Rarely a patient undergoing chemotherapy may develop hiccups.
Clinical features:
(1) onset of hiccups following the starting of chemotherapy
(2) disappearance of the hiccups after the chemotherapy is stopped
(3) recurrence on re-exposure to an implicated agent
(4) male gender
(5) exclusion of other causes for hiccups
Most chemotherapeutic agents have been implicated in causing hiccups but studies have been complicated because more than one drug are usually being given.
Other causes for hiccups to exclude:
(1) other drugs such as dexamethasone or high dose corticosteroids
(2) surgery
(3) brain lesions
(4) diaphragmatic irritation
plus others
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