I was at a bar recently and couldn’t shake the hiccups.
My usual method is drinking upside down, which works 9 times out of 10 (not a bad record, me thinks). Of course, it looks pretty damn weird, since you have to sorta bend forward and drink from the opposite side of the glass… but if it helps, I honestly couldn’t care less.
This time, it didn’t work. The bartender gave me a slice of lemon that he dashed with bitters and sprinkled on some sugar. Surprisingly, it almost immediately took care of it.
Does anyone have an explanation for this particular method or care to share your own?
My personal cure is physical. I take a breath and hold it, then scrunch over so my diaphragm is completely compressed. It works quickly for me maybe 19 times out of 20.
Have a friend stop up both your ears with their fingers and drink any liquid, or if you don’t have a friend to stop up your ears, take a nice sip of something, keep it in your cheeks, and then cover your ears while swallowing it. Very effective cure, much more effective than drinking water out of the “wrong side” of the glass.
When I was a teenager, I had a case of the hiccoughs that lasted TWO FREAKING WEEKS! Ever since (and that was a loooooooong time ago!) the first hiccough always scares the bejeezus out of me!
But I have found one cure that ALWAYS works for me! Lay flat on a bed with your head hanging over the side. Put your arms over your head and relax your diaphragm. Breathe as shallow and slowly as possible for several minutes. When there are no more hiccoughs, slowly breathe deeper, then get up. They’re gone! Works for me every single time! And I try very hard not to get hiccoughs when I can’t access a bed. '-)
A spoonful of undissolved sugar (don’t let it dissolve in your mouth before swallowing).
Edited to add: I’d imagine salt or even sand would work, but would be rather unpleasant. And I don’t plan on carrying a small bag of sand around with me.