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Medscape report:

From Southern Medical Journal

 

Acupuncture Therapy Rapidly Terminates Intractable

Hiccups Complicating Acute Myocardial Infarction

 

Feng-Cheng Liu, MD; Chiou-An Chen, MD; Sung-Sen Yang,

MD; Shih-Hua Lin, MD

 

Abstract and Introduction

Abstract

Acupuncture is a well-known alternative therapy in

practice worldwide. Its dramatic effect on hiccups has

been rarely reported. We describe a 77-year-old male

who had hiccups after an acute myocardial infarction.

Despite aggressive treatment including breath-holding

to interrupt the respiratory rhythm, continuous

positive airway pressure, and medication with

metoclopramine, prochlorperazine, chlorpromazine,

haloperidol, mephenesin, diphenylhydantoin, baclofen,

and phenobarbital, the hiccups persisted for 7 days.

Eventually, the hiccups were rapidly terminated by

acupuncture at acupoint GV14 (Da zhui). To the best of

our knowledge, this is the first report of

acupuncture's reversing intractable hiccups after an

acute myocardial infarction. Acupuncture may be

considered for patients with hiccups refractory to

conventional therapy.

 

Introduction

Hiccups are intermittent, abrupt, involuntary

contractions of the diaphragm resulting in sudden

inspiration abruptly opposed by closure of the

glottis. The diaphragmatic contraction is often

unilateral, occurring more often on the left side.[1]

Most hiccups occur as brief, self-limited episodes

lasting only for a few seconds or minutes but

sometimes may last for prolonged periods (> 48 hours),

interfering with rest, sleep, and eating and causing

fatigue, exhaustion, depression, and on occasion,

death.[2] In addition to treating underlying

disorders, there are numerous methods to quell

hiccups.[3] Nevertheless, hiccups may be persistent

despite a variety of therapeutic modalities.

 

In this report, we describe a 77-year-old patient who

had intractable hiccups after an acute myocardial

infarction (AMI). Ultimately, the hiccups were

terminated by direct traditional acupuncture at

acupoint GV14 (Da zhui), located at the interspinal

space between C7-T1.