Treatment of Chemotherapy-related Hiccups With Baclofen

Hiccup is due to paroxysmal paralysis of the diaphragm, sudden inhalation of gas accompanied by rapid glottis closure and a short high‐pitched sound, commonly known as "snoring", is one of the common adverse reactions of chemotherapy. Intractable hiccups seriously affect the rest and eating of patients, reduce the quality of life, and increasingly attract the attention of oncologists. At present, the drugs or methods used in the treatment of chemotherapy‐related hiccups mainly include chlorpromazine, Ritalin, diazepam, phenacetin, metoclopramide and traditional Chinese medicine, but these drugs or treatments usually have poor efficacy and short remission time. The adverse reactions were serious and the clinical use was not satisfactory. Baclofen is a gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) derivative that activates the GABA‐β receptor, inhibits the release of excitatory neurotransmitters, and reduces monosynaptic or multisynaptic transmission in the spinal cord. Skeletal muscle relaxation, originally used in patients with spinal cord injury, is gradually used to treat intractable hiccups caused by diaphragmatic spasm. This study was an open‐label, randomized, prospective study comparing the efficacy and adverse effects of baclofen versus metoclopramide in the treatment of chemotherapy‐related hiccups. Patients with hiccup after chemotherapy were randomly divided into two groups. One group was treated with baclofen and the other group was treated with metoclopramide. The efficacy and adverse reactions of the two groups were compared.Ineffective in the two groups will cross to another group and then observe the efficacy.