Q. My father has been plagued with hiccups at all hours of the day or night. His physician gave him samples of medications to try, but none worked. A friend of mine told me many years ago that a teaspoon of sugar stops hiccups. This is the only remedy that has worked. It is immediate and can last for hours. Sugar packets are easy to carry, too.
A. We found this simple remedy published in the New England Journal of Medicine (Dec. 23, 1971) and have been recommending it ever since. Anyone who has prolonged hiccups, however, should have a diagnostic workup to rule out a serious medical condition.
