Drink through the paper towel. Works like a charm.

My mom taught me that. Seems to work.

Good to have you back!

Swallow 3 times.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

only need a few seconds and it goes away.

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

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

Welcome back, debm.

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.

have ever worked for me.

Always works for me.

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

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!

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

: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

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

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

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.

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