The "Hic-Cup" hiccup-curing gadget

Everyone's got their own "cure" for hiccups (we've found drinking water through a paper towel until you're just about to pass out to be particularly effective) but few have tried to cash in, er, help others with their homebrew remedies. Not so for the creator of the punnily-dubbed Hic-Cup, which promises to instantly stop hiccups, otherwise known as Singultus, for the low, low introductory price of $24.97. The key to the Hic-Cup is apparently the natural "galvanic action" that occurs when you drink water or juice from the cup while the brass rod touches your cheek and temple, which should only be slightly less embarrassing than the hiccups themselves. While supposedly safe and pain-free, the company does warn people not to use it if they have a pacemaker or other electrical implant. If that doesn't deter ya, you can get your orders in now -- or try Grampy Engadget's sure-fire method above. Seriously people, it works!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[sockatume @ Aug 2nd 2006 5:54AM]

If the cup were properly electrified I'm sure it would be more effective. It would also explain their warning about electrical implants...

[Alex @ Aug 2nd 2006 5:57AM]

Huh, that's nice! ;)

[Justin France @ Aug 2nd 2006 6:22AM]

Uh, just breathe in and out deeply, in a slow, regulated fashion.

Diaphragm and lungs are out of sync... I love gadgets, even in leiu of common sense... but this a bit ridiculous.

[Herman @ Aug 2nd 2006 7:29AM]

Try to remember what you had for diner during the last week almost always does it for me.

[Sim @ Aug 2nd 2006 7:42AM]

A real cure i have seen to always work is to hold your arms up above oyu in the air and get a willing volunteer to feed you water from a cup. Et voila, done.

[Jeff Goebel @ Aug 2nd 2006 7:45AM]

Hehhe... Every time I read a new hiccup cure I laugh. This one is especially funny. How often do you get hiccups in your own kitchen and nowhere else.

Can you imagine... Oh.. I have the hiccups. Lets drive home and get my cup! hehehehe

At one time, my own cure was #1 on google. Every hiccup cure is THE SAME cure. They're all in your head... so just think youyr cure away.

[Mark @ Aug 2nd 2006 7:48AM]

Now this i have got to have seeing as i get the hiccups all the time, yeah no need to try scare myself anymore.

[LS @ Aug 2nd 2006 7:59AM]

so in other words, drink water from the opposite side of the cup - man I was told that years ago by an old wife.

it aint so easy to do, and it doesnt always cure the hiccups, and sometimes you dribble down your top, but at least you arent being screwed to the tune of 25 bucks for something anyone with a cup and some water can do for nowt

[Casey @ Aug 2nd 2006 8:01AM]

Here's the best cure... It's not a self-cure, but it has worked every single time I've used it on someone else.

Tell a person who has the hiccups that you will give him/her $5 if they hiccup again. Never fails.

[Eric @ Aug 2nd 2006 8:38AM]

"gavanic action"... or as mother said. "Rusts in your mouth, not in your hands"

http://metals.about.com/library/bldef-Galvanic-Action.htm

[inthesphere @ Aug 2nd 2006 8:51AM]

Drink water with your ears plugged. 100% effective!

[dmd @ Aug 2nd 2006 9:33AM]

So this cure absolutely works, but you don't need the hipcup and it has nothing to do with "galvanic action". Get a metal spoon (anything cold works), hold it against your temple, and slowly drink a glass of water. I've been using this cure since I was a child and it works every time.

[DarkFader @ Aug 2nd 2006 10:07AM]

Really... all you need is a bit of concentration.

[dmd @ Aug 2nd 2006 10:10AM]

This works but you don't need the hic-cup. Take something cold (I use a metal spoon), put it on your temple, and then drink a glass of water slowly. Works every time.

[zoara @ Aug 2nd 2006 11:34AM]

A teaspoon of malt vinegar. Trust me.

...and you don't need to be in your own kitchen; I've used this in a bar once. They thought I was a bit mad though.

[Mike H @ Aug 2nd 2006 11:41AM]

A shot glass of sugar (both items readily available at the bar) works for me!!!

[James Floss @ Aug 2nd 2006 12:35PM]

This is what really works every time: get a glass of water and keep swallowing tiny gulps continuously and slowly. Your controlled swallowing stops the hiccups spasms and allows the muscles to relax. If hiccups return after a bit, just do it again. I was once paniced after two days of the hiccups and tried most folk remedies until I found this tip on a medical site. It works!

[con @ Aug 2nd 2006 12:35PM]

Try taking deep breaths into and out of a paper bag, pressed tightly around your nose and mouth...

[Chris @ Aug 2nd 2006 12:39PM]

I was starting to wondering if hiccups could never be cured. hahaha

[LukeA @ Aug 2nd 2006 1:48PM]

Basically anything that relaxes your diaphragm will stop hiccups. Just a few deep breaths or some concentration will do it.

[Tracy L @ Aug 2nd 2006 3:17PM]

Thanks Zoara, that one worked great!

After 5 minutes of dry heaving I got up off the floor, brushed my teeth twice, gargled 3 times, and chewed a whole pack of Dentyne Ice (plastic and all). Sure enough when I was done the hiccups were gone!

[Sp-----K @ Aug 2nd 2006 3:47PM]

It's the easiest thing to cure!!!! When you get the hiccups just go whack off..... Well, maybe your hiccups wont go away but it's a good waste of time while you have them. WOOHOO!!!! Sp.......>K

[Grimbus @ Aug 2nd 2006 4:46PM]

Basically like Mike H said - just dry-swallow a big tablespoonful of sugar. Don't know why it works, bt it sure as hell does. I was skeptical, but damned if they didn't immediately depart.

Same remedy cures unfriendly horses.

[Peter @ Aug 2nd 2006 4:49PM]

Every hiccup cure that works involves stimulation of the Vagus nerve. This device seems to do it by bio-electric stimulation.

[Tony @ Aug 2nd 2006 9:27PM]

How effing ironic...I get the hiccups while reading the sie then stumble across this article.

[Nathan @ Aug 2nd 2006 9:43PM]

Swallow a spoon of petroleum jelly. Hic-cups are caused by irritation.

[Ian @ Aug 2nd 2006 10:04PM]

Drinking from the opposite side of a glass has worked EVERY time for me. Well, it works at least for a few hours. Just yesterday I had the worst hiccups at work, was keeping me from doing anything, I got my water bottle and drank from the opposite side, bending over at the waste, and they dissapeared.

[Peter @ Aug 2nd 2006 11:49PM]

This Hic-Cup cup works well according to this:

http://hiccuphell.blogspot.com/

[MSR Consulting @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:13AM]

I had always assumed that it was a widely known cure, but when I read all these comments and then did a quick search I guess it's not. My father used to do this for us kids when we were young and I've done it for everyone I know and now my own son. Don't know how many hundreds of times that has been but it has never failed to work.

A heaping teaspoon of peanut butter.

Note that I've tried sugar as well before, it seemed to work....but the peanut butter sure is more tasty.

Cheers

[Sandi @ Aug 6th 2006 8:16PM]

A hiccup cure that is free, and works. Swallow 1 tsp. of sugar. I promise it works

[maddie @ Aug 6th 2006 8:22PM]

When i was little we used to hold our breath for about 30 seconds to get rid of the hiccups. it worked almost every time. But when i got older the method turned to crap. i was suprised not seeing this method here. huh.

[Dr. Breathless @ Aug 6th 2006 8:41PM]

very simple, hiccups are irregular pattern in breathing so just take in a big amount of air and swallow it three times without taking another amount in and your regular pattern will come back. practice! feel it! it is like reverse hiccups right! and they will be gone I'll take $25 for my cure.

[billy @ Aug 6th 2006 8:50PM]

Sandi is right....my wife told me when I get the hic cups to take a packet....or teaspoon to tablespoon of sugar and dissolve it in your mouth. Its the ONLY real cure that I have found for hic cups.Try it....u might be suprised and not look like an idiot with a metal cup to your face!!!

[Linda @ Aug 6th 2006 8:53PM]

Just like Mike H., Grimbus, and Sandi said....just swallow ONE dry TEASPOON of sugar (refined or raw) and the hiccups will stop. You can even keep a sugar packet from Dunkin Donuts in your car for emergencies, but please don't try this until you pull over :)

[David M. @ Aug 6th 2006 9:31PM]

From the KING of Hiccups! No one suffers from Hiccups more than I do. I have been thrown out of restaurants (in more than one country!) and have embarrassed myself on more than one occassion because of the sheer volume that comes with the noise I create. I used to get them for as many as three days ata time, UNTIL... a lady couldn't take the sound anymore one day at our beach club, and said "here take this!" It was nothing other than a spoon full of Jelly. The slow disolving sugary mix, relaxed the muscles inside the throat which released the hiccups from occurring. It has worked for me "the King Of Hiccups", it will work for you! Good luck!

[Wendy @ Aug 6th 2006 9:32PM]

Definitely a teaspoon of sugar. I started using this (although in a much smaller quantity) on my children more than 20 years ago. It has never NOT worked on anyone who has tried it that I have witnessed! Sorry, but I wouldn't spend my $$ on a silly looking contraption when I have a fail-safe, very inexpensive, proven, "cure"!

[virginia @ Aug 6th 2006 9:46PM]

just hold your breath. because it is your diaphragm getting upset. or drink a cup of water.

[Jms @ Aug 6th 2006 10:10PM]

Dr. Breathless' cure works for me. Deep breath, hold it, swallow thrice without releasing the air. I can confirm that it works.

[k humphryes @ Aug 6th 2006 10:24PM]

when my children have the hiccups and can't stop them on their own, i always look at them and say, "Hiccup for me" and voila! since they are trying to hiccup for me, they can't! so far it has worked all the time.

[cindy garcia @ Aug 6th 2006 10:37PM]

put a straw long ways in your mouth and drink a glass of water. works every time been doing it for over 25 years and has not failed me or others as of yet.

[Tori @ Aug 6th 2006 10:50PM]

Wow. I always find a spoonfull of sugar a reaaly good (and sweet) remidy. Coincidentally, that was a Mary Poppins song. :)

[Jennifer @ Aug 6th 2006 10:51PM]

I don't believe it!!! They're just trying to get us to by their gadget.

[Mary @ Aug 6th 2006 11:02PM]

This has worked for our family since I was a child, and for everyone I have told about it. A dr. I once worked for said the hiccoughs are caused by air under the diaphragm and this releases it, don't know if that's true or not....but it works. Take a glass of water and hold your breath, start swallowing it slowly (taking several drinks) while still holding your breath and count to 10 (either backwards from 10 or from 1-10), work better for me counting backwards. If that doesn't do it, count to 15. Sounds like you would have to breathe before you get through but you don't. I think its the holding your breath and swallowing to relax the diaphragm and the concentration on counting that does it. Good luck! :)

[Aimee @ Aug 6th 2006 11:02PM]

Hiccups are basically a spasm... I have tried water at some point yes they do work however i dont get normal hiccups... I get the ones that HURT... it feels like my chest is caving in with every spasm but someone told me about a month ago how to stop them and it was something simple as tickling the roof of my mouth with my tongue...it causes the spasm to relax and it simply stops...

[Ruby @ Aug 6th 2006 11:20PM]

Mu hubby taught me this: Fill an 8oz glass, one that is actually GLASS, hold a very large knife tip under it, and down the water while staring at the knife tip.. I thoght he was nuts, but it works.

[Ruby @ Aug 6th 2006 11:23PM]

If you don't like the knife under the glass idea, my uncle just swallows a tablespoon of horseradish while holding his nose. I leave that one up to y'all.

[mimi @ Aug 6th 2006 11:28PM]

No hiccup cure is 100%, since they are a spasm of the phrenic nerve, which innervates the (hemi-)diaphragm. If you can stop the spasm, hiccups are gone. Some people have an abnormality of the diaphragm and/or phrenic nerve(s) and they have chronic (recurring) hiccups, or those that never go away. MOST hiccups can be "cured" by the methods all of you described, just luck of the draw as to when the spasm stops!!!! If you can make a buck off that, GO AHEAD!!!

[jaclyn @ Aug 6th 2006 11:43PM]

TAKE TEN SIPS OR SO OF WATER, JUICE, TEA, ETC FAST WITHOUT STOPPING FOR A BREATH. IT REALLY WORKS. TRY IT NEXT TIME, IT'S BETER THEN PAYING FOR A $25 CUP. IT WORKS FOR ME AND EVERYONE I HAVE TOLD. FEEL CONFIDENT IT'LL WORK FOR YOU IF DONE RIGHT,

[Cathy @ Aug 6th 2006 11:49PM]

I swear I'm going to get the hiccups just from laughing so hard! :-)

[Average Joe @ Aug 7th 2006 12:00AM]

ok i just kida stumpled on this when i was trying to get rid of hick ups once what i did is i held my breath and i listened to my heart beat and then i started breathing in and out with every beat i did that about 10-15 times and it worked for me. oh and if the person hasnt been asked this before you can also ask someone when the last time they saw a white horse. but for me being a huge lord of the rings fan i didnt work but the first time i was asked.