My husband randomly gets acid reflux/heartburn. He smokes about one pack a day. Recently he gets really bad heartburn and asks me to get him bread he eats it and it sorta subsides after a while. On three different occasions he had heartburn and continued to eat his meal. While he was eating he got the HICCUPS and they lasted for 24 hours until he couldnt stand it any longer and went in the bathroom forced himself to throw up and the hiccups STOPPED. Shortly after that since it was like 24 hours since he last ate he wanted to try eating again. During his meal he only ate the english muffin on his plate again came along the HICCUPS!! So I said go make yourself throw up I didnt want to see him suffer with hiccups again and being miserable for 24 hours again... so he did... up came the english muffin and the hiccups STOPPED! I am sorry if this is so grose to everyone but its really making me scared. I have done alot of reading on here trying to figure out what needs to be done when we go to the doctor because YES I am making him go get checked even though he doesnt want to.. but my question is... What tests do I want him to get ordered.. meaning I dont want him to go to the doctor and let them just precsribe him with acid reflux/heartburn medication because it is deeper than that. I mean there is a reason for him having this going on and dont want it masked with medication.. so what tests can be ordered for him and if anyone has any information please pass it along.. also he has been smoking for like 15 years and is normal weight and works out everyday he is in the ARMY. Please help if you can. Thank you! Niki
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Hello Niki,
Having hiccups with each meal must be hard to tolerate. I am sure you both want to figure out a way to eliminate this symptom. It certainly makes sense to check this out with the doctor. While a test may be needed, don't be discouraged if the doctor DOES prescribe medication. Sometimes a test can be avoided if a medication is used instead. If the symptoms improve on medication, it can tell the doctor what is wrong. This approach is common in diagnosing and treating a variety of medical problems.
Does he get hiccups from all foods or just some foods?
Hiccups may be triggered by gulping air while eating. If I am very hungry, I tend to eat fast and ingest more air. Maybe he could try eating small bites and chewing carefully. Drinks with carbonation like soda or beer can cause more burping and air in the stomach.
I know probiotics are recommended for every ailment under the sun these days. However, my girls with reflux seem to have less bloating and discomfort, including burps and hiccups while on probiotics. Another question for the doctor.
I would caution your husband about inducing vomiting. This can be very irritating to the esophagus and throat and it isn't recommended as a regular "cure" for hiccups.
Good luck,
Jan
Hi Jan,
thanks for responding this hiccup thing is all new but it ended thank GOD! I went to the store a bought over the counter medications Malox to provide instant relief to him and it did. Now he is on a two week Prilosec course to calm down his acid reflux and heartburn. Today is day 3 of Prilosec. He is feeling great no hiccups and no burning. The hiccups must have been the way his body was reacting to all that acid that was building up and it couldnt take anymore so it was hiccuping and contracting from all the acidity thats all I can think of. Plus we both drink alot of carbonated drinks daily Coca Cola and he smokes so I am sure that irritates the body also. We have to stop with the soda its really too much and so bad now that I am reading more and his smoking I hope will end. He doesnt drink beer or alcohol at all just doesnt like the taste of it but the soda I am sure makes things worse. I read alot on the interent to figure things out. We have an appointment set up with his primary doctor this Friday and I hope will get a referral to a specialist to see if there is testing they can do or go more indepth to see the extent of his issue. Immediately when he took the Malox when he drank it the hiccups ended in like 4 minutes and he didnt keep using the throw up method but at first it was so new and scarey to us he did it twice only. Also we eat alot of Yogurt in our diet regularly/daily. We are Greek and eat Fage which has great probiotics in it.. but maybe supplements added to help with that... I will ask the Doctor about that thanks for that idea. This experience was so weird to have hiccups for 24 hours. So glad that part is over :)
Wonderful, I hope your husband continues to feel better and better. Good luck with the doctors appointment.
Jan