What is your cure for hiccups? Mine is putting sugar on the tip of my tongue and drinking a glass of water without

[debm55]

stopping .How about you?

[johnnyfins]

1. Put a paper towel over a glass of water and

Drink through the paper towel. Works like a charm.

[debm55]

5. Thank you very much johnnyfins. I am glad it works,

[catbyte]

2. Hold my breath for 10 seconds then drink a glass of water.

My mom taught me that. Seems to work.

Good to have you back!

[debm55]

6. Thank you very much, catbyte

[Rver]

3. hold your breath and

Swallow 3 times.

[debm55]

7. Thank you very much Rver,

[Brother Buzz]

33. Um, 3 times doesn't work for me

Swallowing three times doesn't do it for me, but swallowing ten times, (which is nearly impossible) works magically.

I'm guessing struggling and focusing on swallowing the last four or five times (it's really hard) calms all the mussels and your hiccups disappear. - I guarantee it.

[debm55]

34. HAHAHAHHAHAHAH Thank you Brother Buzz

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. Last time you asked this I gave you a cure and you said you would try it. How did it go?

[debm55]

8. The only cure that works for me is sugar on the tip of my tongue and a glass of water,

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. Did you try my cure? It is based on mechanics & physiology of hiccups. Needs no devices or substances. . . nt

[debm55]

11. It did not work for me.

Last edited Mon Jul 14, 2025, 11:17 AM - Edit history (1)

[Bernardo de La Paz]

13. Okay, thanks for trying. All the other cures ever mentioned act on the same general principles but are less direct. .nt

[EYESORE 9001]

10. Stand legs apart, bend at waist far enough to drink glass of water upside-down

That advice was discarded by young woman wearing shorts, who accused me of wanting her to bend over in front of me. Was she right? I’m just all about the cure.

[debm55]

12. Oh , You , Thank you EYESORE 9001

[EYESORE 9001]

14. Despite its awkwardness, it works

I think a ‘reset’ happens when muscles are called into action in odd ways.

[yorkster]

28. Yes. It works.

[Dem2theMax]

47. It's a lot easier if you use a bottle of water, rather than a glass.

That particular method has never failed me.
Upside down, drinking water, works every time!

[Ritabert]

15. Tilt your head forward and sip water from the opposite rim

It takes awhile to get it right but it works every time.

[debm55]

17. Thank you very much for sharing with us. Ritabert.

[rurallib]

16. Tickle the soft upper palate of your mouth with a finger

only need a few seconds and it goes away.

Haven't had hiccups for a long time, but this would work for me.

[debm55]

18. Thank you ruralib. That sounds helpful

[2MuchNoise]

19. I spew as many 4 letter words as I can in between each hiccup.

It doesn't cure them but it makes me feel better.

Welcome back, debm.

[debm55]

21. Thank you very much. 2MuchNoise.

[AllaN01Bear]

20. shees back!!!!!

mine is full glass of water w spoon. bend over and drink the other side of the glass , slowly. many times a just a drink of water slowly will do it. what eyesore said.

[debm55]

23. Thank you AllaNO1Bear. Husband has been having problems with his heart You have an very interesting cure.

[AllaN01Bear]

25. ""

[LoisB]

22. Hey! Deep breath into the lungs, hold it for a few seconds works for me.

[debm55]

24. Thank you very much LoisB.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

26. Cures as simple as yours are all that are needed when you consider the physiology

The physiology is that air is trapped in the stomach. The stomach doesn't need or want air, so it tries to expel it as a burp. It's a reflex. But the air is blocked by the esophagus, which doesn't want stomach contents coming up unless unavoidably necessary (projectile vomiting, retching).

So by taking a deep breath and holding, the reflex is interrupted and on the expulsion of a large volume of breath, the whole trunk of the body relaxes and the trapped air can escape.

What I do is related. I arch my head up, and purposefully relax my esophagus to release the trapped air. Voluntary nervous system over involuntary. I kind of "burp myself". It is that simple, as is yours though yours is more of a trick subverting the involuntary nerves. You can do it in a dry desert with no water, while standing in a crowd, no fuss.

[LoisB]

29. Thank you for the explanation. I never knew why or how it works. None of the water "cures"

have ever worked for me.

[annalog]

27. Holding my breath

Always works for me.

[debm55]

31. Thank you very much for sharing, annalog. And welcome to DU.

[annalog]

36. Thank you

[doc03]

30. Hit your thumb with a rubber mallet, you will forget all about hiccups. I don't

know really, I haven't ever had them for more than a few seconds. Raw carrots give me hiccups, I don't eat them.

[debm55]

32. hahahahhahahha. That's true. Thank you doc03

[ILikePie92]

35. Ha!

I put on a viking helmet, then a wedding dress, then cowboy boots. Next step is to hold my nose, while hopping on one foot in a circle....clockwise (VERY IMPORTANT), all while singing the theme song to WKRP in Cincinnati.

Works every time!

[debm55]

37. HAHAHHAHha. Thank you ILikePie92

[DelMar dem]

38. Bitters and lemon juice

sipped. Not the best tasting "cocktail" but it works for me every time.

[debm55]

43. That's a new one. Thank you. DelMar and welcome to DU

[justaprogressive]

39. drinking a glass of water

upside down.

[debm55]

42. Thank you justaprogressive, but how do you do that.?

[justaprogressive]

44. Stand up holding half-full glass of water

:Lean well forward, and drink from the far side of the glass.

:2 swallows, straighten up, hiccups gone. Works every time.

https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/1437/does-drinking-water-upside-down-help-cure-hiccups

[debm55]

45. Thank you

[Jeebo]

40. On a plane, flying over the Atlantic Ocean ...

I had a terrible case of hiccups. It was driving me nuts. A flight attendant heard me hiccuping. She handed me a glass of water and told me to chug-a-lug it. The hiccups went away immediately, like a miracle.

— Ron

[debm55]

41. Thank you very much for sharing with us, Jeebo.

[ProfessorGAC]

46. Yelling At The Hiccups To Go Away

It's what I do. I never said it actually works.

[soldierant]

48. I no longer get hiccups I cannot handle, thankfully.

But my uncle (who passed away in 1976 or 77) had a very powerful remedy - take a fresh lime and cut it into eighths (i.e. in half in each of three dimensions.) Take one of these pieces and sprinkle bitters on it. Then put it in your mouth, peel and all, and chew and swallow it.

I would call that a last resort remedy because it's anything but tasty. But it does shock your esophagus very fast and stop the hiccups.

Sugar works too - but if sugar works like a gun, this remedy works like a cannon.

[Tree Lady]

49. Deep breathing in and out over and over

My cousin, science teacher told me they are caused by swallowing air and breathing makes them go away.