Wellness

[blackhole99]

Is your mother a mouth breather, she may be swallowing alot of air. I know it sounds bogus, but have her drink some warm water out of a glass with a stainless steel spoon in it. I have seen this method work for many people with hiccups, it's  from an article I read in Prevention Magazine in the 70's. It's not easy when you have an elderly relative who is noncompliant, what's worse is the law will be on her side every time. Good luck.

[Moonchilde]

No specific advice to offer, but I know that chronic hiccups are not rare, and can be due to several things. Whatever doctor she sees should understand they are chronic, and should understand just how long they have been occurring, because chronic causes are often different and the dictor should be aware up front.

Chronic hiccups really bother most people and that's why they seek treatment. Interesting that it's apparently not bothering your mother much.

Google 'chronic hiccups' and to see if any possible causes ring a bell.

[sfnative]

@CatsyCline

Though I've already chimed in, am wondering how your mother is doing at present.

I'll be blunt here in reference to 3 months of hiccups: this could be the manifestation of something not at all good.  (Talking about diseases here.)

Am praying that your mother will finally choose to have the appropriate evaluations which are very much required - STAT.

[CatsyCline]

@sfnative    thank you for asking. mom had an ultrasound of her abomen and nothing was found.   when she presented with her abdominal  pain issues her PCP originally treated her for GERD and gave her one of the "oles" PPI. then she saw her Cardio doc and had the stress tests and the results were normal.  then they ordered the aforemnentioned ultrsaound.

last Thursday after her doctor appointment with the PCP she had a CT scan with a contrast drink. she is to see her PCP this thursday.   i cannot get her to be proactive about learning the results!  i talked with her Firday, she said they are not in the office Fridays. i asked agian Saturday but she just digs her heels in further.  i cannot get them because she only lists my sister on the HIPAA forms becuase when she fills out these forms she only know my sisters phone #.  my sister is in FL. she has my phone number in her cell phone but i have showed her how to get the number but she refused to learn how to do it.

   i suggested she call 911 if she has pain again - she is so worried about the neighbors and sirens and  the ambulance.   she asks everyone she knows what they think rather than be at that doctor's office right quick asking those questions.   and my being there means zip becuase i have been there with her at dr appointments and she thinks it is social hour with her doctors.  

i had to do the heavy lifting when she had her hip pinned last spring. i gave her surgeon the business and she was upset that i asked him and TOLD him to see her at a different location for a second  follow-up becuase the medical building their office was in is a joke! for patients recovering from hip surgery thay make them go on a hike to get to the office! the practice was just a surgery mill with 5 different locations.   they wanted to do hip replacemnet and she was still recovering.  i had to ask for a wheelchair for her, they were like, wtf! the building was not set up for non-ambulatory patients and the office staff was so clueless!  i don't say this lightly but  i was incredulous that they would have patients for hip replacement and expect to navigate stairs and curbs.

i will have to go there (home) at some point soon but i am also recuperating from toe surgery which is a nightmare in itself

[sfnative]

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@ashleigh dupray wrote:

@sfnative    thank you for asking. mom had an ultrasound of her abomen and nothing was found.   when she presented with her abdominal  pain issues her PCP originally treated her for GERD and gave her one of the "oles" PPI. then she saw her Cardio doc and had the stress tests and the results were normal.  then they ordered the aforemnentioned ultrsaound.

last Thursday after her doctor appointment with the PCP she had a CT scan with a contrast drink. she is to see her PCP this thursday.   i cannot get her to be proactive about learning the results!  i talked with her Firday, she said they are not in the office Fridays. i asked agian Saturday but she just digs her heels in further.  i cannot get them because she only lists my sister on the HIPAA forms becuase when she fills out these forms she only know my sisters phone #.  my sister is in FL. she has my phone number in her cell phone but i have showed her how to get the number but she refused to learn how to do it.

   i suggested she call 911 if she has pain again - she is so worried about the neighbors and sirens and  the ambulance.   she asks everyone she knows what they think rather than be at that doctor's office right quick asking those questions.   and my being there means zip becuase i have been there with her at dr appointments and she thinks it is social hour with her doctors.  

i had to do the heavy lifting when she had her hip pinned last spring. i gave her surgeon the business and she was upset that i asked him and TOLD him to see her at a different location for a second  follow-up becuase the medical building their office was in is a joke! for patients recovering from hip surgery thay make them go on a hike to get to the office! the practice was just a surgery mill with 5 different locations.   they wanted to do hip replacemnet and she was still recovering.  i had to ask for a wheelchair for her, they were like, wtf! the building was not set up for non-ambulatory patients and the office staff was so clueless!  i don't say this lightly but  i was incredulous that they would have patients for hip replacement and expect to navigate stairs and curbs.

i will have to go there (home) at some point soon but i am also recuperating from toe surgery which is a nightmare in itself

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@CatsyCline

Ashley,

Great information.  So glad to hear your Mother had a CT with contrast.  (Cheering over here.)  I'm sure that follow-up with her doc can't be here soon enough for all involved.  God Bless for a good outcome.

I am genuinely sorry for all of the challenges you've had to deal with.  It seems unending at times, doesn't it?

Re your phone number and your mother's difficulty:  I had that problem with my grandmother and so went to Kinko's. Before I went there, I typed my name, relationship to my grandmother, my address, day phone and evening phone, then signed it at the bottom.  I made it so it was the size of a credit card.  That way my grandmother could slip it into her wallet.  At Kinko's I asked them to laminate it and trim the edges so they were rounded.  This worked out really, really well.

(Having had toe surgery myself, I understand what you may be going through post-op and hope recovery proceeds as expected and that you have no issues.)

[AnotherView2]

My elderly brother-in-law had kidney surgery last year and had continuous hiccuping afterward for at least a week and half until he could get in to see a gastroenterologist who told him that hiccups could result from an operation and the anesthesia involved. He was able to cure him although I'm not sure what he did...medication I think.  Check into that.

[LTT1]

@CatsyCline

Wondering how your mom is doing?

When your parent or family member won't cooperate with you, IMO it helps if you can enlist the help of either the medical people or another family member.

If these approaches fail, and if the patient refuses to cooperate with you, then sadly what else can you do (if the patient is of sound mind.) 

I can sympathesize with your feelings of frustration because we have been dealing with the same situation for a number of years. (((hugs)))

[Nonametoday]

There are some very serious conditions that present with hiccups as a warning.  Please see that your mother is checked by a competent physician tout suite.

[CatsyCline]

thank you to all who offerred help and suggestions!  my Mom got the results of her CT scan and it showed inflammation and appears to be Diverticulitis . so she needs to see a Gastroenterologist.  she has had a colonoscopy from a Gastro she likes and he is nearby. i don't know how they check for Diverticulosis?  Lower GI?  she had a clear drink for the CT scan.  is that Barium? 

her PCP wants her to eat a bland, soft diet and avoid corn, seeds, nuts.  she really loves popcorn, all kinds of nuts so they are a no-no.

i hope she takes it easy on foods becuase she hates to feel deprived.  she was already complaining about eating mashed potatos. she eats a ton of cheese and she likes rich soups like lobster bisque.  the night she had the abdominal pain she had lamb stew for dinner but also a chocolate bar with nuts in it.  i think the nuts were the culprit.

hopefully she will take it easy on the rich stuff until we learn more. she's 85 but quite feisty!  her car tires were frozen to the snow and she told me she rocked the car back and forth until the tires got "un stuck".  the she went to her Dr appointment!