9 Hiccup Home Remedies

Anti-hiccup methods abound and are passed on from generation to generation. Many people swear by drinking a glass of water—sitting upside down or sipping from the opposite side of the glass. Others take refuge in a tablespoon of sugar or peanut butter. Whatever your favorite strategy, if you find yourself desperate to stop the hiccups, here are ten less common solutions suggested by readers on MSN Health & Fitness message boards.

9. Yum! Dill Pickle Juice!

Drinking a quarter cup of the juice from a jar of dill pickles works amazingly well. If that's not available, mix a little bit of vinegar and salt in a little water.—Posted by passing_shadow, April 25, 2006

Tastier alternative: Swallow a teaspoon of unsweetened lemon or lime juice.

8. Marshmallow Madness

You don't have to hold your breath while doing it or stand on your head, just chew up and swallow one large marshmallow.—Posted by drhartman2020, August 5, 2006

Even better: Try a tablespoon or two of ice cream.

7. It Works for the Dog

Here is a sure-fire way to cure some else’s hiccups: Place your hands on either side of the person's face and instruct them to look directly into the pupils of your eyes. Hold their face (and stare) for 15-30 seconds and the hiccups will be gone. This also works when one of my dogs gets the hiccups.—Posted by yankeebit, October 25, 2006

6. Teenage Pregnancy

I was hiccupping all over the mall when my daughter (then 19) said: “Mom, I'm pregnant." My hiccups stopped and my daughter laughed and said she really wasn't pregnant.—Posted by bexxter, August 5, 2006

5. In a Pinch

Take two fingers and pinch the cleft above your upper lip together, hard but not to the point where it’s painful. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds. This will disrupt the nerve impulses sent to the diaphragm that cause it to spasm.—Posted by VoodooVane, September 7, 2006

4. Healing Hiccup Breath

Sit in a chair with your head in your lap. Breathe slowly through your mouth and slowly count to 20.—Posted by dreadre, April 17, 2006

For type-A personalities: My relief from hiccups is to use my stomach muscles and force the air up so I can belch. Once the air is out, no more hiccups.—Posted by asoftballnut on April 25, 2006.

3.  Get an Earful

My kids love getting the hiccups just so we can get rid of them! We get a small glass of water and I hold my palms over their ears so no air can get in or out, while they drink as much of the water as they can without taking in air through their nose or mouth.—Posted by Miss Direct on April 28, 2006

When no one's around to help you: Rub your earlobes.

2. Visualize This

My favorite way is to think very hard about the last time I saw a bunny rabbit. This also helps other people. If they answer too quickly, ask what color the bunny was, if it was a baby or an adult, etc.—Posted by VampireSlim8807 on May 9, 2006

Other readers suggest thinking of: a white horse, a cow in a green pasture, a frog, your middle name, ten bald men (one man at a time).

1.  If All Else Fails, Try Hiccuping

When I get a hic, I aim to quickly force out another one from my diaphragm. If another one comes, I aim for three quick ones in a row. I can count on zero fingers the times when I contorted my body and tried to force out four fresh hiccups and even got to enjoy three of them. The key is to really struggle to make yourself hiccup. It can't be done.—Posted by The Only 100 Percent Hiccup Cure on October 19, 2006

To cure other people: Tell the person with hiccups: "I'll give you twenty dollars if you hiccup again."—Posted by nikki, August 5, 2006.

Find More Crazy Cures on MSN Health & Fitness:

• What's Your Remedy for Hiccups?
• What Are Your Crazy Cures and Old Wives' Tales?
• Crazy Cures That Work
• I Sing the Body Eccentric: Hiccups, Twitches and Other Body Oddities Explained