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Hiccups are seizures?

Thu, 05/05/2005 - 16:10
My husband has hiccups that often last for a week to 10 days. At times he lets out a loud noise , his eyes rolls, face become slack, he rolls over and at times his arms become rigid. He has fallen. The doctor beleives that the hiccups as well as these "spells" are seizures even though there is no seizure activity on the EEG. (he also has central sleep apnea and atrial fibrillation) Any comments on this. GiniInFlorida

Comments

RE: Hiccups are seizures?

Submitted by Gretchen on Wed, 2005-05-04 - 21:38
My word - how can he stand to have hiccups that long? What a guy! Since I was diagnosed? After some convulsive seizures part of my recovery can be - hiccups that last maybe about 30-60 minutes. Other times I just get them. Sometimes I get them so bad I hiccup in the MIDDLE of a hiccup. So it would be like hic--hic--cup--cup. Sounds a little weird I know but it takes my breath away too. In truth I've never really mentioned this to my doctor. I was hospitalized once, was in a coma, got prolonged hiccups, I don't know how long that lasted either. My daughter tends to keep track of my treatment and she said "hours" and I was eventually given Valium and they stopped. I'm a disabled RN and I do remember now that occasionally after general anesthesia and abdominal surgeries we'd have patients who would have hiccups that wouldn't end and Valium was the drug of choice to stop them and I can't remember any patient I knew of that that didn't work for - but then I certainly never saw every single patient that had this problem either so my information on this is only anecdotal. Anyway I don't have the other symptoms your husband has but it does sound like sz activity doesn't it? You know EEGs don't always show up sz activity on some people. I am definitely not an expert on EEGs but I do know that is true and I do know that sometimes like during VEEGs the electrodes are placed in a way to get deeper into the brain. I had sphenoid electrodes placed once, not fun, and all of my regular EEGs are always abnormal but I think they wanted a more accurate reading so I had a short general anesthesia, had these wires placed in my nose and into my jaw (ick) and I guess they got more information. Frankly I didn't even ask. I tend to "zone out" when my epileptologist is talking about something that freaks me out, thus usually my daughter is with me taking notes, or my husband. If I don't zone out I normally have a seizure. Sheesh. Not a real enlightening seeking patient, I know. If I were you? I'd ask your husband's neuro if he can have some Valium on hand as an emergency drug or I should say ask his doctor what he thinks of that. I have emergency drugs to take orally and injectable when I'm clustering. Gosh darn! That seems like torture to have hiccups that long. BTW hiccups are a spasm of the diaphragm muscle. The diaphragm is like a bellows that is part of the breathing mechanism, pulling/pushing your lungs up and down. Good luckGretchen

RE: Hiccups are seizures?

Submitted by angel_lts on Thu, 2005-05-05 - 06:50
HMM I have never heard of this. It sounds like the hiccup is an aura. Try this test and it will truely give you the answer. When you or anyone have a hiccup. I eat about a tsp of sugar. It will stop the hiccups. It truely works. I forgot the logic behind why it does now. But if it stops, it is a true hiccup. If it doesn't it would be an aura or a start of the seizure.http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/EpilepsyApproach/Lisa

RE: RE: Hiccups are seizures?

Submitted by 38benny on Thu, 2005-05-05 - 08:58

I know this is a little off the topic but whenever I get the hiccups really bad - for 20 minutes or so I use my magnet from my VNS and they stop... they are doing studies through Cyberonics now for the VNS to actually "cure" the hiccups as well as other things... just a suggestion to those who have it....

JoAnne

I know this is a little off the topic but whenever I get the hiccups really bad - for 20 minutes or so I use my magnet from my VNS and they stop... they are doing studies through Cyberonics now for the VNS to actually "cure" the hiccups as well as other things... just a suggestion to those who have it....

JoAnne

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