water
holding your breath for a short period
biting on a lemon
swallowing granulated sugar
tasting vinegar
breathing into a paper bag (never place a bag over your head)
pulling your knees up to your chest
leaning forward to compress your chest

However, while some people do find that these techniques can be helpful, they have not been tested in medical studies and it's not clear how effective they actually are.

Treating long-lasting hiccups

If an underlying health condition is causing your hiccups, treating it may help to resolve the problem.

For example, if you are diagnosed with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), you may be prescribed a medication called a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) to reduce the amount of acid produced by your stomach.

Some conditions that cause persistent and intractable hiccups may need to be assessed and treated by a specialist. If this is the case, your GP will refer you to the appropriate healthcare professional, who will carry out further investigations and recommend appropriate treatment.

Medication for hiccups

If other treatments have failed, or no underlying cause can be found, your GP may offer you medication to specifically treat your hiccups.

A number of different medications are used to help treat hiccups, although there isn't much high-quality evidence to suggest these are consistently effective.

Some medicines that may be used include:

chlorpromazine
haloperidol
baclofen
metoclopramide
gabapentin

Your GP will usually prescribe one of these medications for several weeks, during which time they may gradually increase your dose until your hiccups are brought under control. Your dose will then be slowly reduced until you can stop taking the medication.

If your hiccups return as your dose is being reduced or after treatment stops, your GP may recommend increasing your dose again or restarting treatment.

Your GP may suggest trying an alternative medication if the first medicine you try doesn't help to resolve your hiccups.

All the medicines used for hiccups can cause side effects, so make sure you speak to your GP about the potential side effects you may experience before starting treatment.