Q. Here is a remedy for hiccups we learned from an Australian friend. Press a penny on the hiccuper’s forehead while the person takes a breath and holds it for ten to twenty seconds.
Over the years I’ve tried this remedy about six times and it’s worked every time.
A. We have not encountered this Australian hiccup remedy before, but it could be worth a try. Other simple approaches include swallowing a spoonful of granulated sugar, drinking water from the far side of the glass and drinking water while someone stands behind you and presses on your ear flaps (tragus).
One reader reported: “I have been a bartender for almost 30 years. I found the lemon, bitters and sugar (yes, all three) in the mid 90s and it has worked on every single person but one. That’s a 99 percent cure rate.
“Here’s another: Stand up, bend over and drink a glass of water from the other side. This has about a 75 percent cure rate, but it’s much more fun to watch!”
Another reader recently shared this one:
“Years ago while eating in a restaurant I started hiccupping badly. I asked the bartender for his suggestion and he gave me a slice of lime with a few drops of Angostura bitters. I sucked on the lime as instructed and the hiccups stopped immediately.”
And, of course, there is always chocolate. There are even more hiccup remedies in our book, The People’s Pharmacy Quick & Handy Home Remedies.
“I hate hiccups, so since then I have always kept a fresh lime and a bottle of bitters on hand. This remedy has never failed me. I have tried the lime alone and the bitters alone–neither worked but the combination works like magic.”
