This case report describes a man with intractable hiccups probably caused by donepezil. The patient's symptoms were not responsive to commonly used medications for hiccups, but they were improved and completely relieved upon donepezil dose deescalation and discontinuation. We report two occasions in which the discontinuation of donepezil resulted in hiccup resolution and three occasions in which initiation of donepezil was associated with the onset of hiccups. This report contributes to the growing body of literature that describes an association between centrally acting medications and intractable hiccups.
Keywords: adverse drug event; cholinesterase inhibitors; donepezil; drug therapy; hiccough; hiccup; intractable hiccup; respiratory disease; singultus.
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