Hiccups

Options
ritawaite13
ritawaite13 Member Posts: 236
in Esophageal Cancer #1
My husband has been getting the hiccups during the night. He manages to sleep right through it but I'm a much lighter sleeper and with the whole bed jumping every few seconds it's not so much fun. Has anyone else experienced this weird occurance with EC?
On another note, he finished his 28th round of radiation yesterday and the doctor has decided against any further chemo at this time (he had 3 rounds of low dose). He'll have another scan at the end of Sept. to see how things are going. Prayers are so appreciated. I'm so glad I found this site.
Thanks, Rita

Comments

  • cher76
    cher76 Member Posts: 292
    #2
    Options
    Rita,
    Yes,hiccups seem to be
    Rita,
    Yes,hiccups seem to be a thing with EC. After my husbands first chemo treatment he hiccuped for hours for several days. It drove him crazy and me as well! I think we tried every hiccup "cure" out there. Nothing seemed to work. At times Rickie said they seemed to feel like muscle spasms in his stomach. When we returned for his second treatment the doctor prescribed chlorpromazine (Thorazine ). That seemed to help somewhat. That was back in Nov. 2010, and he seems to get them on and off but especially right after he has had chemo. Lately with the chemo he is having now, erbitux and Irinotechan, he does not seem to have the problem as much. You might want to ask your doctor if there is a medication he could prescribe. Hope this helps,
    Cheryl
    Wife of Rickie dx stage IV EC Oct. 2010
  • chemosmoker
    chemosmoker Member Posts: 501
    #3
    Options
    Yes I get them, too
    Rita,
    Even with NO chemo at all ever, I get the hiccups quite often now. Asked my onco about this and she said it can be the tumor(s) pressing on the diaphragm or windpipe I believe, causing the spasm. They run their course as nothing but a Xanax takes them away and that has its inherent side effect of drowsy and nappy. Hope this helps. Curious to hear others opinions as I have read a LOT about getting hiccups with EC but cannot recall where other than in peoples posts here.

    PS-Don't want to put too much in to this and the 'late stage' part, but I knew I had read this, and following William's "no sugar coating" rule for honesty, here is what I find on many sites:

    SOURCE: http://www.knowcancer.com/cancer-types/esophageal-cancer/symptoms/

    "Hiccups are also quite common in some individuals during the later stages of cancer. The hiccups may start off during the day and persist throughout the night. The cause of hiccups is not known but is more common when the tumor infiltrates the trachea. Most people require some type of medications to relieve the hiccups."

    -Eric
  • fredswilma
    fredswilma Member Posts: 185
    #4
    Options
    chemosmoker said:

    Yes I get them, too
    Rita,
    Even with NO chemo at all ever, I get the hiccups quite often now. Asked my onco about this and she said it can be the tumor(s) pressing on the diaphragm or windpipe I believe, causing the spasm. They run their course as nothing but a Xanax takes them away and that has its inherent side effect of drowsy and nappy. Hope this helps. Curious to hear others opinions as I have read a LOT about getting hiccups with EC but cannot recall where other than in peoples posts here.

    PS-Don't want to put too much in to this and the 'late stage' part, but I knew I had read this, and following William's "no sugar coating" rule for honesty, here is what I find on many sites:

    SOURCE: http://www.knowcancer.com/cancer-types/esophageal-cancer/symptoms/

    "Hiccups are also quite common in some individuals during the later stages of cancer. The hiccups may start off during the day and persist throughout the night. The cause of hiccups is not known but is more common when the tumor infiltrates the trachea. Most people require some type of medications to relieve the hiccups."

    -Eric

    Hi Rita, Cheryl and
    Hi Rita, Cheryl and Eric,
    Yes Hiccups drive my hubby mad, and Eric I believe you are right I think the tumor causes the hiccups and the Chemo makes it worse. When Mark had his first rounds of Chemo, he would hiccup for days on end, resulting in a lot of pain and lack of sleep, not so much now but I do notice when he is asleep he is affected by them, I suspect that is because he is lying flat, isn't it a strange thing to be affected by really annoying but not much that can be done about it.
    Thinking of you all.
    Ann
  • jojoshort
    jojoshort Member Posts: 230 Member
    #5
    Options
    Hiccups
    Yup, hiccups were a part of it for Steve. T3N1M1. Would hiccup in his sleep, too. Hope you find some relief.
    Jo-Ann
  • Daisylin
    Daisylin Member Posts: 365
    #6
    Options
    jojoshort said:

    Hiccups
    Yup, hiccups were a part of it for Steve. T3N1M1. Would hiccup in his sleep, too. Hope you find some relief.
    Jo-Ann

    yup, here too
    Lee sometimes gets them too, but not a continuous string of them, just one here and there, usually while drinking or eating. His have not been overly severe, but he does have them. Now that I think about it, I don't think he's done it since he's stopped eating. (mostly just using the feeding tube now)
    Chantal
  • ritawaite13
    ritawaite13 Member Posts: 236
    #7
    Options
    Thanks
    Thank you all for the feedback. We have an appointment on Tuesday with his primary doctor and will ask him about it too. Just an interesting thing to me that he doesn't even wake up just hiccups in the night - never in the daytime. Things that make you go hmmmmm......

Discussion Boards