As some of you already know, about 18 months ago I became afflicted with persistent hiccups that lasted anywhere from 3 to 10 days in duration. Would it suffice to say that I tried every home remedy/wives tale known to modern man. So much so, that if one more self proclaimed moron came up to me and said here, try holding your breath! Id more than likely arrange it so that theyd never breathe again. Evaluations by neurologists and gastroenterologists yielded little more than subjective opinions about the causative agent. I was told that I likely had an early ulcer and put on antacids. After 20 years of a very stressful career this seemed very plausible. Didnt work! Next it was suggested that I be pumped full of Thorazine on a daily basis. All I can say is thank God Ive learned a thing or two regarding the side effects both acute and chronic regarding that particular intervention. Enough to say NO WAY!!! About 18 months after it started I once again found myself in the grips of a 3 day marathon of back straining, gag inducing hiccups that on this occasion Ill admit had me wondering if I was going to spend the rest of my life suffering with this seemingly undiagnosable, refractory hiccups that had me lose over 30lbs in recent months. I was 240 lbs three months ago, now weigh 209 lbs. And, for those who do not know me, it was not excess weight that was lost. In what had seemed to become little more than a depressing time waster, I found myself once again perusing medical journals and internet blogs in an attempt to find some semblance of hope. That is when I stumbled across this article that explains the very simple technique of stimulating the glossopharyngeal nerve in the posterior aspect of the soft palate. In the section entitled what to do it describes using a cotton swab to stimulate the posterior aspect of the soft palate with caution not to stimulate the gag reflex, which enervates the glossopharyngeal nerve. One such doc places a small amount of granulated sugar on the posterior one third of the tongue which does the same thing. I decided to try a small amount of peanut butter and honey mixed together and then placed on a tongue blade, a spoon works just as well, then place the mixture on the posterior aspect of the soft palate and try your best not to swallow it for a few minutes. I chose the peanut butter and honey combination because these substances activate the taste buds in the region of the glossopharyngeal nerve. The hiccups subsided and stayed away for 7 days. When they returned, I used the exact same procedure and they again were reduced and did not return for two weeks. They returned this evening, and again the technique worked immediately. Please share this technique and article with anyone you know who has ever suffered from hiccups. The past 18 months of dealing with this has been so aggravating but at least now, or so it would seem, I have isolated it to a neurological basis and have a way to manage it.
Posted on: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 04:10:31 +0000
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