Persistent Hiccups Associated With Intravenous Corticosteroid Therapy

Singulata, commonly known as hiccups, have many causes and are most often idiopathic and short-lived. Occasionally, hiccups can be persistent and becoming quite bothersome, distracting, and even disabling. Many medications have been implicated as a cause of hiccups. Although uncommon, corticosteroids and benzodiazepines are 2 classes of drugs most frequently associated with the development of hiccups. The following case series describes 5 patients with intravenous corticosteroid-associated hiccups reported to our adverse drug reaction reporting system between January 1998 and December 2000. Physicians using intravenous corticosteroids should be aware of this potential complication.