Help my dad is on chemotherapy and has had hiccups for almost a week straight?
468667
I have read of at least one case of chemo-induced hiccups that was successfully addressed with Rolaids.  Your Dad should check with the doctor first to make sure this would be okay, but it's probably worth a try.\n\nGood luck to your Dad! (tell him that there are lots of folks out there who know what he's going through with the chemo, but that it's worth it.  Once he's better, he needs to remember that this could of been "it", so the rest of his life is just gravy!)
580815
It could be a number of things. It could be a virus. Or has he perhaps been taking any medications in which this might be a side effect? \nWhatever it is, since it has been going on for over two weeks, he definitely needs to consult a physician.
628554
Everyone has an issue, it can be health related or psychologically related and just because his is well known to all of you doesn't make it okay for him to be a turd. It sounds like you may be treating him as if he isn't going to have a real life because of his heart condition and that isn't fair to anyone.  Nobody knows when their time is going to be up, at least he has a clue but that doesn't mean that a totally healthy person's time couldn't be up in the next minute because they get hit by a car.  His condition should be all the more reason why he should get out there and be productive NOW.  His time could be up in a month or in 20 years, you don't know how long he will be around but that is true for all of us really.  Tell him he is wasting the time that he has and make it really uncomfortable for him to stay in your home.  I have a 25 year old stepson who comes back to stay for extended periods of time regularly.  Don't let him feel like living with you is the most comfortable situation, tell him that his behavior isn't fair to anyone else and that it has to stop.  Tell him that you love him but that it isn't good for him to act this way.  I'm sorry for you all that this is such a complicated matter, it would seem so much easier if he didn't have this condition but even if he didn't have it would his life definitely be longer?  His attitude is what is going to be the defining factor and if he doesn't want to take life by the horns then it is his own fault.  What does it matter how long your life is if you waste it treating the people who love you badly?\n\nP.S.  My daughter has cystic fibrosis which only has a life expectancy of about 35 years...so, actually, I don't speak from a place of not understanding your concerns.
4496
A hiccup or hiccough (generally pronounced "hiccup" independent of the spelling) is an involuntary spasm of the diaphragm; typically this repeats several times a minute. The sudden rush of air into the lungs causes the glottis to close, creating the "hic" noise. A bout of hiccups generally resolves by itself, although many home remedies are in circulation to shorten the duration, and medication is occasionally necessary. By extension, the term "hiccup" is also used to describe a small and unrepeated aberration in an otherwise consistent pattern. The medical term is singultus.\n\nWhile many cases develop spontaneously, hiccups are known to develop often in specific situations, such as eating too quickly, taking a cold drink while eating a hot meal, eating very hot or spicy food, laughing vigorously or coughing, or drinking an excess of an alcoholic beverage. Hiccups may be caused by pressure to the phrenic nerve by other anatomical structures, or rarely by tumors.
816058
As a person who works with post stroke patients. I agree that you should have him evaluated by a speech therapist. They will eval his swallowing as he eats.    It's a tough thing for a family let alone the patient to go through.   Until you can get him into a specialist try these tips.\n\nVery small bites of food. Try not to make his food runny, too much liquid can gag your dad. You can get a powder called "thicken" probably at the pharmacy or even at a nursing home ( your best bet would be at the nursing home) Follow the directions on the can. You can mix this tasteless powder with all liquids, it does just what then name implies. It thickens the liquids enough so it doesn't choke/gag the patient. Most times the mix looks like a nectur consistency, you can make it thicker or thinner as you need it.    Give it to him by teaspoon, have him sit up straight while eating, give him time to work through the food, remind him to tuck his chin to chis chest as he swallows. He may not eat much at one time so to keep his strength up offer him several "snacks" through out the day. \nIt is important that he gets the nutrition in some way, Ensure, and other supplements can also be thickened.  Good luck and God bless
117761
This is the only real way to instantly cure the hiccups! Look no further! The Hughes/Green method cure's the hiccups EVERY time GUARANTEED! You will be amazed! Hundreds of instantly cured hiccuper's have sent in their testimony's of deliverance! Files are available for researchers! Carefully understand both the HOW and the WHY of this method. If you don't get the WHY you might not get the HOW. Here's how to cure the hiccups:\n\n"Hughes/Green Hiccups Cure"© 1997\n\n(1) Pour a TALL glass of water.\n\n(2) Hold your breath... ***\n\n(3) IMPORTANT...PINCH YOUR NOSE CLOSED.\n\n(4) Slowly, take 10 - 20 swallows of the water...while holding your breath with your nose pinched closed.\n\n(5) When you can't stand it any more....you'll know by that overwhelming drowning sensation -- after a gasp, take a deep breath and relax.\n\nThis cures the hiccups 99 percent of the time - guaranteed! It's a proven medical remedy! (A second treatment could be necessary for stubborn cases.)\n\n*** For stubborn cases, try EXHALING COMPLETELY and then taking 10 - 20 swallows.\n\nNOW: HERE'S WHY IT WORKS: Hiccups are caused by an uncontrollable spasm in the diaphragm, (the "breathing" muscle). Often, this spasm is triggered by irritable conditions in the smooth muscles of the stomach or the esophagus. The "Hughes/Green Hiccups Cure" forces an increase in the carbon dioxide levels in the diaphragm itself, as well as in the stomach and esophagus. By swallowing, you are making the muscles work -- so they use up their available oxygen and replace it with carbon dioxide. By temporarily discontinuing to breath, you prohibit new oxygen from entering your body and thus create an anaerobic condition in the spasming diaphragm muscle. When the spasming diaphragm and stomach are deprived temporarily of oxygen and encounter the higher levels of carbon dioxide ... you feel that scary drowning sensation! BUT this causes the spasming muscles to relax! The hiccups go away! Essentially, you are "tricking" your body into thinking that it's drowning ... and it decides to use it's resources for something other than hiccuping. The rather "scary" drowning sensation caused by this method is NECESSARY for the method to work. If it's not just a little bit difficult ... it doesn't work.
472969
This article has some good info:\n\n"Hic!" You've just hiccuped for what seems like the tenth time since you finished your big dinner. Wonder where these funny noises are coming from? The part to blame is your diaphragm (say: die-uh-fram). This is a dome-shaped muscle at the bottom of your chest, and all hiccups start here.\n\nThe diaphragm almost always works perfectly. When you inhale, it pulls down to help pull air into the lungs. When you exhale, it pushes up to help push air out of the lungs. But sometimes the diaphragm becomes irritated. When this happens, it pulls down in a jerky way, which makes you suck air into your throat suddenly. When the air rushing in hits your voice box, you're left with a big hiccup.\n\nSome things that irritate the diaphragm are eating too quickly or too much, an irritation in the stomach or the throat, or feeling nervous or excited. Almost all cases of the hiccups last only a few minutes. Some cases of the hiccups can last for days or weeks, but this is very unusual, and it's usually a sign of another medical problem.\n\nYou've probably heard lots of suggestions for how to get rid of hiccups, and maybe you've even tried a few. Holding your breath and counting to 10 is one way some people can get rid of their hiccups. Other people say that drinking from the "wrong" side of a glass of water is the way to become hiccup-free.\n\nPutting sugar under your tongue might work, too. And maybe the most famous treatment - having someone jump out and scare you when you're not expecting it - helps some people wave good-bye to their hiccups. Boo!
201073
Hiccups are sudden, involuntary contractions of the diaphragm muscle. As the muscle contracts repeatedly, the opening between your vocal cords snaps shut to check the inflow of air and makes the hiccup sound. ... Irritation of the nerves that extend from the neck to the chest can cause hiccups ...Try these methods at home:\n\nHold your breath. \nDrink a glass of water quickly. \nBecome frightened. \nUse smelling salts. \nPull hard on your tongue. \nPlace one-half teaspoon of dry sugar on the back of your tongue. (You can repeat this process 3 times at 2-minute intervals. Use corn syrup, not sugar, in young children.) The reason that these remedies are thought to work is that carbon dioxide build-up in the blood will stop hiccups, which is what happens when you hold your breath.
847994
Change your breathing patterns. Hiccups are basically hitches in your current breathing pattern. Try breathing in and out really fast for a minute or two.
190985
Here's what you do. Some people say mustard cures it, or water with cartwheels but this works best.\n\n1. Drink some cold water and let it slide down your throat.\n2. Begin to put some more cold water in your mouth but do not swallow.\n3. Hold water in throat for 10-15 sec. while not breathing through your nose.\n4. Swallow\n\nHopefully your hiccups will be gone by now, if not try this a second time and they will be gone.
483156
This is a weird disease and is often misdiagnosed.  In fact it is more the rule than the exception that this is misdiagnosed.My mother came down with it after the flu shots were started. Has your father had the \nflu shot ? The drug companies now have insurance to cover this eventuality. Contact the drug company that made the shot. Maybe they will give you some help with the medical bills. My mother had that over twenty years ago and I didn't know she had had the oral vaccine when it first came out. If I had that knowledge I would have advised her to contact the manufacturer.  As it was my parents did not have Medical insurance. And they used up their life savings paying the hospital bill.  She was hospitalized for a month but that was over 20 yrs. ago when there was no treatment for this disease.  The prognosis is as weird as the disease. It is the only neurology disease that you can fully recover from.  However some people are left with permanent effects that range from a mild limp to paraplegia.That was at the time of the unknown treatment.  My mother was left with a dropped left foot. She had some permanent neuropathy. The treatment should prevent your father from having any permanent residuals.  He is lucky to get it now that it is more recognized. I could go on at length about this disease but this should give you a handle on this polio like disease.
95867
When you hiccup, it is when your diaphram is having a spasm. It is normal to have them. Some say when you are either sick or cold. If your friend has had them NON-STOP for the past day, then I would recommend that your friend contact their physician.
547030
Make him take the Homeopathic Remedy PHOSPHORUS 200 three drops in a sip of water once a day for a week and let me know if it made a difference !\nTake care and God Bless !
263671
While standing, hold your breathe, and try to touch your toe and stay in that position as long as you can stand it. \n\nSeveral times until hiccups dissapear. It really works!
856031
i have never heard of hiccups destroying brain cells. hiccups are actually caused when your diaphragm spasms.
280594
Folk\nAnise seed (for infants) Pour a cupful of boiling water over a teaspoonful of anise seeds; steep; give the baby one or two teaspoonsful. It often cures immediately. Nursing the baby will frequently stop the hiccups, too.\n\nApple cider vinegar Slowly sip a glass of warm water mixed with one teaspoon of vinegar. Works better when the water is drunk from the far side of the glass.\n\nBaking soda (bicarbonate of soda) Mix two teaspoonsful of baking soda, two teaspoonsful of aromatic spirits of ammonia with four ounces of peppermint water. Dose: one tablespoonful; repeat if necessary.\n\nBreathing Breathe into a small paper bag that is tightly pressed around your mouth. Or try spreading your arms out like a "T" and take a very deep breath. Repeat several times. Or try taking a deep breath and holding it as long as you can.\n\nChamomile Put 1 drop of chamomile essential oil in a brown paper bag; hold bag over nose and mouth; breathe in and out slowly and deeply through the nose.\n\nCamphor Mix three drops of spirits of Camphor in half a glassful of water and drink.\n\nCollar bones Put strong pressure on the collar bones.\n\nHoney Take a teaspoon of honey.\n\nIce  Eat or suck on a piece of ice. \n\nLemon Mix the juice of one lemon in half a glass of water; drink; repeat if the first drink didn't stop the hiccups.\n\nLemon/salt Put a teaspoonful of salt on half a lemon and then suck the juice out of the lemon.\n\nLemon/bitters Eat a slice of lemon which has been soaked in angostura bitters.\n\nOrange Drink the juice from 1/2 an orange.\n\nPeanut butter Eat 1 teaspoon of peanut butter.\n\nPepper, red Pour a half pint of boiling water over a quarter of a red pepper; steep; drink a wineglassful. If no red pepper is available, use five drops of tincture of Capsicum in a tablespoonful of water.\n\nPineapple juice Take a few rapid swallows of canned pineapple juice. Repeat hourly if necessary.\n\nSugar Cure hiccups by placing a teaspoon of sugar on the tongue and washing it down with a glass of cold water. Another sugar remedy suggests swallowing it dry.\n\nSugar/lemon Soak a cube of sugar in fresh lemon juice and let it dissolve in your mouth.\n\nTartar, cream of Add 1/3 teaspoon  of cream of tartar to 8 oz. of warm water; drink 2 tablespoons at a time on an empty stomach.\n\nWater Drinking water in various fashions has been an age-old cure. Here are several variations. Plug your ears and drink a glass of ice cold water; or slowly sip a cup of warm water; sip a cup of warm water with honey in it. For infants:  hiccups usually disappear in 5-10 minutes. If hiccups do not disappear, give the baby a bottle of sugar water. Mix one-quarter teaspoon of sugar with four ounces of water.\n\nPlay "hear no evil." Some doctors recommend that you put your fingers in your ears - and not because they don't want you to hear yourself hiccop. It seems that branches of the vagus nerve also reach into the suditory system, and by stimulating the nerver endings there, the vagus nerve goes into action. Of course, other doctors insist that you should never put anything smaller than you elbow in you ear in order to avoid irritating or damaging the ear canal. So if you do decide to try this hiccup reliever, be gentle, and don't stick your fingers too far into your ears.
302768
(m)\n\nHiccups usually go away all on their own. There might be as many "cures" for hiccups as there are families. Some popular home remedies include: \n\nTake a deep breath and hold it as long as you can. Repeat several times. \n\n\nTry rhythmic breathing or deep breathing. \n\nBreathe into a paper bag. \n\nHold your breath just as you think a hiccup will occur. \n\nGargle. \n\nTense your throat muscles and/or stomach muscles as you feel a hiccup coming on. \n\nPress hard against the cartilage behind your ear. \n\nPlug your ears while swallowing. \n\nDrink through a cloth or paper towel. \n\nBend over and drink from the opposite side of the glass. \n\nSwallow dry bread, peanut butter, or similarly sticky substance. \n\nSwallow a teaspoon of sugar. \n\nDissolve a teaspoon of sugar on your tongue. \n\nEat a lemon sprinkled with sugar. \n\nHave someone scare you. \n\nGive someone else a drink of water. \n\nIf you're still hiccupping after two days, contact your health care provider. Chronic hiccups can cause weight loss, insomnia, malnutrition, vomiting, and more. If you're bothered by long-lasting hiccups - and they aren't caused by a serious health problem - your physician can try chlorpromazine to stop them. It doesn't work every time, though. \n\nThe New England Journal of Medicine reported that a pain medicine routinely used in Europe relieved debilitating hiccups within a minute of receiving it, even when chlorpromazine didn't work. The US Food and Drug Administration hasn't approved the drug - which is typically used to prevent shivering.