There is a lack of trial evidence to support the use of drug treatment for hiccups.

• CKS only identified one randomized controlled trial of a treatment for hiccups (a crossover trial of four people treated with either baclofen or placebo) [Ramirez and Graham, 1992]. The results should be interpreted with caution, given the small number of trial participants, the subjective nature of the assessment of the severity of hiccups, and the potential for inaccuracy in the measurement of frequency of hiccups.
• Four men with intractable hiccups, who had previously tried a number of medications without improvement, were given either oral baclofen 5 mg or placebo every 8 hours for 3 days, and then the dose was doubled for a further 3 days. The dose was reduced to stop over a week, and after a further week's washout period the intervention was repeated as a crossover.
• Nursing staff evaluated the frequency of hiccups (for 10 minutes at nine daily time points) and their severity, and the participants also rated the severity of their own hiccups.
• When baclofen was taken, the hiccup-free period increased by 69% with the 15 mg daily dosage (p = 0.08), and by 120% with the 30 mg daily dosage (p = 0.003). With placebo, the hiccup-free period stayed the same or worsened.
• In terms of overall improvement, the mean improvement was 22.5 +/– 3.4% with the 15 mg per day dosage, and 31.4 +/– 4.8% with the 30 mg per day dosage.