Aripiprazole-induced persistent hiccups: A case report

Abstract

Aripiprazole is an antipsychotics medication that is widely used in clinical practice thanks to its safety profile and minor side effects; however, hiccups are a rare adverse event found in aripiprazole users. Hiccups can emerge from various origins including idiopathic, psychogenic and organic causes. Certain neurotransmitters are believed to be an etiology of hiccups especially dopamine and serotonin. This case report demonstrates a 15-year-old male adolescent with diagnosis of major depressive disorder with psychotic feature who developed persistent hiccups after initiating aripiprazole. The article discusses possible explanations of this incidence with clinical implication. Even though antipsychotics are credited to be an option of hiccups therapy, clinicians should be aware of antipsychotic-induced hiccups especially aripiprazole. © 2017 Medical Association of Thailand. All rights reserved.