Successful treatment of intractable hiccup with methylphenidate in a lung cancer patient.

In a 56-year-old man with metastatic small-cell lung cancer, a persistent hiccup was refractory to classic treatments. Hyponatremia, neoplasic mediastinal involvement and liver metastases were though to be potential causative factors. Methylphenidate (MTP), a mild central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is most commonly used for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, was started at a daily dose of 10 mg. It was rapidly efficient and well tolerated. This report suggests a potential advantage of MTP in the treatment of intractable hiccup in cancer patients.