Over the past three years, I have had two episodes of hiccups that have lasted for three days or more. The hiccups are often severe and sometimes feel accompanied by a burp. Could this be related to acid reflux? Is taking acid reducer a reasonable way to treat this?
10/ 6/08 9:43am
Thanks for your question. Persistent hiccups can sometimes be a common symptom of GERD. However, you should talk to your doctor to figure out exactly what is causing these hiccups and how best to treat them. I hope this helps.
8/10/09 2:11pm
My roommate had intractable hiccups for about two months. The hiccups would come back to back making it almost impossible for him to breathe. We visited the emergency room 4 times. They put him on thorazine, baclofen, and then after an upper GI, told him he had acid reflux (which by the way he never had before). He also has been having post nasal drip. So, then he started on all of the different acid reflux medicines. None of this got rid of the hiccups. Then we decided to do an ear wash after one of the emergency room doctors had mentioned that something as tiny as a hair in your ear could cause intractable hiccups. We trimmed the hair ear a few weeks ago and that didn't work, but still, decided to do the ear wash. Nothing came out of one ear, and out of the other ear there was a tiny black speck, that we are wondering if it might have been an ant that crawled in while he was sleeping and died in his ear. After getting that little tiny black speck out of his ear, the hiccups, acid reflux and post nasal drip have all disappeared. It would be nice if this kind of information was made more available when people are suffering with intractable hiccups or diaphragm spasms. I know there are other causes, but this is something to think about.
12/11/09 5:37am
Hiccups can certainly be accompanied by Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD), more commonly known as 'Heartburn'. This is becaues the oesophagus (your food pipe) passes through the diaphragm and upon contraction of the diaphragm, can be irritated.
You want to consider visiting an Osteopath whom will manually inhibit your diaphragm (the spasm of which is causing the phenomena known as 'Hiccups'). They should also assess your neck as this is where the nerve that innervates the diaphragm exits. Irritation of the nerve here may the root cause of your symptoms secondary to dysfunction here.
Acid reducers will only decrease acid production in the stomach. It is not addressing the actual problem in any way, shape or form. However, I would advise you continue taking these until the diaphragm is treated as the acid reflux may have its own consequences by damaging the oesophagus if left for a long time.
Hope this helps.
Important:
We hope you find this general health information helpful. Please note however, that this Q&A is meant to support not replace the professional medical advice you receive from your doctor. No information in the Answers above is intended to diagnose or treat any condition. The views expressed in the Answers above belong to the individuals who posted them and do not necessarily reflect the views of Remedy Health Media. Remedy Health Media does not review or edit content posted by our community members, but reserves the right to remove any material it deems inappropriate.
By Judy— Last Modified: 12/22/10, First Published: 10/05/08
Featuring Content From:
By using this service, you accept our Terms of Use. Please read them. The consumer health information on is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. You should promptly seek professional medical care if you have any concern about your health, and you should always consult your physician before starting a fitness regimen. Copyright © 2012 Remedy Health Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
