Hello,

I have finished 3 RTX and 1 Cisplatin sessions as of last Friday. I have constant hiccups that recur almost every hour and last anywhere between 10 and 45 minutes each time. I called the after hours number and the doctor on call suggested that I take the prescribed medication for nausea and vomitting. I have done this, but it has not helped. I am drinking tons of water but the hiccups do not go away. As a result of the hiccups and the nauseous feeling I have not been able to get much nutrition today (possibly about a third of what I normally consume). Can someone give me some advise please?

Thanks in advance.

Chetan

Hi Chetan - I sure hope you get some relief soon. Perhaps there is someone else on this forum who has some experience with hiccups. I did check out the Mayo Clinic site as to the causes and they do have some interesting info including nerve damage or may a hair in the ear touching the eardrum as the cause:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hiccups/DS00975/DSECTION=causes
There are also treatments and drugs suggested (see left side of above url page) that you could probably ask your doctor about if the hiccups last more than 48 hours. Maybe by the time you read this the hiccups will be gone. I sure hope so. Let us know what happens.

Several of us here at OCF have reported hiccups related to chemo treatments. Bill had mega hiccups after the first 2 chemos lasting a couple of days. When we finally made the correlation, his MO prescribed,believe it or not, thorazine(chlorpromazine.) He had Bill start this the day before treatment and for a couple of days after....NO MORE HICCUPS. We did not ask why..we just wanted them gone as they were like seizures and kept Bill from resting and sleeping.

When I ask members here if anyone had had the same experience, several people said yes. So, talk to your docs about this.

Deb

Hi Anne-Marie & Deb,

Thanks for your response. I emailed my MO, and here is what he wrote: "Sorry you're having such trouble with hiccups. This is a common side effect of the steroid dexamethasone. There isn't a good treatment other than stopping the dexamethasone. The hiccups will go away once you're done with the dexamethasone, but I'd strongly encourage you to continue taking the medication until you've finished the prescribed course as this is necessary to prevent severe nausea."

The Mayo clinic article is helpful. I gathered the possibility that the PEG surgery I had last Thursday could be contributing to my hiccups. If the hiccups persist even after I finish the prescribed dexamethasone, I will speak with my MO about thorazine as well.

Thanks again for your inputs.

Chetan

My late landlord/surrogate uncle hiccuped on and off for 2 years, unrelated to cancer treatment. Don't know how he managed it. It was only thorazine that finally cured him.

i had the same problem after the first round of cisplatin.
my mo said it was caused by acid reflux caused by the chemo.
anyway he perscribed pantoprazol brand name protonix.
the pharmacist compared it to prevacid.
one a day took care of the hiccups for me

Hi,
Kris suffered from incessant hiccups after his cisplatin chemo. They started the evening of the chemo and steadily got worse.

He would get about 45 in a row - this is constant spasm of the diaphragm and it is impossible to take a breath in while this is occurring. Then he would get a minute or so respite and away he would go again.

This was very frightening for him and for anyone who was watching. He did actually lose conciousness at times and I had to shake and yell at him to get breathing restored again. We never left him alone as a result.

Initially we were reassured that this was common and given chlorpromazine. It didn't work. Kris ended up in hospital with bilateral collapse of his lung bases due to the inability to get a decent breath in.

He was so terrified he refused to do the second round of Cisplatin and it took much encouragement form me to do so.
We also insisted that the Chemo docs put a plan in place to deal with it.

So Kris took 20 mgs metaclopramide 4-6 hourly. Chlorpromazine 25mgs 4 - 6 houly, Haloperidol 0.5mgs 4-6 houly, and Lorazepam 1 mg 6 hourly. I alternated the meds so that he was taking something every 2 hours. We even had to do this through the night, they were relentless - and terrifying.

The hiccups lasted about 2 weeks. And we got though this.
Talk to your medical oncologist and ask for a plan.

The dexmathasone is essential to control the nausea vomiting that goes with Cisplatin. We were told he wouldn't get through it without it.

Good luck and we are thinking of you,
Tammy

Hello Everyone,

Thanks for all your responses. My hiccups have mostly subsided a few days after I stopped dexamethasone. However, before my next round of Cisplatin I intend to speak to my MO about a plan and possibly Thorazine.

I am now dealing with a sore throat that hurts to swallow even water. I knew that chemo accelerates this process, however I have only had 8 radiation sessions thus far. Any suggestions on what I might do to deal with it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again for your support all along. I cannot imagine how I would be able to go through what still seems like a very long journey (2 more Cisplatin and 28 rads remaining) without your combined experience and support!

Best Regards,
Chetan

Don't know if this would apply, but I've seen lots of posts here about Manuka Honey being helpful for sores in the mouth, - maybe it would help the sore throat? Of course you would have to check with your doctor to make sure it does not interfere with your treatments nor with any other meds you are taking.

To add to Anne maries response - you take a teaspoon of the honey - let it melt in your mouth - swish for 2-3 minutes then swallow - it should help your throat. But do ask your dr. First. Also I did use the baking soda mixture - but I also used flat soda water - you can swallow it. It has healing properties too. Oh and the honey will sting but it will help - good luck!

Hi Cheryl & Anne-Marie,

Thanks for your responses. I had a quick question regarding suggested daily frequency and timing of the salt/bicarb rinses and Manuka swishes. I am assuming that 3 to 4 times a day, and just before meals?

Best Regards,
Chetan

Chetan,
I don't mean to butt into the conversation, but I used the baking soda/water several times a day, did not count the number. My MO said as often as you like. My RO said it would make my mouth drier so would depend on that. I had quite a bit of saliva for most of radiation so I used it without regard to that. I bought Manuka honey after treatment, and did try it on my sores I had afterwards, "hedging my bets" is what I called it. I think it does soothe them for sure. I only used the honey once or twice a day then. I will attest to the honey being tasty, now that I have more taste buds back.

I remember thinking the treatment time would never pass; it did! Yours will too. Look at it a day at a time, maybe a week, and it will seem to go faster.
Best,
Anne

Hi there - I agree use the rinses as needed - I used to rinse then swish eith the hiney - honey cleans so if you've eaten then clean out anything left in there with the rinse then do the honey - that way it has some time to work.

Good luck!