Hic... Hic... Hiccup
All my life, or at least for as long as I can remember, I've experienced regular bouts of hiccups. Unfortunately there is nothing quiet, subtle or ladylike about my hiccups. They don't make a gentle little gurgling hiccup noise either. These are violent, rumbling beasts, lurching up from my diaphragm - more of a HUUUURK.... HUUUURK.
They drive my mum to distraction when they happen in her company. I once had an attack on a tube train and after a few minutes, half the carriage were trying to restrain their mirth. An ex-boyfriend had to excuse himself from the table at a restaurant as he was unable to control himself laughing at me, and thought it bad enough that I was already making a spectacle of the pair of us!
My record hiccuping attack?
It lasted a full hour!
And once I've had one set of the hiccups, you can bet I'll experience another, or sometimes several, within the next 24 hours.
I've long suspected that there are triggers for my hiccups. Alcohol, especially beer, is an obvious one. But what about blood sugars? I've been harbouring a sneaking suspicion that high blood sugars may set me off. Over the last few months, I've been trying to conduct a (very unscientific) piece of research by testing my blood glucose every time my diaphragm twitches.
So far there has been a strong positive connection between high numbers and the first set of hiccups in any given day. After today, I'm fairly convinced.
About two hours after lunch, engrossed in paperwork, I felt the familiar sensation start up behind my ribs. My first thought was that I was glad not to be with a patient at that time, but that was hotly followed by a thought to test my blood sugar and then:
LUNCH BOLUS!
I took my sensor out just before I ate, as my skin was getting a little sore and irritated looking. Since I was at work, I didn't replace it. I obviously didn't bolus for my pasta salad either. It went clean out of my head. Without the CGM to alert me, I'd soared up to the dizzy heights of 17mmol/l (306mg/dL).
Eeek! As I hicced and huuurked, I dialed in a correction, but I knew that while the insulin would fix the high it wouldn't have much effect on the hiccups. They went away 10 minutes later, but sure enough they've been back twice already this evening!
Is this symptom of hyperglycaemia peculiar to me? What strange things happen to you?
I don't get the hiccups from highs, but I think it's hilarious that I forgot my lunch bolus today too! Great minds think alike? (Or rather, forget alike?)
Posted by: Jana | 21 Jan 2008 23:31:40
LOL! Perhaps my next bit of research should be in to what percentage of people with diabetes forget their lunch bolus on any given day!
Posted by: Caro | 22 Jan 2008 00:27:01
I get the hiccups ALL THE TIME, more when my sugars run high. I hate hate hate them.
I always kind of suspected it was linked to hyperglycemia, but then I would think I was being crazy. Apparently I'm not alone.
Posted by: Claire | 22 Jan 2008 14:36:20
No, definitely not crazy. I'm so glad to hear it isn't just me.
Posted by: Caro | 22 Jan 2008 18:05:46
Wow - I NEVER would have thought about hiccups and BG's... kind of a neat revelation when you think about it!
I'm surprised that we haven't seen a bunch of hiccup cures in the comments yet...
Ok - I'll start!
My aunt gave me this one, and I thought she was NUTS until I tried it. She gave me a glass of water, about half full, with a butter knife in it. She told me to gulp it down. When I went to drink it, the way the butter knife was pressed against my forehead (the dull end), I had to tip my head way back to get the water down. To my surprise, my hiccups were instantly gone.
Posted by: Scott K. Johnson | 23 Jan 2008 00:45:39
Scott - I've tried A LOT of different ways to get rid of hiccups, but I haven't tried a butter knife in a glass of water. I'm saving it up for the next time they strike!
Posted by: Caro | 23 Jan 2008 23:03:30
I'm personally VERY curious to hear how this works for you. Please do keep us posted! Thanks!
Posted by: Scott K. Johnson | 25 Jan 2008 19:46:47
Hiccups have been aassociated with over one hundred diverse causes. In some patients, the episode may last for days, weeks or even rarely months.
Posted by: doc | 9 Feb 2008 02:19:33
i regulary get hiccups lasting 20 / 30 minuets at a time the worst i had was 2 hours solid in school last year ,ive had regular hiccups for a year so far , they are also loud , and ive perfect the art of hiccupiing abg burping at the same time ,
for anyone hiccups are rubbish when there loud but for 1 17 year old at collage they aint that fun ,
does anyone else find them really emotional like a bout of hiccups will send me to tears if people are watching
the way i get threw this , espeically at work or in tesco's is to take bets on how many people will turn round ,
if there really bad i have to crouch on the floor with my knees to my chest and eat sugar , and then when they calm down enough i have to eat somthing , but if i eat to soon i get sick , the same happends when i drink ..
my doctor doesnt see how the effect me so much
tiz rubbish
wopuldnt trust myself with the knife trick wud stab myself i think ..lol
Posted by: vickie | 9 May 2008 12:56:06