# hiccups

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/53639>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [February 8, 2001, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/53639 "2001-02-08T16:50:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![beckwall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@beckwall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beckwall)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/53639/1 "2001-02-08T16:50:43Z")

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I get the hiccups a lot and have never found a sure-fire cure for them. Any ideas out there? Sometimes I am in the car(without benefit of water)when I get them, so ideas that don’t require water or special ingredients will be greatly appreciated.

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**Author:** ![Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ce73a5/32.png) [@Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazoo)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/53639/2 "2001-02-08T18:42:00Z")

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I learned this trick in college, and it has never failed me, nor anyone I have assisted, in getting rid of hiccups. It’s kind of tough to explain in writing, so bear with me:

1. Exhale as much air as you can.

2. Hold your breath like that until you can’t take it any more.

3. Inhale in very quick little bursts. The best way to describe this is to try to make a short “pfft” sound as you inhale. It’s a very staccato-type breath. Keep these short little inhaling breaths going until you can’t inhale anymore.

4. Hold it like that as long as you can.

5. _Very Slowly_ exhale in a single breath.

Good luck!

(The basis of this remedy is to kind of “flex” the diaphragm and change its rhythm of muscular “tics” which are causing the hiccups.)

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**Author:** ![Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tequila_Mockingbird)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/53639/3 "2001-02-09T06:10:40Z")

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The only cure I have ever found for hiccups is a small wedge of fresh lime doused in bitters. Toss the whole thing in your mouth, rind and all, chew as fast as you can and swallow the whole mess. All I can figure is it’s such a shock to your system, it cures the spasms. (It’s not THAT awful, but I don’t recommend it as an appetizer.) If you are ever in a bar and develop hiccups…try it and see if it works before you run out to buy a bottle of bitters 🙂

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**Author:** ![Carina42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Carina42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carina42)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/53639/4 "2001-02-09T10:41:13Z")

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What I do: I stare at myself in the mirror and order myself to hiccup. If I do, I sternly tell myself to do it again RIGHT NOW. Usually, I can’t.

I am known for not doing what I’m told, generally. But for some reason this really works for me.

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**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/53639/5 "2001-02-09T12:59:17Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Tequila Mockingbird \*  
> \*\*The only cure I have ever found for hiccups is a small wedge of fresh lime doused in bitters. \*\*

This really does work.

I used to get hiccups that would last for 10 - 20 minutes or more, but someone in a bar showed me this trick with the bitters and lime, and I’ll be damned if the hiccups didn’t immediately cease. I’ve tried it a couple of times since, and _presto_ no hiccups.