HIC, HIC, HOORAY?
Another one you won't find in your typical references.
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1. Counselling Conundrum: a real question from a patient
2. Concise Conclusion: a straight-forward patient-friendly answer
3. Quick Wrap-up
Clearly, there are nuances that may not be captured in this format. The goal here is to provide you with helpful counselling tips which often draw from multiple sources or those which are not commonly accessed by busy healthcare providers serving the community.
Counselling Conundrum: "I've had hiccups for a day and a half straight, nothing I've tried is working. Is there something I can take?"
Concise Conclusion: At this point, worth trying a few things before going to the clinic: hold your breath for 10 seconds, sip ice-cold water, bite a lemon, pull your tongue, swallow some dry sugar, try gentle yet firm pressure over your eyes, or pull your knees to your chest for a minute. If none of that breaks the cycle, see your doctor. Hiccups lasting this long sometimes need a prescription to shut them down.
Quick Wrap-up: Non-drug maneuvers work by interrupting the vagus or phrenic nerve reflex loop. Evidence is mostly case reports and observational data, but the maneuvers are low-risk and worth trying first. If they fail, baclofen/gabapentin are typically tried next, followed by metoclopramide/chlorpromazine.
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