Are hiccups a side effect of anesthesia?

Some people develop hiccups after undergoing general anesthesia or after procedures that involve abdominal organs.

What do hiccups mean after surgery?

Hiccups following surgery are thought to come from a mild injury to this nerve caused by the tube used to help the patient breathe during the operation. Damage to certain parts of the brain — because of trauma or disease — can also cause hiccups. Toxins, most commonly alcohol, can do it. So can stress.

What causes constant hiccups after surgery?

Hansen and Rosenberg reported that patients often developed hiccups within 1 to 4 days after abdominal surgery, and that persistent postoperative hiccups could develop if a patient experienced stimulation or expansion of the stomach, a metabolic disorder, electrolyte imbalance, subphrenic abscess, or infection near the …

How do you stop hiccups after anesthesia?

Pharmacological treatments include anticonvulsants (i.e., phenytoin, carbamazepine, and valproic acid), gamma-aminobutyric acid analogues (i.e., baclofen and gabapentin), and dopamine receptor antagonists (i.e., haloperidol, metoclopramide, and chlorpromazine).

What anesthesia causes hiccups?

Epidural injections of anesthetics may cause persistent hiccups solely due to change in the cerebrospinal fluid volume. Hiccups during the postoperative period can complicate the recovery phase through sleep disturbance, exhaustion, and wound dehiscence.

Are hiccups normal after sedation?

Drug-induced hiccups are uncommon, but anesthetics and sedative agents, such as benzodiazepines, opioids, and intravenous general anesthesia drugs, are suspected agents in cases of drug-induced hiccups[15].

Can propofol cause hiccups?

Propofol is not commonly known to cause hiccups; the package insert reports the incidence of hiccups at <1\%.

Should I go to the hospital for hiccups?

A person should see a doctor if the hiccups become chronic and persistent (if they last more than 3 hours), or if they affect sleeping patterns, interfere with eating, or cause reflux of food or vomiting. Hiccups is rarely a medical emergency.

When should you go to the hospital for hiccups?

Hiccups is rarely a medical emergency. If hiccups last for more than 3 hours, occur with severe abdominal pain, fever, shortness of breath, vomiting, spitting up blood, or feeling as if the throat is going to close up, the person should seek medical attention.

Does propofol cause hiccups?

Why do you get hiccups after surgery?

During surgical procedures, it’s required to administer anesthetic drugs so that the patient feels no pain during the surgery. These basic anesthetic drugs cause an inflammation on the vagus nerve which works the diaphragm. The inflammation translates to hiccups in the post-operative patient.

How long do hiccups after anesthesia last?

Hiccups that are triggered by anesthesia drugs are usually chronic spasms. Normal hiccups can last from a few minutes up to a few hours. However, chronic hiccups can last for over 48 hours, or in some cases longer than a month.

How will I Wake Up from anesthesia after surgery?

The response to anesthesia after surgery is unique to the individual. Some wake up easily and with no unpleasant symptoms, others wake confused, agitated or nauseated. The best predictor for how you will wake from anesthesia is how you woke the last time you had it.

What are the side effects of general anesthesia after surgery?

Side Effects of General Anesthesia: What to Expect. Once surgery is done and anesthesia medications are stopped, you’ll slowly wake up in the operating room or recovery room. You’ll probably feel groggy and a bit confused. You may also feel any of these common side effects: Nausea and vomiting.