Hi  – if this operation was for you, I hope it went smoothly and you’re recovering well (besides the hiccups).

I’ve personally never come across this situation before with clients, but I did do some reading and have consulted with colleagues of mine and here are some suggestions you may want to try.

As always, understanding the root cause is always best because then  treatments and remedies can be more targeted and effective.

Typically it’s due to anesthetic drugs which irritate the vagus nerve which works the diaphragm and translates into hiccups post-op. It can however also be triggered by other factors:
• Certain emotional feelings, like fear or stress
• Smoking which causes too much air to be swallowed
• Alcohol
• Having a gassy tummy
• Some spicy foods which may irritate the diaphragm
• Eating too fast
• Fizzy drinks
• Hot beverages
• Sudden change in ambient temperature
• An abrupt change in temperature in your body, like eating something hot followed by a very cold beverage

(…so work on addressing any of the above if they apply)
Folk remedies to try:
• This one is weird, but it instantly worked for a colleague of mine… Take a wedge of lemon, sprinkle it with sugar and a few dashes of bitters. Bite and suck on it. These all involve stimulating the nasopharynx.
• Hold your breath for a few seconds or breathe into a paper bag. These all involve changing the breathing pattern.
• Also try the 360 breathing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8kLOxoA7Nk
• Stimulate the vagus nerve by either laughing out loud – watch a really funny comedy!, hum or sing loudly (which controls your breathing unconsciously)
• Pull the knees up to the chest or compress the chest by leaning forward. These all serve to counter-irritate the diaphragm.
• Magnesium glycinate – which helps relax spasms in the diaphragm
• A small piece of ginger, peeled and cleaned, can be chewed on slowly to ease your hiccups.
• Boil cardamom powder in water, then strain and drink when it cools down. It is believed to relax the diaphragm, thus stopping the hiccups. One teaspoon of cardamom powder needs 375ml of water.
• Acupuncture or hypnotherapy show some promise in relieving hiccups.

Hopefully one or more of these tips can help ease the hiccups. Please do report back, as I’d love to know which ones actually worked.