Abstract
Dexamethasone, one of the key medications for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), may cause hiccups as an adverse effect. In this case series, we present five patients who developed hiccups after receiving dexamethasone for CINV. We successfully switched dexamethasone to an equipotent dosage of either methylprednisolone or prednisolone, which resolved the hiccups while maintaining adequate control of CINV. This was achieved without changing the rest of the antiemetic regimen, chemotherapy doses, or the use of other medications such as baclofen, haloperidol, and metoclopramide for hiccups. Further studies on switching dexamethasone to alternative corticosteroids in patients developing hiccups after administration of dexamethasone are warranted.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 625-630 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Journal of pain and symptom management |
Volume | 43 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 2012 |
Keywords
- Dexamethasone
- corticosteroid rotation
- hiccup
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Nursing
- Clinical Neurology
- Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine