Reta and the hiccups from hell!

HealDad761

HealDad761

Active member
TL;DR:

Anyone else have awful hiccups on reta? Any advice?

Long version:

Around the start of September, I started getting crazy hiccups. They seem related to the Reta.

It started September 1st. I had upped my dose from 5mg to 7mg the previous week and was feeling great, losing weight, digestion was good... then I ate a huge meal (and some junk food) and POW, four hours of hiccups. Stopped... then I had a whole pizza the next night, and they came back. Not as bad that time.

Then on Sept 10th, after a good week of eating, I had another pizza, almost on purpose to see if the hiccups would come back. They did, for five hours and worse than before. So I figured, okay: no more huge meals, especially fatty stuff like pizza.

That worked for about a week.

Then, on Sept 16th, the hiccups came back even though I'd been eating healthy, small portions, my normal foods. I thought it was only from overeating. But no, they came back bad. So I lowered my dose back to 5mg, which I was on before with no issues.

But they haven't stopped. Every day since Sept 16th I've had at least some hiccups. Sometimes painful, loud, violent. As I type this, my diaphragm is spasming every few seconds, sometimes big contractions that make me shriek.

I can't deal with this in public. I was on a train and couldn't stop. Embarrassing and painful.

I've searched Reddit and this forum... found one similar thread, but it seems rare. I've lost about 35lbs since July, and I'm terrified of having to quit Reta because of this weird side effect.

Why would it suddenly get so much worse two weeks ago, even with a lower dose and better eating?
Any ideas on treatment?
I've tried regular antacids (calcium carbonate) and a daily acid reducer (omeprazole 20mg), but they do nothing.
Home remedies like cold water, sugar, and holding my breath don't work either.
What HAS helped sometimes:
1. Messing with my throat/gag reflex... sometimes I can stop them by sticking my finger down my throat (not puking).
2. It seems tied to stress. They often restart when I'm frustrated. For example, last night my AC remote died, I got annoyed, and got three more hours of hiccups.

Thanks for reading this. I'm desperate and really need help.
 
Found a few posts on Meso, can't believe I didn't check there. Thanks!

Links for anyone else:

GLPs and Hiccups <-- This person says thorazine stopped his hiccups. I'll check that out.
Hiccup Hell
Someone named User verylargeshoes said they posted a story about Reta hiccups but I couldn't find it.
 
I get them too! Not as much now. They're loud and deep, like you said, and they can hurt.

I think it's worse if I eat too fast. I figure it's just my digestion not liking the GLP.

Holding my breath is the only thing that helps. Sometimes it takes a few tries, but if I can get a good deep breath and hold it as long as I can, they go away.
 
I've always had painful, uncontrollable, loud hiccups when I overeat. Now with Sema, it doesn't take much to trigger them, so I have to be careful not to overeat. Sometimes that means a single soft pretzel is my whole meal. Like, I'll sit down with a pretzel, a little salad, and a protein shake. Then I eat the pretzel and can't eat the healthy stuff.

Luckily, I don't feel as hungry or have the strong cravings as I once did. But I need to remember to get enough protein and not just fill up on junk food all the time.

Gagging makes it stop for me. I don't need to throw up, just stick my finger down my throat until I gag a few times. I know it's not healthy, but when they're really bad, I gotta do something.
 
Try splitting your doses. I had hiccups so bad they lasted over a day. Didn't sleep at all one night, and when they finally stopped, I took a day off work just to sleep. Even a small meal would set them off again. Took about 4 days to get rid of them completely. Deep breaths and holding them helped temporarily. Fill your lungs as much as you can, then take tiny sips of air until they're so full your diaphragm can't move. Hold it until it hurts, then do it again right away. You have to force it to reset.
 
First, see a doctor if you haven't already, and maybe get some anti-nausea meds. There might be something else going on with your stomach. A basic checkup is a good idea.

Second, stop the Reta completely until the hiccups are gone, don't just lower the dose. Then restart very slowly at a lower dose than before, and consider splitting the doses to minimize spikes in drug levels. Like, take a smaller dose 2 or 3 times a week that adds up to less than what you were taking before. Maximum drug levels happen about 24 hours after a dose, and blood levels keep increasing for up to a month after a dose increase. That makes it hard to figure out the right dose vs. side effects.

You might be able to increase the dose later, but go very slowly. Side effects from GLP meds are usually worst 2-4 months after starting, then slowly improve, but it varies a lot.

I had terrible nausea from Ozempic at tiny doses that didn't get better after a year. I switched to tirzepatide and had basically zero side effects at 15mg/week. Tirzepatide would be a better choice than semaglutide if you have to switch because the hiccups keep coming back, based on their effect on the gp-1 receptor, which is the one that causes nausea.
 
This is a long shot, but try drinking Pedialyte and taking a good multivitamin. Painful hiccups can be caused by low nutrients or electrolytes. It won't hurt to try.
 
I need to watch for this when I switch to Reta. I only get bad hiccups when I drink alcohol. It's usually a sign I've had too much.

Since being on GLPs, I hardly drink anymore.

Anyway, hiccups... I'll pay attention.
 
Interesting read. I'm thinking about making the jump to Reta, from Tirzepatide. Wife is using it, and she loves it. Maybe I should be mindful of the hiccup side effect. I've never had it, or maybe I just don't realize I'm having them.
 
My wife had awesome results with Reta, like 60lbs in about 8 months. Almost no stomach issues. The glucagon part of Reta gives me some anxiety/insomnia, though, even at low doses. I need to drop maybe 20lbs. Did it before without GLPs, but a little appetite help would be nice. Not sure if I want to try Tirz again, or just stick to discipline.
 
HealDad761 said:
Update: The Pedialyte didn't do anything. The hiccups are still here, maybe worse today. Ugh.
Click to expand...

Time to see the doc and talk about anti-nausea meds, like I said before. Don't suffer in silence!
 
Started March 21 at 30st 4 (BMI 69), down to 14st 2.6 or 198lb (BMI 32) today. Couldn't be happier with myself and my fitness right now. Exercise isn't needed for weight loss but cardiovascular health definitely, so it's been key for me. Went from 5XL to smalls in everything.
 
with your dilution of 2ml into a 12mg vial, you're at 6mg/ml. 10 units means 0.6mg, not 150mcg. think back through your other doses and adjust the math so you can track what you actually took.
 
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